DOCSLIB.ORG

Towns in Anglo-Saxon England

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Towns in Anglo-Saxon England From Dark Earth to Domesday: Towns in Anglo-Saxon England Author: David Crane Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/bc-ir:104070 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2014 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of History FROM DARK EARTH TO DOMESDAY: TOWNS IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND a dissertation by David D. Crane submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May, 2014 © copyright by DAVID DANIEL CRANE 2014 Dissertation Abstract From Dark Earth to Domesday: Towns in Anglo-Saxon England David D. Crane Robin Fleming, Advisor 2014 The towns that the Norman invaders found in England in 1066 had far longer and far more complex histories than have often been conveyed in the historiography of the Anglo-Saxon period. This lack of depth is not surprising, however, as the study of the towns of Anglo-Saxon England has long been complicated by a dearth of textual sources and by the work of influential historians who have measured the urban status of Anglo-Saxon settlements using the attributes of late medieval towns as their gage. These factors have led to a schism amongst historian regarding when the first towns developed in Anglo-Saxon England and about which historical development marks the beginning of the continuous history of the English towns. This dissertation endeavors to apply new evidence and new methodologies to questions related to the development, status, and nature of Anglo-Saxon urban communities in order to provide a greater insight into their origins and their evolutionary trajectories. It is the argument of this work that the emporia of the sixth through nine centuries were indeed towns and that the burhs founded by Alfred the Great and his heirs were intended from their inception to be towns and were quickly recognized as such by contemporaries. Two distinct methodologies are used to support these arguments: The first uses recent archeological and numismatic data related to the settlements in question to determine if the size and occupational make-up of their populations, the complexity and diversity of their economies, and their integration into regional and cross-Channel exchange networks sufficiently differentiated them from contemporary rural sites and places them in a distinct, urban category. The second methodology employs contemporary texts including the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, The Old English Orosius, and The Old English Martyrology to reveal the terms actually used by the Anglo-Saxons to describe their settlements and then compares those terms to the words used to describe places that the Anglo-Saxons would have definitively recognized as a town or a city, such as Rome or Jerusalem. Regarding the continuity of Anglo-Saxon towns, recent archaeological data is used to prove that the periods of time which have often been cited as breaks in occupation were actually moments of transition from one type of town to another. At London, for example, we can now see that there was no substantive gap between the end of the extramural emporium of Lundenwic and earliest evidence for secular settlement within the walls of the former Roman town during the ninth century when it was refortified as a burh. This indicates that we should trace the continuous history of many towns, like London, back beyond Alfred and his burhs, to the emporia and other settlements that preceded them. Another major theme that threads its way through this work is that the Anglo-Saxon towns were negotiated spaces defined by the interplay of different groups of people and different ideas. Kings and bishops certainly exerted a great deal of influence over the development of the Anglo-Saxon towns, but, by no means were they the only forces at work. The common craftsmen and traders who lived and worked in the towns and the lesser elites and royal officials who lorded over them shaped the physical and social environments of the towns, their regional and cross-Channel connections, and how their economies functioned. Different groups of foreigners also influenced the Anglo-Saxon towns through trade, evangelism, and, at times, violence. Moreover, in so much as any of these groups or individuals may have exerted a greater influence over the development of the Anglo-Saxon towns at one time or another, no single group—be it kings, bishops, elites, traders, craftsmen, or assorted foreigners—can ever be said to have been acting totally independently of the others. In short, this dissertation illustrates that the towns of Anglo- Saxon England were the products of complex networks that moved people, things, wealth, and ideas throughout regions and across seas. For Jodi and Ronan Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii List of Tables iv 1. Defining the Town in Anglo-Saxon England 1 2. The New Towns and the New Economy 12 3. The West Saxon Burhs and the Development of Towns 51 4. Town Reeves and Royal Administration of Towns and Trade 74 5. Rebuilding Rome: Churches and Religious Houses in the Anglo-Saxon Town 100 6. Reconnected: Craft Production, Trade, and Towns in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries 132 7. Vikings and Normans 161 Appendix A 183 Appendix B 185 Appendix C 188 Appendix D 195 Bibliography 196 i Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to the Department of History and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Boston College for providing me with the opportunity to pursue my doctorate. I am also indebted to the faculty and staff of the Department of History for their assistance and support during my time in the department. This work would not have been possible without the helpful staff