Top Results for Anglo Saxon

The Beowulf manuscript is the sole surviving medieval witness to the Old English epic poem Beowulf. It forms part of the Nowell Codex, copied around the late 10th or early 11th century and now held by the British Library, where it is catalogued within Cotton MS Vitellius A XV. The volume also contai...

The Exeter Book is a late tenth-century manuscript and the largest surviving collection devoted to Old English poetry. It contains religious verse, elegies such as The Wanderer and The Seafarer, narrative poems, saints' lives, and a celebrated group of riddles. Leofric, the first bishop of Exeter, g...

The Sutton Hoo Helmet represents a significant find from an early medieval Anglo-Saxon burial site in Suffolk. Constructed primarily of iron, it’s notable for its intricately crafted face mask and demonstrates high levels of craftsmanship associated with elite warrior burials during the 7th century....

Walter Skeat was a British lexicographer renowned for his meticulous study of Old English and Anglo-Saxon roots. His Etymological Dictionary of the English Language provided an early and detailed examination of word origins, significantly contributing to the field of etymology. Skeat’s work remains...

Sutton Hoo is the site of two early medieval cemeteries from the 6th and 7th centuries located in Suffolk, England. Excavations beginning in 1939 uncovered an Anglo-Saxon ship burial, which functioned as a monument honoring an elite individual, widely believed to be King Rædwald of East Anglia. The...

The Kingdom of Wessex emerged as one of the Heptarchy’s dominant kingdoms during the early medieval period. It developed from the southwestern region of Anglo-Saxon England. Alfred the Great's reign in the ninth century secured its position and established a foundation for future English governance....

The Vercelli Book is a late tenth-century manuscript containing religious prose and poetry in Old English. Its texts include "The Dream of the Rood," "Andreas," "The Fates of the Apostles," "Soul and Body I," and a collection of homilies. It is one of the four principal surviving poetic codices of A...

The Sutton Hoo purse lid is a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet cloisonné fitting discovered in the 1939 Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk, England, and is among the finest examples of Migration Period craftsmanship.

Henry Sweet was a British lexicographer and phonetician active during the Victorian era. He significantly advanced the understanding of English pronunciation through his meticulous work on Anglo-Saxon roots and vowel sounds. His 1877 Handbook of Phonetics provided foundational research for modern En...

Thomas Northcote Toller was a British lexicographer specializing in Anglo-Saxon English. He is notable for his meticulous work revising Bosworth’s Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, culminating in the significant 1921 supplement. His scholarship provides invaluable resources for historians, linguists, and anyo...

Beowulf is a foundational Anglo-Saxon legend recounting the heroic struggle against Grendel, a monstrous demon terrorizing Heorot hall. The epic poem, dating from around 1000 AD and existing in a single manuscript, explores themes of courage, loyalty, and fate. It remains significant for its portray...

The Staffordshire Hoard represents a significant collection of Anglo-Saxon metalwork discovered in Britain in 2009. It is the largest known hoard of its kind, containing over 300 gold and silver items primarily consisting of warrior’s gear dating back to the 10th century. The assemblage includes hel...

Joseph Bosworth was a British lexicographer working during the Victorian era. He focused on historical English and Anglo-Saxon language development. His meticulous work culminated in the 1838 Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, a foundational resource for understanding early English vocabulary and grammar. This...

The Junius Manuscript is a late tenth-century illustrated codex of Old English religious poetry, now held by the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford. It contains the poems conventionally titled Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Christ and Satan, which retell or reinterpret biblical narratives in...

The Ruthwell Cross stands as a significant medieval relic, a carved sandstone cross discovered in Wigtownshire, Scotland. It is remarkable for its combination of early Latin inscriptions and Old English verse, believed to be one of the earliest examples of vernacular poetry in Britain. The cross’s p...

The Vespasian Psalter is an illuminated Latin psalter produced in Anglo-Saxon England during the 8th century and now held by the British Library. Named for its position in the former Cotton library, it contains the Book of Psalms together with additional devotional material. It is particularly impor...

The Kingdom of Northumbria emerged as a significant Anglo-Saxon power within the Heptarchy of early medieval Britain. Flourishing from around 649 to 954 AD, it controlled much of northern England and fostered a renowned center of learning at Lindisfarne. This kingdom’s history is particularly releva...

The Franks Casket is a remarkably preserved eighth-century Anglo-Saxon reliquary crafted primarily from whalebone. It’s notable for its intricate carving depicting scenes blending Germanic mythological narratives like the story of Sigurd with Roman imperial history and emerging Christian symbolism....

The Alfred Jewel is an exceptional medieval relic crafted from gold and enamel during the late 9th century. Inscribed with the name Alfred the Great, it’s considered a significant example of Anglo-Saxon artistry. Initially believed to be the handle of a reading pointer, its exact function remains de...

The Kingdom of Mercia emerged as a powerful force within the Heptarchy of Anglo-Saxon England. Situated in the Midlands, it gained prominence during the 8th century under King Offa’s rule. Offa's ambitious building projects, particularly Offa’s Dyke – a significant earthwork defense – established Me...

The Sutton Hoo archaeological site in East Anglia, England represents a significant Anglo-Saxon burial ground active between the 7th and 8th centuries. Excavations revealed a remarkable ship burial containing lavish grave goods including weaponry, jewelry, and art objects. These finds offer invaluab...

The Bewcastle Cross stands as a significant Anglo-Saxon relic located in Cumbria, England. Carved from sandstone around 800 AD, it features intricate depictions of biblical figures alongside elaborate vine scrolls and runic inscriptions. The cross served as a memorial to Æthelred, King of Northumbri...

The Barberini Gospels is an illuminated Gospel book preserved in the Vatican Library under the shelf mark Barb. Lat. 570. Produced in England during the eighth century, it belongs to the Insular manuscript tradition and contains the Latin text of the four canonical Gospels. Its decoration combines a...

John R. Clark Hall was a British philologist and scholar of Old English whose work aided the study of early medieval languages. He is best known for compiling A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, which was first published in 1894 and provided students with an accessible reference for translating classi...

Cuthbert was a 7th-century Northumbrian monk, hermit, and bishop associated especially with Lindisfarne. His community carried his remains through northern England after Viking attacks, and they were eventually placed in the new cathedral at Durham in 1104. His shrine became a major medieval pilgrim...

St. Cuthbert's Pectoral Cross is an Anglo-Saxon gold and garnet cross recovered in 1827 when St. Cuthbert's tomb was opened at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert (c. 634–687) was a monk, bishop, and hermit of Lindisfarne who became one of medieval England's most venerated saints. The cross was likely placed...

William Somner (1598–1669) was an English antiquary and scholar based in Canterbury, Kent. His major work, the Dictionarium Saxonico-Latino-Anglicum, was published in 1659 and was the first substantial dictionary of Old English. The dictionary remained a standard reference for Old English studies fo...