The Idea of Anglo-Saxon England 1066-1901
Remembering, Forgetting, Deciphering, and Renewing the Past
1. Edition September 2024
448 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
* The Idea of Anglo Saxon England, 1066-1901 presents the first systematic review of the ways in which Anglo-Saxon studies have evolved from their beginnings to the twentieth century
* Tells the story of how the idea of Anglo-Saxon England evolved from the Anglo-Saxons themselves to the Victorians, serving as a myth of origins for the English people, their language, and some of their most cherished institutions
* Combines original research with established scholarship to reveal how current conceptions of English identity might be very different if it were not for the discovery - and invention - of the Anglo-Saxon past
* Reveals how documents dating from the Anglo-Saxon era have greatly influenced modern attitudes toward nationhood, race, religious practice, and constitutional liberties
* Includes more than fifty images of manuscripts, early printed books, paintings, sculptures, and major historians of the era
Preface and Acknowledgements vii
Abbreviations xiii
List of Figures xv
1 The Impact of the Norman Conquest 1
2 The Discovery of Anglo?]Saxon England in Tudor Times 49
3 British Antiquaries and the Anglo?]Saxon Past 77
4 The Founding of a Discipline 1600-1700 109
5 A Period of Consolidation 1700-1800 147
6 The Romantics and the Discovery of Old English Verse 186
7 The Triumph of Philology 220
8 Old English Studies in North America 265
9 Anglo?]Saxon England and the Empire 302
Afterword 378
Some Landmark Publications 381
Works Cited 395
Index 415
