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Anglo-Saxon history & Old English

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Bede's World
Dictionary of Old English: Old English Corpus
Fontes Anglo-Saxonici, A Register of Written Sources Used by Anglo-Saxon Authors
Simon Keynes's Anglo-Saxon History: A Select Bibliography
Labyrinth Old English
Old English pages, last updated in 2000
The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) is a database comprising a persons that includes, in principle, every recorded individual who lived in, or was closely connected with, Anglo-Saxon England from 597 to 1042.
Royal Historical Society Bibliography

General Bibliography, Manuals

• Bonser. 1957. An Anglo-Saxon and Celtic bibliography (450-1087). 2 v. Z2017.B6, Info Center. Vol 1 lists 12,000+ entries from periodicals and collections. Anglo-Saxon sources can be found in Graves (below). "Indispensible for tracking down articles."
• Gross. 1975. A bibliography of English history to 1485. Based on the sources and literature of English History from the earliest times to about 1485, by Charles Gross. Ed. by Edgar Graves. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1975. Z2017.G8, Info Center. Chapter XI, Anglo-Saxon and Celts: Sources.
• Lapidge. 1999. The Blackwell encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England. DA152 .B58, Lane Rm.
• Keynes. 1999. Anglo-Saxon history: a select bibliography. The 2nd print ed. (1993) is in Green Library Stacks PR41.O45.
• Rosenthal, Joel. 1985. Anglo-Saxon history: an annotated bibliography, 450-1066. Z2017.R67, Info Center.

Continuing Bibliography (Indexes, Abstracts)

• Anglo-Saxon England (ASE). 1972-, DA152.A5. Includes annual bibliography.
• Old English Newsletter Online. 1967-. Print ed. PE101.O4, Stacks. Includes Annual Bibliography on Old English Studies as its summer issue and The Year's Work in Old English Studies  (YWOES ) as its winter issue.
• MLA International Bibliography
• Royal Historical Society Bibliography
• Year's Work in English Studies.  Print ed. PE58.E6, Stacks.

Dictionaries

• Dictionary of Old English; Old English Corpus
• Dictionary of Old English  [microform]. Toronto, c1986+. Green Library Microtext MFICHE 795. With Preface (fiche 001): A microfiche concordance to Old English: the list of texts and index of editions  / compiled by Antonette di Paolo Healey and Richard L. Venezky. The Concordance  is also published in book form; reprinted with revisions, c1985, and includes The List of Texts and Index of Editions  for the Dictionary project. For related publications search the series title Publications of the dictionary of Old English  in Socrates.
• Borden, Arthur R. 1982. A comprehensive Old-English dictionary. PE279.B48, Lane Rm.
• Latham, Ronald Edward. 1965. Revised medieval Latin word-list from British and Irish sources. PA2891.L3, Lane Rm; Info Center. No references to sources, or extracts.
• Latham, Ronald Edward. 1975-. Dictionary of medieval Latin from British sources. PA2891.L28, Lane Rm.
• Pollington, Stephen. 1993. Wordcraft: Concise Dictionary & Thesaurus of Modern English--Old English. PE279.P65, Lane Rm.
• Roberts, Jane. 1995. A thesaurus of Old English. 2 v. PE279.R62, Lane Rm.
• Toller. 1882-1921. An Anglo-Saxon dictionary, based on the manuscript collections of the late Joseph Bosworth ... Edited and enlarged by T. Northcote Toller.  Oxford, The Clarendon press. PE279.B5, Lane Rm.

Primary Sources

• English historical documents.  2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1979-. DA26.E55, Lane Rm. The first two volumes "make accessible a wide selection of fundamental sources in English history" in English translation for the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman periods. There are many explanatory notes and and a section on bibliography.
• Gransden, Antonia. 1974-1982. Historical writing in England.  London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 2 v. DA1.G75, Lane Rm. Contents: [1] c. 550 to c. 1307.--2. c. 1307 to the early sixteenth century. A very useful introduction to a number of writers and sources.

Authors & Texts

• Dictionary of Old English: abbreviations for Latin source and bibliography of editions. Toronto, c1992. PE279.D53, Lane Rm.
• Fontes Anglo-Saxonici, A Register of Written Sources Used by Anglo-Saxon Authors
• Old and Middle English literature. PR166.O43 1994 v.146. Dictionary of literary biography; v. 146. TOPICS: English literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100. English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500. A handy guide to major writers and anonymous works (e.g., Alliterative Morte Arthure,  N-Town Plays) that lists EETS  editions and modern English editions. Includes appendices "English Language 410-1500," "Anglo-Norman Literature," and "Celtic Background to Medieval Literature."
• Sources of Anglo-Saxon literary culture: a trial version  (SASLC). 1990. Z2012 .S58, Info Center. Subject (LC): English literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Bibliography. Civilization, Anglo-Saxon--Sources--Bibliography.
• Bately, Janet. 1993. Anonymous Old English homilies: a preliminary bibliography of source studies. PR1120.B37, Stacks.
• Morrell. 1965. A Manual of Old English Biblical Materials. Rev. in Modern Philology 65 (3):239.
• Quinn. 1990. A manual of Old English prose. PR221.Q5, Lane Rm. TOPICS: English prose literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Bibliography. Manuscripts, English (Old)--Catalogs.

