Elves in Anglo-Saxon England: Matters of Belief, Health, Gender and Identity (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781843832942)

Anglo-Saxon elves [Old English ' lfe'] are one of the best attested non-Christian beliefs in early medieval Europe, but current interpretations of the evidence derive directly from outdated nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholarship. Integrating linguistic and textual approaches into an anthropologically-inspired framework, this book reassesses the full range of evidence. It traces continuities and changes in medieval non-Christian beliefs with a new degree of reliability, from pre-conversion times to the eleventh century and beyond, and uses comparative material from medieval Ireland and Scandinavia to argue for a dynamic relationship between beliefs and society. In particular, it interprets the cultural significance of elves as a cause of illness in medical texts, and provides new insights into the much-discussed Scandinavian magic of 'seidr'. Elf-beliefs, moreover, were connected with Anglo-Saxon constructions of sex and gender; their changing nature provides a rare insight into a fascinating area of early medieval European culture. Shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award 2007 ALARIC HALL is a fellow of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.

Author: Alaric Hall
ISBN-10: 1843832941
ISBN-13: 9781843832942
Publisher: Boydell Press
Language: English
Published: 03/15/2007
Pages: 238
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.13lbs
Size: 9.49h x 6.43w x 0.91d