Abstract
ABSTRACT This article examines the development of the anonymous Old English homily for Martinmas throughout the ninth and tenth centuries. In particular, the work focuses on how the homily was reshaped during its transmission to conform to the differing thematic approaches that individual Anglo-Saxon scribes took while “copying” the text. After situating the context of the Sulpician Martiniana in early England, the author explores the thematic patterns evident in the anonymous Old English homily's selective translation of Sulpicius's Vita S. Martini and Epistulae. It is demonstrated that the later Anglo-Saxon copier's removal of the diving waterfowl episode is explicable as consistent with his thematic retelling of Martin's life, which excludes the saint's exorcist activities. In addition to offering an explanation for the episode's omission, the article argues that modern editors should treat the extant versions of the Martinmas-homily as two distinct textual traditions.
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