Abstract
Scholars of the Old English poem Andreas have long debated its dating and authorship, as the poem shares affinities both with Beowulf and the signed poems of Cynewulf. Although this debate hinges on poetic style and other internal evidence, the stylistic uniformity of Andreas has not been suitably demonstrated. This paper investigates this question by examining the distribution of oral-formulaic data within the poem, which is then correlated to word frequency and orthographic profiles generated with lexomic techniques. The analysis identifies an earlier version of the poem, which has been expanded by a later poet.
Highlights
Cynewulf has received scrutiny as one of the few named poets in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular due to the existence of four poems—Elene, Juliana, Christ II, and The Fates of the Apostles—that contain rune signatures bearing his name
Due to the anonymous nature of the Old English poetic corpus, unsigned poems authored by Cynewulf may exist, but because we know so little about his biography, “the whole question of Cynewulf’s authorship is intimately tied up with the issue of style” (Orchard 2003, p. 271)
Identifying a poem’s composite nature may shed new light on dating the work, locate its place of composition, provide new historical information about editorial and poetic composition practices, and recover the outline of an earlier lost work. This analysis suggests that Andreas is a composite work that can be divided loosely into two components: a shorter, earlier version which is plot-driven and typified by heroic diction in the style of Beowulf and a set of later expansions, which is characterized by its affinity with Cynewulf
Summary
Cynewulf has received scrutiny as one of the few named poets in the Anglo-Saxon vernacular due to the existence of four poems—Elene, Juliana, Christ II, and The Fates of the Apostles—that contain rune signatures bearing his name. A recent study of the style of Old English verse found a strong correlation in the use of compound words between Andreas and the signed poems, leading the authors to entertain the possibility of Cynewulfian authorship as an area warranting further exploration Identifying a poem’s composite nature may shed new light on dating the work, locate its place of composition, provide new historical information about editorial and poetic composition practices, and recover the outline of an earlier lost work This analysis suggests that Andreas is a composite work that can be divided loosely into two components: a shorter, earlier version which is plot-driven and typified by heroic diction in the style of Beowulf and a set of later expansions, which is characterized by its affinity with Cynewulf
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
