Table of contents Acknowledgements V List of Abbreviations IX 0 Introduction 1 0.1 Anglo-Saxons and writing: a brief introduction 1 0.2 Runic writing before the fifth century 4 0.3 The runic and roman writing systems 6 0.4 English runes before and after the conversion 8 0.5 Methodology 11 1 Runes in Old English Manuscripts: The Exeter Book Manuscript as a Case Study 17 1.1 Runes in the Exeter Book 17 1.1.1 Marginal runes 23 1.1.2 Runic abbreviations 27 1.1.3 Textual runes 30 1.2 Runes, riddles, and revelation 35 1.3 Conclusion 43 2 Reading and Writing in the Runic Riddles and The Husband’s Message 45 2.1 Runes in the Exeter Book riddles 45 2.1.1 Speech and the material word: Riddle 24 47 2.1.2 Talking about writing in Riddles 42 and 58 52 2.1.3 Hidden in plain sight: re-reading Riddles 19 and 64 57 2.2 The Husband’s Message 65 2.2.1 The identity of the speaker 69 2.2.2 Interpreting the runes of The Husband’s Message 78 2.3 Conclusion 82 3 Cynewulf’s Signatures and the Materiality of the Letter 85 3.1 Cynewulf’s epilogues 85 3.1.1 Cynewulf’s runic signatures 90 3.1.2 Problem runes and playful language 95 3.2 Names in manuscripts: scribal colophons and authorial signatures 100 3.3 Names in epigraphy 106 3.4 Writing the cross: visual signifiers in Elene 112 VIII Table of contents 3.5 The purpose of Cynewulf’s epilogues 117 3.6 Conclusion 120 4 The Power of the Letter in Runic Charms and Solomon and Saturn I 121 4.1 Anglo-Saxon charms and the story of Imma 122 4.1.1 Letters and divine power 126 4.1.2 Runes in Old English charms 130 4.1.3 Imma meets Ælfric 138 4.1.4 Runic charms and the power of language 140 4.2 Solomon and Saturn I 149 4.3 Conclusion 156 5 Rune Lists and Alphabet Poems: Studying the Letter in Later Anglo-Saxon England 157 5.1 The Old English Rune Poem 157 5.2 Letter lists and Rune poems 162 5.2.1 The Abecedarium Nordmannicum 165 5.2.2 Icelandic Rune Poem(s) 167 5.2.3 The Norwegian Rune Poem 170 5.2.4 The Rune poems together 173 5.3 Alphabet psalms 176 5.4 Visual ambiguities in the Old English Rune Poem 184 5.5 Conclusion 192 6 Conclusion 193 6.1 Medieval writing and the internet 197 Bibliography 203 Index 221.

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The Inscription of Charms in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts
Oral Tradition, 14/2 (1999): 401-419 The Inscription of Charms in Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts Lea Olsan Anglo-Saxon charms constitute a definable oral genre that may be distinguished from other kinds of traditionally oral materials such as epic poetry because texts of charms include explicit directions for performance. Scribes often specify that a charm be spoken (cwean) or sung (singan). In some cases a charm is to be written on some object. But inscribing an incantation on an object does not necessarily diminish or contradict the orality of the genre. An incantation written on an amulet manifests the appropriation of the technology of writing for the purposes of a traditionally oral activity.1 Unlike epic poetry, riddles, or lyrics, charms are performed toward specific practical ends and their mode of operation is performative, so that uttering the incantation accomplishes a purpose. The stated purpose of an incantation also determines when and under what circumstances a charm will be performed. Charms inscribed in manuscripts are tagged according to the needs they answer-whether eye pain, insomnia, childbirth, theft of property, or whatever. Some charms ward off troubles (toothache, bees swarming); others, such as those for bleeding or swellings, relieve physical troubles. This specificity of purpose markedly distinguishes the genre from other traditional oral genres that are less specifically utilitarian. Given the specific circumstances of need that call for their performance, the social contexts in which charms are performed create the conditions felicitous for performative speech acts in Austin’s sense (1975:6-7, 12-15). The assumption underlying charms is that the incantations (whether words or symbols or phonetic patterns) of a charm can effect a change in the state of the person or persons or inanimate object (a salve, for example, or a field for crops).
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View That the Present Study Affirms
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