of the O’Neill library. Particular thanks go to the Interlibrary Loan department for bringing the world’s libraries within my reach. I wish to acknowledge the support of my colleagues and the administration at Salem State University. I would like to specifically thank Professor Emerson “Tad” Baker for providing me with a solid foundation in archaeology and material culture and for generously serving on my comprehensive exam board. To Arlene Greenstein and Cyndi Allison, thank you so much for your kindness, your encouragement, and for being the greatest boss and the most amazing coworker anyone could ever ask for. ii I would like to thank all of Robin Fleming’s graduate students past and present for their contributions to this work, both formally in the forge of Robin’s seminar and informally in so many great conversations. I am proud to be a part of such an amazing family of scholars. To Sally Shockro, Kylie Dodson, and Tracey-Anne Cooper, thank you for your friendship and for making me laugh. Many thanks to Prasannan Parthasarathi and Robert Stanton, not only for reading this dissertation but for helping me acquire the skills to get it done. I am eternally grateful to Robin Fleming. Thank you for all of the time and energy you have so generously given me over the years. Thank you for reading all of the drafts I sent you—especially the bad ones. Thank you for pushing me to be a better writer, a better thinker, and a real historian. Thank you for the privilege of being your student, you exemplify what a scholar, a teacher, and a mentor should be. I have to thank Ronan for making his dad really happy. Finally, Jodi, thank you for your support, your patience, and your love. Thank you for managing all of the details of life that I have had to put aside to work on this dissertation. Most of all, thank you for just being you. I could not have done this without you. iii List of Tables Table 3.1 Comparison of the Two Extent Versions of The Burghal Hidage 67 iv 1. Defining the Town in Anglo-Saxon England The title of this study, From Dark Earth to Domesday, lays out the period covered, from the sixth century to the Norman Conquest. The organization of the chapters is roughly chronological, although chapter five reaches back from the tenth century to immediate post-Roman era in order to provide the full context of the Church’s participation in development of the Anglo-Saxon towns. The order of the chapters is intended to present a cohesive picture of the evolution of the Anglo-Saxon towns over time. Methodologically, this study attempts to synthesize three types of evidence: the growing body of archaeological and numismatic evidence that has come to light in the last few decades, the extent charter and law code evidence, and the extremely underutilized literary evidence relating to the Anglo-Saxon towns. The aim of this study is to apply both new evidence and new approaches to some of the major questions concerning the development of the English towns before the Conquest and thereby provide greater insight into their origins and to argue for a longer evolutionary history for the Anglo-Saxon towns than is often considered. To begin this process, it is necessary to examine some of the fundamental questions faced by all studies of the Anglo- Saxon towns. 1 The nature of the burhs built by Alfred and his heirs, whether they were fortresses or towns, has been a central debate in the historiography of the Anglo-Saxon towns for well over one hundred years. In the early twentieth century, Frederick William Maitland presented his so-called “garrison theory,” arguing that Alfred’s burhs were nothing more than fortresses that provided the nuclei around which the later Anglo-Saxon towns formed.1 In response, James Tait and Sir Frank Stenton proposed that the burhs were fortified towns equipped with all of the necessary appurtenances—a market, a mint, and a wall—to prepare them for their eventual maturity.2 Despite the best efforts of Tait and Stenton to drive a stake through its heart, the specter of Maitland’s “garrison theory”—that the West Saxon burhs were intended to be nothing more than fortresses—periodically rises from the dead to haunt the debate over when and how towns developed in Anglo-Saxon England.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Gungate Regeneration Public Consultation: Comments Received up to 11 02 2021
    GUNGATE REGENERATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION: COMMENTS RECEIVED UP TO 11 02 2021 (A final and complete version of the comments received will be published after the end of the consultation) Table of Contents Question 1 – In what capacity are you responding to this consultation? .............................2 Question 2 - Can you think of other uses that might work? ................................................3 Question 3 - What would you like to see in a new Leisure Centre? ................................... 14 Question 4 - Are you aware of any other constraints (obstacles) that may present challenges for the development of the site? .................................................................... 22 Question 5 - On the basis of your local knowledge, can you think of any other key characteristics, requirements and opportunities that should be taken into consideration in developing the site that haven’t been identified? ............................................................ 26 Question 6 - What uses do you think should not be next to each other? ........................... 35 Question 7 - What do you think about the idea of having taller and larger buildings to the north: lower and smaller buildings to the south? ............................................................. 41 Question 8 - Would the routes shown make it easier to get around the area and, in your experience, do they provide the most direct route? If not, please explain why? ................ 48 Question 9 - Do you think that this new road layout would be an improvement? ............. 53 Question 10 - How do you think public transport could fit into the site? ........................... 58 Question 11 - What would you like to see in any new public open space? (For example, types of surfacing, types of trees, public art, small amenity areas with seating) ............... 64 Question 12 - What do you think about having residential development in the Gungate Regeneration area? .......................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • ST JAMES HOUSE Birminghambirmingham, B1 1DB HOTEL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
