Abstract
This study analyses the place-names in the eighth-century Vita sancti Guthlaci. The Anglo-Saxon perception of the English fenland and its role as a ‘desert’ in the Vita is discussed, and the use of place-names in the Vita Guthlaci is compared to the Lives of other hermit saints. Guthlac is portrayed as living a solitary life at Crowland (his primary cult-site) in emulation of the Desert Fathers, but in comparison to the history of other nearby ecclesiastical establishments, the nature of Guthlac’s emphasized reclusion is called into question. The placenames and personal names in the Vita Guthlaci are also compared to examine the nature of an early frontier zone between Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
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