Social Exclusion from Early Medieval Wessex Martha Riddiford Dissertation submitted in part-fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of History, University of Sheffield December 2007 For my grandparents, Thomas and Mavis Henshall "ý ý! ýlý" Abstract Over the past twenty years Anglo-Saxonists have become increasingly interested in the mechanismsand processesthrough which West Saxon society was formed into a cohesive and coherent whole. They have focused on the ways in which kings and other figures of authority used their power in attempts to bring their subjects together by providing them with a senseof sharedidentity, purpose and ambitions. To date, however, academicshave failed to recognisethe important role that exclusion played in this processand this thesis servesto redressthis balance. By examining the types of individuals that were excluded from full membership of early medieval West Saxon society and the reasonsfor their exclusion, it offers a new way of exploring the processesthat made this society self-consciously more coherent. The thesis is structured thematically around five separatecategories of people who each in their own way experienced some form of social exclusion from the kingdom of Wessex during the seventh to late-tenth centuries, but focusing most heavily on the ninth and tenth centuries. Chapter one explores the concept of social exclusion as voluntary exile, entailing an investigation into the motivations that prompted Anglo-Saxon missionaries and pilgrims to leave behind their homes and kin. Most importantly, this chapter surveys the networks of support that such travellers exploited in order to help them survive as aliens in foreign territories. The next two chaptersinvestigate types of individuals who were excluded as a result of an action or behaviour that was deemed unacceptableby the rest of their society. Chapter two considers the evidence relating to outlawry and excommunication and chapter three takes a broader view of the idea of deviancy and looks at how Anglo-Saxon criminals were brought to justice and punished for their unlawful behaviour. The final two chapters explore the potential for understanding the concept of social exclusion as `social disadvantage'. Chapter four examines slavery and, most importantly, draws attention to the privileges and rights from which Anglo-Saxon slaves were excluded on account of their status as the legally `unfree'. The fifth and final chapter considers in detail Anglo-Saxon attitudes to the body in order fully to appreciatethe disadvantagesthat could be causedby bodily ailments; it questions whether or not impaired and disabled individuals experienced any form of marginalisation becauseof their bodily dysfunctionalities. Contents Acknowledgements i List of maps and figures ii Abbreviations ix Introduction 1 Chapter one: Voyagers 18 Chapter two: Outcasts 73 Chapter three: Deviants 116 Chapter four: Slaves: the legally `unfree' 184 Chapter five: The physically impaired 241 Conclusion 304 Bibliography 313 Acknowledgements My greatestthanks are reserved for my primary supervisor, Prof. SarahFoot, whose constant encouragementand support meansthat I have managedto reach a stagewhere writing an acknowledgementspage for this thesis is necessary.I must also recognise the financial assistanceprovided by the Arts and Humanities ResearchCouncil who awarded me a Doctoral Award in order to carry out this research.Members of staff at the Department of History here in Sheffield have offered help and advice over the years. My secondary supervisor, Dr. Simon Loseby, should receive special thanks, but my gratitude also to Prof. Edmund King, Prof. David Luscombe, Prof. Ian Phimister and Dr. Daniel Power. I appreciatethe time and effort that Dr. Philip Shaw from the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics and Mr. John Wade put into their tutoring of me in Old English and Latin respectively. I would also like to thank the Department of History's support staff, particularly PostgraduateSecretary Will Bird, for their willingness to offer almost instantaneousassistance whenever I encounteredan administrative problem. Members of Sheffield's vibrant postgraduatecommunity provided a supportive environment in which to conduct my researchand without this network the past four years would have been very lonely indeed. In particular I should like to thank Geoff Little, Dr. JamesPalmer, Oliver Pengelley, Matt Phillpott, Gary Rivett and Simona Spedale-Latimer who have had the most influence on the shapeof my work and, indeed, have taken the trouble to read and comment on sections of it. Additional thanks to other postgraduatespast and present: Paul Ashmore; Morn Capper; Vicky Chadderton; Matt Cole; Keith Fildes; Ben Lake; Catherine Marshall; Tully Monk; Anna Qureshi; Louise