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Early Medieval Literature

Students preparing to take the comprehensive examination in early medieval literature should be

familiar not only with the breadth of the primary texts listed below, but also with the major

interpretive, critical, and historical issues concerning these texts. Students should also be awarethat the breadth of secondary work on these literary works is substantial and, therefore, students

should consult with Dr. Jana Schulman as this list does not include critical works on individual

literary texts.

Old English: There are many different editions, collections, and translations of Old English

poetry, fewer for prose. S.A.J. Bradley has translated much, if not all of the poetry, inAnglo-Saxon Poetry. For those who have studied Old English, I recommend Richard Marsden'sCambridge Old English Reader, which has a good selection of texts in Old English, with glossed

words in the margins. lfric'sLives of Saints, with Old English and a facing page translation,can be found in Walter Skeat's edition,lfric's Lives of Saints. London; New York: Publishedfor the Early English Text Society by Oxford University Press, 1966. There is also an Old

English and facing page translation ofThe Old English version of BedesEcclesiastical historyof the English people. Ed. with a translation and introduction by Thomas Miller.London; NewYork: Published for the Early English Text Society by the Oxford University Press, 1997.

Old English Poetry:

Beowulf Battle of Maldon

Battle of Brunanburh Judith Dream of the Rood The Wanderer The Seafarer Cdmon's Hymn The Wife's Lament Deor Riddles (selection) Maxims IandII Juliana

Old English Prose:

Bede,Ecclesiastical History of the English People Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Entries for 755-924; 933-946; 978-1017; 1066 Alfred, Preface to Gregory'sPastoral Care; Preface to Boethius' Consolation of

Philosophy

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lfric, "Preface to Genesis"; from theLives of Saints: Life of St. elryth, Edmund,Oswald, Swyun, Eugenia, and Eufrasia

Apollonius of Tyre Selections from the Vercelli and Blickling Homilies Selections from theLaws of the Earliest English Kings. Ed. F.L. Attenborough.

Wulfstan, Sermo Lupi ad Anglos

Old Norse: There are several translations of thePoetic Edda. The latest is by CarolynLarrington; two others are by Patricia Terry,Poems of the Elder Edda, and by Lee Hollander,The Poetic Edda. The best translation of theProse Edda is the one by Anthony Faulkes,Edda.The sagas exist in many and varied translations.

Old Norse Poetry:

From thePoetic Edda: Poems of Heroes:o "Atlakvia"

o "Atlaml"o "Brot of Sigurarkvia"o "Fafnisml"o "Grimnisml"o "Gripissp"o "Gurunarhvt"o "Gurunarkviur I-III"o "Helgakvia I-II"o "Helrei Brynhildar"o

"Reginsml"o "Sigrdrifuml"o "Siguarkvia in skamma"

From thePoetic Edda: Mythological Poems:o "Vlusp"o "firymskvia"o "Hvaml"o "Lokasenna"o "Rigsflula"o "Skrnisml"o "Vlundarkvia"

Drttkvtt (skaldic) poetry: Selections from Roberta Frank, Old Norse Court Poetry, The Drottkvtt Stanza

Old Norse Prose:

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The Prose Edda slendingasgur(Family Sagas):

o Njls sagao Laxdla sagao

Hrafnkels sagao Egils sagao Kormaks sagao Gunnlaugs saga Ormstunguo Gisli sagao Grettis saga

Fornaldarsgur(Sagas of Ancient Times):o Volsunga sagao

Hrolfs saga krakao Gautreks sagao Hrolf Gautrekssonar saga

Riddarasgur(Romances/Translations of Continental Romances):o Strengleikar (Lais of Marie de France)o Tristams sagao Erex sagao

Bevers sagao Viglundar saga

Konungasgur (Kings' sagas):o King Harald's sagao Selections from Snorri'sHeimskringla

Continental Medieval Literature:

Lais of Marie de FranceSong of RolandRoman de Silence

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Poema de Mi Cid

HildebrandtsliedThe HeliandNibelungenlied

Gottfried von Straussburg, Tristan

Hrotsvit of Gandersheim,Dulcitius,Pelagius,Abraham, Calimachus

Recommended Secondary Works:

This list, which has some titles that duplicate each other in terms of content, is designed to

provide historical and literary overviews of Anglo-Saxon England, medieval Iceland, Germany,

and France. All other secondary, theoretical, and critical readings will be determined in

consultation with Dr. Jana Schulman .

Blair, Peter Hunter. Introduction to Anglo-Saxon England. (history) Bostock, J. Knight.A Handbook on Old High German Literature. Gibbs, Marion. MedievalGermanLiterature: A Companion. Godden, Malcolm. Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature. Greenfield, Stanley and Daniel Calder. New History of Old English Literature. Jhannesson, Jn.A History of the Old Icelandic Commonwealth. (history) Murdoch, Brian, ed. German Literature of the Early Middle Ages O'Donoghue, Heather. Old Norse-Icelandic Literature. A Short Introduction. Raw, Barbara C. The Art and Background of Old English Poetry.

Stenton, Frank. Anglo-Saxon England. (history) Whitelock, Dorothy. Beginnings of English Society (history and literature) Muir, Lynette R.Literature and Society in Medieval France: the Mirror and the Image, 1100-1500. Wilson, Katharina. Hrotsvit of Gandersheim. A Florilegium of her Works.