    St James House ST JAMES HOUSE BIRMINGHAMBirmingham, B1 1DB HOTEL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY 1 www.realestate.bnpparibas.co.uk St James House Birmingham, B1 1DB HOTEL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY SUMMARY • To be sold on behalf of the Joint LPA Receivers • Planning consent granted May 2021 for redevelopment to 10 storey ‘Aparthotel’ with 156 apartments • Terms agreed with Residence Inn by Marriott on franchise agreement • 0.25 miles to Birmingham New Street Station and Grand Central and close by to Birmingham CBD • Existing building – 35,894 sq ft GIA • 999 year long leasehold interest at a peppercorn rent • Prominently situated on the edge of Birmingham’s CBD on the busy A38 Bristol Road • Price on Application For more information, please contact: Simon Robinson +44 (0) 7771 860 985 Senior Director [email protected] Mark Robinson +44 (0) 7342 069 808 Senior Director [email protected] BNP Paribas Real Estate 9 Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2BJ St James House Birmingham, B1 1DB WELL CONNECTED Motorways Airlines Railways The city benefits from 3 main stations, Birmingham is situated Birmingham airport is due a further New Street, Moor Street and Snowhill. within the heart of expansion at a cost of £500m. This is England’s motorway expected to increase passengers numbers All offer regular services reaching network linking the M1, by a further 40% over the next 15 years. the majority of the UK. M5, M6, M40 and M42 resulting in over 90% of the Paris 1hr 15 mins population being within London (Euston) 1hr 20 mins Edinburgh 1hr 10 mins 4 hour travel time.
    [Show full text]
  • Viking Wirral … and the Battle of Brunanburh Professor Steve Harding
    Viking Wirral … and the Battle of Brunanburh Professor Steve Harding Neil Oliver, “History of Scotland” BBC2, 2009 “ The many armies, tens of thousands of warriors clashed at the site known as Brunanburh where the Mersey Estuary enters the sea . For decades afterwards it was simply known called the Great Battle. This was the mother of all dark-age bloodbaths and would define the shape of Britain into the modern era. Althouggg,h Athelstan emerged victorious, the resistance of the northern alliance had put an end to his dream of conquering the whole of Britain. This had been a battle for Britain, one of the most important battles in British historyyy and yet today ypp few people have even heard of it. 937 doesn’t quite have the ring of 1066 and yet Brunanburh was about much more than blood and conquest. This was a showdown between two very different ethnic identities – a Norse-Celtic alliance versus Anglo-Saxon. It aimed to settle once and for all whether Britain would be controlled by a single Imperial power or remain several separate kingdoms. A split in perceptions which, like it or not, is still with us today”. Some of the people who’ve been trying to sort it out Nic k Hig ham Pau l Cav ill Mic hae l Woo d John McNeal Dodgson 1928-1990 Plan •Background of Brunanburh • Evidence for Wirral location for the battle • If it did happen in Wirra l, w here is a like ly site for the battle • Consequences of the Battle for Wirral – and Britain Background of Brunanburh “Cherchez la Femme!” Ann Anderson (1964) The Story of Bromborough •TheThe Viking
    [Show full text]
  • The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’, 865–96
    Clare Downham, University of Liverpool 2 Annals, armies, and artistry: ‘The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’, 865–96 ‘THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE’ from 865 to 896 is an engrossing description of affairs in England during the mature years of Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons and then overking of the Anglo-Saxons (871–99). Much of the narrative is pre-occupied with the description of viking-campaigns, and it is a major source for understanding how vikings first came to conquer and settle English territory. Nevertheless, it is striking that the presentation of information in ‘The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’ for those years was influenced by stylistic and political considerations. These can provide important clues to the circumstances of the composition of annals 865 to 896. For the years 865–96 there seem to be two distinct phases of chronicling activity in ‘The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’. The first runs from A.D. 864/5 to 891/2 (annals 865–92) and belongs to the Chronicle’s ‘Common Stock’ (60 B.C.–A.D. 892), while the second constitutes its first continuation, for the four years 893– 6. Ruth Waterhouse has discussed the former section.1 She has drawn attention to the distinct word-order of annals 865–91 and the stylistic features (such as its verbs of motion) which distinguish it from what precedes and what follows.2 Peter Sawyer has argued persuasively that this section properly ends at 892 (not 891), which is therefore where that ‘Common Stock’ of the Chronicle ends.3 It is also in this section that the beginning of the year was calculated from September.4 1R.