Manuscripts & Facsimiles

Works listed in the Author & Texts section above include manuscript information.

• Ker, N. R. Catalogue of manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon.  Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1957. Green Library Gen Ref Z6605.A56K4; Green Library Stacks Z6605.A56K4.
• Sources of Anglo-Saxon literary culture: a trial version  (SASLC) / edited by Frederick M. Biggs, Thomas D. Hill, Paul E. Szarmach, with the assistance of Karen Hammond. Green Library Stacks Z2012.S58 1990. (SASLC) is a "reference work summarizing current scholarship concerning the knowledge and use of literary sources in Anglo-Saxon England." It expands and brings up to date Ogilvy:
• Ogilvy, J. D. A. Books known to Anglo-Latin writers from Aldhelm to Alcuin (670-804).  Cambridge, Mass., 1936. Green Library Gen Ref Z7026.O35. Contents: Table of abbreviations -- Bibliography (p. ix- xvi) -- Introduction.-- Catalogue of books known to Anglo-Latin writers from Aldhelm to Alcuin.-- The chief sources of information employed by writers of the period (p.91-92).-- Growth of English libraries.- Conclusion.-- Appendices: A. "Provenance and form of English books." B. "Notes on English education." C. "English books on the continent."
• Ogilvy, J. D. A. Books known to the English, 597-1066. Cambridge, Mass., Mediaeval Academy of America, 1967. Green Library Stacks Z6602.O35. TOPICS: Manuscripts, Medieval--England--Catalogs.
• Ogilvy, J. D. A. Books known to the English, 597-1066: addenda et corrigenda. Binghamton, N.Y., 1985. Green Library Stacks PR41.O45 v.11. SERIES: Old English newsletter. Subsidia, v. 11.

• Catalogue of English post-conquest vernacular documents / David A.E. Pelteret. Woodbridge [England] ; Wolfeboro, N.H., USA : Boydell Press, 1990. Green Library Gen Ref PE505.P4 1990. TOPICS: English language--Middle English, 1100-1500--Texts--Manuscripts-- Union lists. Great Britain--History--Norman period, 1066-1154--Sources-- Manuscripts--Union lists. Great Britain--History--Henry II, 1154-1189--Sources--Manuscripts-- Union lists. Manuscripts, English (Middle)--Union lists.

• Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts and other items of related interest in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge,  1992, Z6621.D843.A6.

• Anglo-Saxon manuscripts in microfiche facsimile, 1994+. Green Microtext MFICHE 1947; printed guides: DA150.A75 (another copy of the guides is in Green Stack). Already published:
  1. Books of Prayers and Healings   (MR 136)
  2. Psalters I  (MR 137)

  Forthcoming

  • Major mss. from the Parker Library 
  • Aelfric Grammar I
  • West-Saxon Gospels
• Early English manuscripts in facsimile.  Copenhagen, Rosenkilde and Bagger, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press, 1951+. For contents earch the series name in Socrates; each item in the series has its own record. Green Library Stacks Z113.E15.
• Great Britain. Ordnance Survey. Facsimiles of Anglo-Saxon manuscripts photozincographed by command of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. On the recommendation of the right honorable the master of the rolls by the Ordnance survey. With translations by W. Basevi Sanders. Published by authority of the lords commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.  Southampton, Ordnance survey office, 1878-84. 3 v. plates. 60 cm.
• Facsimiles of ancient charters in the British museum.  [London], 1873-78. 4 v. facsims. Stanford Auxiliary Library 417.08.B862 (Library has c.1: v. 1-4). Edited by E. A. Bond. Facsimiles of 140 English documents dating from A. D. 624 <674?> to the 11th century. Later documents are reproduced in the new series: Facsimiles of royal and other charters in the British museum.  Edited by G. F. Warner and H. J. Ellis, London, 1903+.
• Facsimiles of Anglo-Saxon charters  / edited by Simon Keynes. Oxford, 1991. Green Library Stacks DA195.F337 1991 ff. SERIES: Anglo-Saxon charters. Supplementary; v. 1. TOPICS: Great Britain--History--Norman period, 1066-1154. Charters not included in above cited two collections. Latin and Anglo-Saxon texts, English introduction and notes.
• Bishop, Terence Alan Martyn, ed. Facsimiles of English royal writs to A.D. 1100.  Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1957. Green Library Stacks 942.01.B622.

Charters, etc.

Also see under Facsimiles above.

• Select English historical documents of the ninth and tenth centuries.  ed. by F. E. Harmer. Cambridge [Eng.] University press, 1914. Green Library Stacks 942.01.H287. TOPICS: Great Britain--History--Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066--Sources. Great Britain--Charters, grants, privileges.

