Three Old English poems

Abstract

The three Old English poems in this edition are: The Battle of Maldon, The Dream of the Rood, and Wulf and Eadwacer. This edition is intended to become a textbook for first-time students of Old English literature in Engl 215 at Victoria University of Wellington. The needs of the elementary student have been kept in mind at all times. Each poem is prefaced with an introduction on general points of interest. The text of each poem is given first in a diplomatic transcription, accompanied by notes on emendations and manuscript readings. This is followed by the edited text. Each poem has a running commentary and gloss of difficult words, as well as an exhaustive back glossary, giving the full grammatical form for each occurrence. An annotated bibliography for each poem is also provided, with items of particular interest and value for beginning students highlighted. The introduction for The Battle of Maldon examines the history of the battle, the copy of text that survives, the place of the ealdorman in tenth-century AngloSaxon England, and the difficulties of glossing some words in the poem. The introduction for The Dream of the Rood gives a survey of critical opinion on the poem, quotes both Tatwine's riddle, De Cruce Christi and part of the apocryphal Gospel of Peter, and examines the inscriptions on the Ruthwell and Brussels crosses. The introduction for Wulf and Eadwacer briefly examines various views on the poem and lists several factors which should be accounted for in every interpretation of it. All glossing and notation has been done as objectively as possible. Set interpretations have been offered as sparingly as possible, thus allowing the student to explore the poems and the language for themselves. Excessive emendation has also been avoided, with manuscript readings being retained as much as possible.