Richard North – Beowulf & Other Stories: A New Introduction to Old English, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman Literature

’Beowulf’ & Other Stories is a new introduction to the study of Old English consisting of fifteen essays, each written by an expert in the field, that cover the many diverse facets of Old English.
'Beowulf’ & Other Stories has been conceived in the firm belief that Old English – and its close cousins, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman – should be seen as a genuine delight, a period as replete with wonder, creativity and magic as any other in literature.
The book discusses a vast range of subjects, from the fire and bloodlust of the great epic, Beowulf, and the sophistication and eroticism of the Exeter Riddles, to fresh interpretations of the spiritual ecstasy of The Seafarer and the imaginative dexterity of The Dream of the Rood.
'Beowulf’ & Other Stories provides students with all they might need to explore and enjoy this complex but rewarding field. Written throughout with verve, panache and a deep understanding of its subject, 'Beowulf’ & Other Stories is set to be the standard introduction to the field for many years to come.

Features
– Offers an entirely new approach to an old and complex discipline, focusing on the heroic work before the Christian
– Illuminates the shadowy contexts of the period, with essays on matters ranging from the dynamism of Viking Age ebook pdf mobi epub" style="text-decoration: underline">the Viking Age to Anglo-Saxon input into Lord of the Rings
– 'Beowulf’ & Other Stories also branches out into related traditions, with expert introductions to the Icelandic Sagas, Viking Religion and Norse Mythology.
– Peter S. Baker provides an outstanding guide to taking your first steps in the Old English language
– David Crystal provides a crisp linguistic overview of the entire period
– Illustrated with colour photographs throughout

Table of Contents
1. Why read Old English Literature?
An Introduction to this Book
Richard North, David Crystal and Joe Allard

Names to Look Out For
Joe Allard and Richard North

2. Is it relevant?
Old English Influence on The Lord of the Rings
Clive Tolley

3. Is violence what OE poetry is about?
Beowulf and Other Battlers: an introduction to Beowulf
Andy Orchard

4. Is there more like Beowulf?
Old English Minor Heroic Poems
Richard North

5. What else is there?
Joyous Play and Bitter Tears: the Riddles and the Elegies
Jennifer Neville

6. How Christian is OE literature?
The Dream of the Roodand Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
Éamonn © Carragáin and Richard North

7. How did OE literature start?
Cædmon the Cowherd and Old English Biblical Verse
Bryan W. Wyly

8. Were all the poets monks?
Monasteries and Courts: Alcuin and Offa
Andy Orchard

9. Did the Anglo-Saxons write fiction?
Old English prose: King Alfred and his books
Susan Irvine

10. How difficult is the OE language?
The Old English language
Peter S. Baker

11. When were the Vikings in England?
Viking Wars and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Jayne Carroll

Noteson the Old Norse Language
Richard North

12. What gods did the Vikings worship?
Viking religion: Old Norse mythology
Terry Gunnell

13. Just who were the Vikings anyway?
Sagas of Icelanders
Joe Allard

14. Were there sagas in OE literature?
Prose Writers of the English Benedictine Reform
Stewart Brookes

15. What happened when the Normans arrived?
Anglo-Norman literature: the road to Middle English
Patricia Gillies

Epilogue
The end of Old English?
David Crystal   źródło opisu: Pearson Longman, 2007 źródło okładki: http://www.pearson.ch/