Radford; Felicity Stout; John Tanner; Jenny Thompson and Dr. Kevin Watson. On a more personal note, I would like to thank my family and my good friends Keith Fildes and Tully Monk simply for being there for me. Finally, my love and gratitude to Oliver Pengelley for his generoussupport through the darkest of the `Dark Ages'. List of maps and figures 1 Map 1: The kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons (c. 900) iii 2 Map 2: The kingdom of the English (c. 1000) iv 3 Map 3: Continental Europe v 4 Map 4: Archbishop Sigeric's journey from Rome (990) vi 5 Fig 1: Marc Quinn, `Alison Lapper Pregnant' 241 6 Fig 2: The Fuller Brooch 271 11 o-- I The Kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons (c. 880) LOTHIAN 927 ® Area of Danish settlement (\ 9 p- and influence 1 ý Bamburgfi C) Area of Norse settlement ýr O and influence 9 tcý The Alfred -Guthrurn y Trnn boundary (c. 880) c sturae " English frontiers Shoal /.. co ýý ý l J\ North Sea 920 . Mand, esle' ` lapbel T,ý Bakewell 0 ti Doty . '' iss-, Si ._ Hc11r, 1 d BUG, $ am ýo"; hesicr RRY G, Hellord STREET \, CHFWIOG Z, "ý ýyktl s t:,. Q torn 900 ý. GLYWYSING ýL_ý >ýy, Landon' ý, . , ") ,', lvari Roadrig ry, mac;. ý_ , " gston'.. Ejalh . r Canterbury ShaRasWry Atho ncti " " Winchester " Southampton Sherboma ExeterExate 0 50 100 miles 1 r-' 0 50 100 150 km Map 1: The kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons (c. 900). From: The Blackwell Encyclopaedia ofAnglo-Saxon England, ed. M. Lapidge et a!. (Oxford, 1999), p. 519. 111 ýý C; LOTHIAN " Episcopal sees % + Abbeys (selection) iwri; U Bamburgh\i The Five Boroughs \C / Carlisle Durham North Sea { Man York N Hr Gamst,orough 9,4) mbar f* Liiiosey ýV Terksey 4ý Lincoln Chester I t Nottu,gham .. /f Derby Burton + front Z Crowland ±q Eimrarn e Leicester Lichterld ý ýr[mý Stamford rr PeterboroughThorcey rY Ely Ramsey+ s t amun1s Worcester ry Cambndge " r ý'P týPy Herefwd I Evesham ýýaý1' ,' 4, St Albans ý11ý11 f Maidon U=_+ Abingdon Baronq ;:: Dorchester Ramsbury Rotnester Canterbury Wells whop" ++ '., Glastonbury; Winchester Hastings 4 Sherbome Shaftesbury Creditor Exeter .ýc /L Tavistock \` 5 !4 St Germans i.. r Map 2: The kingdom of the English (c. 1000). From: The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of'Anglo-Saxon England, ed. M. Lapidge et a/. (Oxford, 1999), p. 520. IV 11 rtr'ý''ý, 't l, rýýý'}ý -.. ýr2a f ý- ti, r; ro .ý i' r. .u_.. -ti, 0 54 500 km 4N J ..ý5 ýilCSiij! ýý liurra, Birka i lielgti 7 r_ .ý aq r f "AA111i lit Kie. ýý ( Aaihrýn v pE e ýpti1' vyýo ý``ý4 M"-till/ I3OIIF IIr1 /: SaligVVnsladt 'Stiur unk)' fiiürs ý'ýýýf)rlstr ittýn ti BAVARIA °l l'uillrrs F nnl(nux Pavia V-m l l; , ivrpnn I 1 (Iin>lantln gill( `ý Gill, Cordoba 'Z, `! salel y Map 3: Continental Europe. From: J. M. I-I. Smith, Europe After Rome. A New Cultural History 500-1000 (Oxford, 2005), p. 185. V 100 200 Ký, ý:.. E,v_,. _ h i IY iN r ', . 64 , 1363 62 " 59 `_.. ý\: 58 57 056 55 tetra \\` yy aril \ýý fi ý' PAQ 041 m 443 45 -4241 Po äßi ý'c1r fix. tab : V. ' 1.ý .. , 1. Dl, tl 7 L, " "6 .3 Z "1 :: Certaal: 'J'ýý1ý)ff \ü l. e' bi)[ ll.' fees 11828m, :... _ 1500 feet 457irir Map 4: Archbishop Sigeric's journey from Rome, 990. From: V. Ortenberg, `Archbishop Sigeric's journey to Rome in 990', Anglo-Saxon England 19 (1989), 197-246 at 230-2. vi NAME IVYNIII l( AI ( 80 Sumeran Sombre, near \ issant 78 Gisne Guisnes 77 Feranhurh '1 herouanne 76 Bruwae. i I3rua,.v-cn-Art(-)is 7,5 Arras .\ therats 74 Duin Doings 73 \iartin". vaeth 72 \1unrllochuin Lu n ^1 (: orbunci (: orhenv 7O Rems Rheims 69 Catheluns Ch; ilons sur `tarne 08 Funtaine Fontaine 67 Domaniant I)onnement 66 Brenne Brienne 65 Bar Eiar-sur-Aube 64 Blaecuile Blessonville 63 Oisma St Geosmes 62 (Jrenant (irenanr 61 Scfui Scvcux 611 Cuscei (. ussq 59 B sicer)n Besanyon 58 N Os N )ds 57 Puncerlin Pontarlier 36 Antifern 55 1_'rba Orbe 54 1.usanna Lausanne 53 \ iva: c Vevey 52 Hurhulei Vervey or Vouvey- 51 See \laurici S. Maurice 50 C:rsio, res Orsieres 49 Petrecastel Bouri St Pierre 48 5cc Remei S. Remi 47 Agusta \()sta . 46 Publci rl'rollcin 45 Feeri Ivrca S.. \gata, Santhia .44 Sce Agath 43 Verccl Vercelli 42 Tremel I'romcllo 41 Pamphica =Pavia 40 Sce Cristine Santa Cristina 39 Sce Andrea Corte di S. Andrea 38 Placentia Piacenza 37 Noricum i iorenzuola (1'Arda 36 Scc Domnine Bongo S. Donninc) 35 ý[ezanc Mecicsanoý 34 Philemangyenur Fornov or Felegara 33 tics Nfnelesanne S. Moderannus', ßerceto 32 Sec Benedicte S. Benedetto, AIontelungo , 31 Puntremcl Po)trerno>li vii Auh, ; ? (t Sc( `t11 l1:itlc' ISurf; cr S. StC"1:I lt ý (11 \1: 1'1 t I ý}1 I tlll; l Altll . ill \ t Illl; ilt)r( C'rsih; t Gill{ýIlt: ll r .: I I 11 ;l ARA :1 -ý() , .'. 'ý Fort-il I)<Irc: 11I \rllc 171; I",ivc"r \rii I'IR 1nc;t , nr (c'c'hi, I ( ý; j(IIC':, 14 i, 1º111IIIII: Itt ý(c I's't r<.