    [Show full text]
  • The Early Medieval Period, Its Main Conclusion Is They Were Compiled at Malmesbury
    Early Medieval 10 Early Medieval Edited by Chris Webster from contributions by Mick Aston, Bruce Eagles, David Evans, Keith Gardner, Moira and Brian Gittos, Teresa Hall, Bill Horner, Susan Pearce, Sam Turner, Howard Williams and Barbara Yorke 10.1 Introduction raphy, as two entities: one “British” (covering most 10.1.1 Early Medieval Studies of the region in the 5th century, and only Cornwall by the end of the period), and one “Anglo-Saxon” The South West of England, and in particular the three (focusing on the Old Sarum/Salisbury area from the western counties of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, later 5th century and covering much of the region has a long history of study of the Early Medieval by the 7th and 8th centuries). This is important, not period. This has concentrated on the perceived “gap” only because it has influenced past research questions, between the end of the Roman period and the influ- but also because this ethnic division does describe (if ence of Anglo-Saxon culture; a gap of several hundred not explain) a genuine distinction in the archaeological years in the west of the region. There has been less evidence in the earlier part of the period. Conse- emphasis on the eastern parts of the region, perhaps quently, research questions have to deal less with as they are seen as peripheral to Anglo-Saxon studies a period, than with a highly complex sequence of focused on the east of England. The region identi- different types of Early Medieval archaeology, shifting fied as the kingdom of Dumnonia has received detailed both chronologically and geographically in which issues treatment in most recent work on the subject, for of continuity and change from the Roman period, and example Pearce (1978; 2004), KR Dark (1994) and the evolution of medieval society and landscape, frame Somerset has been covered by Costen (1992) with an internally dynamic period.
    [Show full text]
  • Resetting the Urban Network
    Resetting the Urban Network: 117-2012 Short title: Resetting the Urban Network: 117-2012 Guy Michaels London School of Economics† Ferdinand Rauch University of Oxford‡ August 5, 2016 Abstract Article Do fixed geographic features such as coastlines and rivers determine town locations, or can historical events trap towns in unfavourable locations for centuries? We examine the effects on town locations of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, which temporarily ended urbaniza- tion in Britain, but not in France. As urbanization recovered, medieval towns were more often found in Roman-era town locations in France than in Britain. The resetting of Britain’s urban net- work gave it better access to natural navigable waterways, which mattered for town growth from 1200-1800. We conclude that history trapped many French towns in suboptimal locations. KEYWORDS: Economic Geography, Economic History, Path Dependence, Transportation. We thanks conference participants at the ASSA Meetings, IAST (Toulouse) Economic History Conference on Trade and History, and UIBE (Beijing) Workshop in International Trade, and seminar participants in Aalto, Amsterdam, Au- tonoma Barcelona, Budapest, Edinburgh, Gothenburg, Graz, Lausanne, Leeds, LSE, Mannheim, Munich, Nottingham, Oxford, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Pompeu Fabra, Rotterdam, Royal Holloway, Sussex, Vienna, and Warwick for help- ful comments. We also thank Alan Bowman, Francesco Caselli, Rui Esteves, Penelope Goodman, Alan Manning, Kevin O’Rourke, Assaf Peretz, Michele Piccione, Steve Pischke, Diego Puga, Nicholas Purcell, Steve Redding, Marko Tervio, John Van Reenen, Tony Venables, Andrew Wilson, and Greg Woolf for their helpful suggestions. We are grateful to the Centre for Economic Performance for its financial support. The usual disclaimer applies.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Mercian Text Production: Authors, Dialects, and Reputations
