Poems and Prose from the Old English
In this restructured and greatly expanded version of Burton Raffel's out-of-print classic, Poems from the Old English, Raffel and co-editor Alexandra H. Olsen place the oldest English writings in an entirely different perspective. Keeping the classroom teacher's needs foremost in mind, Raffel and Olsen organize the major Old English poems (except "Beowulf") and new prose selections so as to facilitate both reading and studying. A general introduction provides an up-to-date and detailed...
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In this restructured and greatly expanded version of Burton Raffel's out-of-print classic, Poems from the Old English, Raffel and co-editor Alexandra H. Olsen place the oldest English writings in an entirely different perspective. Keeping the classroom teacher's needs foremost in mind, Raffel and Olsen organize the major Old English poems (except "Beowulf") and new prose selections so as to facilitate both reading and studying. A general introduction provides an up-to-date and detailed historical account of the Anglo-Saxon period, and concise introductions open the literature sections of the book and many of the translations. With more than 1,800 newly translated lines and many revised older translations, the poems in this volume are organized into four genres - elegies, heroic poems, religious poems, and wisdom poetry. Raffel's new translations include more than twenty poem-riddles, with proposed solutions in a separate section. Prose translations - grouped in historical, testamentary and legal, religious, social and instructional, and medical and magical categories - feature writings by King Alfred, Aelfric, and Wulfstan, among others.
IntroductionSelected BibliographyPoetryProsody and Style3Elegies5The Wanderer7The Seafarer10A Woman's Lament14Wulf and Eadwacer15The Husband's Message16Deor18The Ruin19Heroic Poems22Judith23Elene35The Battle of Finnsburh39The Battle of Brunanburh40Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: A.D. 97542The Battle of Maldon43Religious Poems53Caedmon's Hymn55Bede's Death Song: A Paraphrase55The Dream of the Rood55Christ I: Twelve Advent Lyrics61Genesis A: Abraham and Isaac73Genesis B76The Phoenix95Wisdom Poetry107Riddle 1110Riddle 2110Riddle 3111Riddle 7113Riddle 8113Riddle 11113Riddle 14114Riddle 15114Riddle 25115Riddle 26116Riddle 28116Riddle 29117Riddle 32117Riddle 33118Riddle 44118Riddle 45118Riddle 47119Riddle 57119Riddle 60119Riddle 66120Riddle 87120Maxims I120The Fortunes of Men128Physiologus131Charm for Bewitched Land136ProsePaternoster138Old English Prose139Historical Prose141The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle141A.D. 449142A.D. 754143A.D. 755143A.D. 793144Testamentary and Legal Prose145Old English Wills145King Alfred's Will146Elfgifu's Will150Ealdorman Elfheah's Will152Ethelfleda's Will153Wulfwaru's Will154Ealdorman Ethelwold's Will156Old English Laws157King Alfred's Laws: Excerpts158Judgment by Ordeal159King Alfred's Treaty with King Guthrum of Denmark161Religious Prose162King Alfred's Preface to Gregory's Dialogues163Aelfric's Sermon for December 27, on the Assumption of Saint John the Apostle163Aelfric's Preface to His Translation of Genesis172Sermo Lupi, the Wolf's Sermon177The Harrowing of Hell183Social and Instructional Prose190Bede: Excerpts from the Old English Translation of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People191King Alfred's Preface to a Presentation Copy of a Translation of Saint Gregory the Great's Cura Pastoralis, Pastoral Care197King Alfreds Preface to Blossom-Gatherings from Saint Augustine200Aelfric's Dialogues (Colloquies)201Medical and Magical Prose216Eight Charms216Glossary221Proposed Solutions to the Riddles225