    Early Mercian Text Production: Authors, Dialects, and Reputations Abstract There are suggestions that King Alfred’s legendary literary renaissance may have been a reaction to the efforts of the neighbouring kingdom of Mercia. According to Asser, Alfred assembled a group of literary scholars from this rival Mercian tradition at his court. But it is not clear what early literary activities these scholars could have been involved in to justify their pre-Alfredian reputation. This article tries to outline the historical and literary evidence for early Mercian text production, and the importance of this ‘other’ early literary corpus. What is our current knowledge of Mercian text production and the political and literary relationship of Mercia with Canterbury? What was the relationship of Alfred’s educational movement with its Mercian forerunner? Why is modern scholarship better informed about Alfred’s movement than any Mercian rival culture? If our current knowledge of this area is insufficient for the writing of a literary history of Mercia, a provisional list of texts and bibliography, published electronically for convenient updating, may prove useful in the meantime. Alfredian evidence for Mercian literary culture That King Alfred claims to have initiated an educational Renaissance is well known. Alfredian writings acknowledge a marked decline in learning and scholarship, at least in terms of Latin text composition and manuscript production, and at least in Wessex (Lapidge 1996, 436-439). But the same texts also suggest the existence of
    [Show full text]
  • Anglo-Saxons and Scots
    Anglo-Saxons and Scots YEAR 4 SPRING ONE NAME: CLASS: © 2018 Reach Academy Feltham 1 | Page © 2018 Reach Academy Feltham 2 | Page Lesson How do we Who invaded What was life What did the What was the Why did the know about the Britain after the like for Anglo- Anglo Saxons heptatchy? Anglo-Saxons Question Anglo-Saxons? Romans left? Saxons? believe? build forts? Page | You will o Who Gildas o o What Anglo- o The pagan o About the o Who the 3 was. o The Scots Saxons ate beliefs of the seven Danes were. learn: o Who Bede invasion o What Anglo- Anglo- kingdoms of o Why Alfred was. from Ireland. Saxon Saxons England was o The o The Picts villages o The o The Kings ‘ Great’ W importance invasions looked like. importance Offa and hat a burh of the from the o The jobs of Norse Egbert. was, and Anglo-Saxon north. Anglo- mythology o Why Offa why they Chronicle o The Angles, Saxons did. mythology built a dyke. were built. Saxons and o How Anglo o How Jutes Saxon Augustine society was reintroduce organised d Christianity to England 2018 Reach Academy Feltham Academy Reach 2018 © Exit Ticket LESSON ONE: How do we know about the Anglo-Saxons and Scots? When did the Anglo-Saxons and Scots invade and live in Britain? Who invaded Britain before? Who invaded after? Write down everything that you already know about the Anglo-Saxons and Scots here: Glossary Term Definition Dark Ages The period of history during which there aren’t many written records.
    [Show full text]
  • Dales Trails NORTH YORKSHIRE
    10/10/2017 Dales Trails |Home | Calendar | Trans-Dales Trail 1 | Trans-Dales Trail 2 | Trans-Dales Trail 3 | Go walking with Underwood | Dales Trails NORTH YORKSHIRE - Hovingham A good walk for any time of the year across the rolling wooded countryside of the Howardian Hills, following a part of the Ebor Way via Terrington. Fact File 17.5km (11½miles) - but can be Distance shortened to 13.5km (8½ miles) Time 4 hours OS Explorer 300 (Howardian Hills & Map Malton) Park at the village hall (next to the Malt Start/Parking Shovel inn) Grid Ref: SE 668757 Field paths, bridleways & minor roads. Terrain Can be muddy in places Grade *** (moderate) nearest Town Malton McConnellTHOMAS organic, local, fair traded general store, deli and web café in Hovingham; Refreshments Spa Tearoom, Hovingham; Village Shop Cafe in Terrington; Pubs in Hovingham and Terrington Toilets none Public 194/195 from Malton or Helmsley. http://www.dalestrails.co.uk/Hovingham.htm 1/4 10/10/2017 Dales Trails Transport Moorsbus in Summer months Suitable for for everyone. Stiles 5 Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Image reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland. 1. (Start) From the car park at the village hall turn left (south) and walk past the Worsley Arms Hotel. At the corner, cross the road to join the footpath heading up hill. Walk up the road for about 200m and take the track forking left (SP Terrington). This track crosses open farmland with views back to the North York Moors, before dropping down into woodland.
    [Show full text]
  • Deadly Hostility: Feud, Violence, and Power in Early Anglo-Saxon England
    Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 6-2017 Deadly Hostility: Feud, Violence, and Power in Early Anglo-Saxon England David DiTucci Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the European History Commons Recommended Citation DiTucci, David, "Deadly Hostility: Feud, Violence, and Power in Early Anglo-Saxon England" (2017). Dissertations. 3138. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/3138 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEADLY HOSTILITY: FEUD, VIOLENCE, AND POWER IN EARLY ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND by David DiTucci A dissertation submitted to the Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy History Western Michigan University June 2017 Doctoral Committee: Robert F. Berkhofer III, Ph.D., Chair Jana Schulman, Ph.D. James Palmitessa, Ph.D. E. Rozanne Elder, Ph.D. DEADLY HOSTILITY: FEUD, VIOLENCE, AND POWER IN EARLY ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND David DiTucci, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2017 This dissertation examines the existence and political relevance of feud in Anglo-Saxon England from the fifth century migration to the opening of the Viking Age in 793. The central argument is that feud was a method that Anglo-Saxons used to understand and settle conflict, and that it was a tool kings used to enhance their power. The first part of this study examines the use of fæhð in Old English documents, including laws and Beowulf, to demonstrate that fæhð referred to feuds between parties marked by reciprocal acts of retaliation.
    [Show full text]
  • ARTHUR of CAMELOT and ATHTHE-DOMAROS of CAMULODUNUM: a STRATIGRAPHY-BASED EQUATION PROVIDING a NEW CHRONOLOGY for 1St MIILLENNIUM ENGLAND
    1 Gunnar Heinsohn (15 June 2017) ARTHUR OF CAMELOT AND ATHTHE-DOMAROS OF CAMULODUNUM: A STRATIGRAPHY-BASED EQUATION PROVIDING A NEW CHRONOLOGY FOR 1st MIILLENNIUM ENGLAND “It seems probable that Camelot, Chrétien de Troyes’ [c. 1140-1190 AD] name for Arthur's Court, is derived directly from Camelod-unum, the name of Roman Colchester. The East Coast town was probably well-known to this French poet, though whether he knew of any specific associations with Arthur is unclear. […] John Morris [1973] suggests that Camulodunum might actually have been the High-King Arthur's Eastern Capital” (David Nash Ford 2000). "I think we can dispose of him [Arthur] quite briefly. He owes his place in our history books to a 'no smoke without fire' school of thought. [...] The fact of the matter is that there is no historical evidence about Arthur; we must reject him from our histories and, above all, from the titles of our books" (David N. Dumville 1977, 187 f.) I Why neither the habitats of Arthurian Celts nor the cities of their Saxon foes can be found in post-Roman Britain p. 2 II Contemporaneity of Saxons, Celts and Romans during the conquest of Britain in the Late Latène period of Aththe[Aθθe]-Domaros of Camulodunum/Colchester p. 14 III Summary p. 29 IV Bibliography p. 30 Author’s1 address p. 32 1 Thanks for editorial assistance go to Clark WHELTON (New York). 2 I Why neither the habitats of Arthurian Celts nor the cities of their Saxon foes can be found in post-Roman Britain “There is absolutely no justification for believing there to have been a historical figure of the fifth or sixth century named Arthur who is the basis for all later legends.
    [Show full text]
  • “Sitte Ge Sigewif, Sigað to Eorðe”: Settling the Anglo-Saxon Bee Charm Within Its Christian Manuscript Context
    https://doi.org/10.7592/Incantatio2018_7_O’Connor “SITTE GE SIGEWIF, SIGAÐ TO EORÐE”: SETTLING THE ANGLO-SAXON BEE CHARM WITHIN ITS CHRISTIAN MANUSCRIPT CONTEXT. Patricia O’Connor The Anglo-Saxon Bee Charm is one of a select number of Old English charms that were previously described as being “strange companions” to the Old English Bede (Grant 5). Written in the outer margin of page 182 of Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 41 (CCCC41), the Bee Charm accompanies a passage from Chapter XVII of Book III of the Old English Bede which narrates the consecration of a monastic site. Curiously, however, the Bee Charm’s connection to this passage of the Old English Bede and its influence on our reading of this important text has hitherto been inadequately addressed. Consequently, the objective of this article is to critically reconsider the Bee Charm within its immediate manuscript context and to highlight and evaluate the correspondences shared between the Anglo-Saxon charm and the adjacent passage of the Old English Bede. This codi- cological reassessment seeks to present a new interpretation of the Anglo-Saxon Bee Charm through encouraging a more inclusive reading experience of CCCC41, which incorporates both the margins and the central text. In doing so, this study endeavours to offer significant insights into the function of theBee Charm within Anglo-Saxon society and to contribute to our understanding of how these charms were perceived and circulated within late Anglo-Saxon England. Keywords: Marginalia, Bees, Old English Bede, New Philology, Old English Literature, Palaeography, Scribal Practices. The Anglo-Saxon Bee Charm is one of a number of interesting texts that were inserted anonymously into the margins of a well-known manuscript witness of the Old English Bede.
    [Show full text]