Miscellany

• Bib. of North American Dissertations on Old English,  Z2015.A1P85.1988.
• Hill, David. An atlas of Anglo-Saxon England.  Toronto, c1981. Green Library Gen Ref DA150.H5. TOPICS: Great Britain--History--Anglo Saxon period, 449-1066--Maps.
• Kerr, Nigel. A guide to Anglo-Saxon sites.  London, 1982. Green Library Gen Ref DA152.K37 1982. TOPICS: Anglo-Saxons. England--Antiquities--Guide-books.
• Muir, Richard. The National Trust guide to Dark Age and Medieval Britain, 400-1350.  London, c1985. Green Library Gen Ref DA152.M84 1985.

Language & Literature

Paul Theiner, "Medieval English Literature," provides a brief overview of the major reference works, sources collections, and subject bibliography in Powell, ed., Medieval Studies: An Introduction,  2nd ed., D116.M4 1992. George Anderson, "Old English Literature," in The Medieval Literature of Western Europe, PN671.F4, offers a similar reveiw of research for an earlier period (1930-1960). One can use the works listed under Continuing Bibliography to follow research trends up to the present.

• Beale.1976. Old and ME Poetry to 1500 a guide to information sources.  Z2014.P7B34, Lane Rm.
• Bessinger. 1978. A Concordance to the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records.  PR1506.B47, Lane Rm.
• Greenfield, S.B. and Fred C. Robinson. 1980. A bibliography of publications on Old English literature to the end of 1972: using the collections of E.E. Ericson.  Z2012.G83, Info Center. The basic bibliography for Old English.
• Lambdin. 2002. A companion to Old and Middle English literature / edited by Laura Cooner Lambdin and Robert Thomas Lambdin.
• Pulsiano. 2001. A Companion to Anglo-Saxon Literature / edited by Phillip Pulsiano and Elaine Treharne.
• Quinn. 1990. A manual of Old English prose  / Karen J. Quinn, Kenneth P. Quinn. PR221.Q5, Lane Rm. TOPICS: English prose literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Bibliography. Manuscripts, English (Old)--Catalogs.
• Tajima. 1988. Old and Middle English language studies: a classified bibliography, 1923-1985. Z2015 .A1 T3, Info Center.
• Helterman. 1994. Old and Middle English literature. PR166.O43 1994 v.146, Info Center. Dictionary of literary biography; v. 146. TOPICS: English literature--Old English, ca. 450-1100. English literature--Middle English, 1100-1500. A handy guide to major writers and anonymous works (e.g., Alliterative Morte Arthure, N-Town Plays) that lists EETS  editions and modern English editions. Includes appendices "English Language 410-1500," "Anglo-Norman Literature," and "Celtic Background to Medieval Literature."

Beowulf

• Resources for the Study of Beowulf
• Electronic Beowulf Project
• Hasenfratz, Robert J. 1993. Beowulf scholarship: an annotated bibliography, 1979-1990.  Z2012.H23 1993
• Short, Douglas D. 1980. Beowulf scholarship: an annotated bibliography.  Z2012.S53

Language

Old-English dictionaries

• The Cambridge history of the English language.  Cambridge, 1992+. Green Library Gen Ref PE1072.C36 1992. Vol. 1 edited by Richard M. Hogg, v. 2 - by Norman Blake, v. 5 - by Robert Burchfield. Includes bibliographical references and index. Incomplete contents: v. 1. The beginnings to 1066 -- v. 2. 1066-1476.
• Mitchell, Bruce. A guide to Old English  / Bruce Mitchell, Fred C. Robinson. 5th ed. Oxford, 1992. Green Library Gen Ref PE131.M5 1992.
• Burnley, J. D. The history of the English language: a source book.  London, 1992. Green Library Gen Ref PE1075.5.B87 1992. TOPICS: English language--Old English, ca. 450-1100--Texts. English language--Middle English, 1100-1500--Texts.
• Old and Middle English language studies: a classified bibliography, 1923-1985  / compiled by Matsuji Tajima. Amsterdam, 1988. Green Library Gen Ref Z2015.A1T3 1988.
• Mitchell, Bruce. A critical bibliography of Old English syntax to the end of 1984, including addenda and corrigenda to Old English syntax.  Oxford, 1990. Green Library Gen Ref Z2015.S9 M58 1990.
• Visser, Fredericus. An historical syntax of the English language.  Leiden, E. J. Brill, 1963-73. Green Library Gen Ref PE1361.V5. Includes bibliographies. Contents: pts. 1-2. Syntactical units with one verb.--pt.3. 1st half. Syntactical units with two verbs.--pt.3. 2d half. Syntactical units with two and more verbs.

Archive of Celtic-Latin Literature. Contains the texts processed thus far from the corpus of Celtic-Latin literature from the period 400-1200 as part of the Royal Irish Academy's Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources project. CD-ROM, Lane Room.
Bibliography of Medieval Cornish Drama by Sydney Higgins
Royal Historical Society Bibliography
Irish History Online
MLA International Bibliography

• Bonser, Wilfrid. 1957. An Anglo-Saxon and Celtic bibliography (450-1087).  Berkeley, Los Angeles, University of California Press. Z2017.B6, Info Center. Vol 1 lists 12,000+ entries from periodicals and collections. Sources can be found in Kenney and Graves (below). "Indispensible for tracking down articles."
• Graves. 1975. A bibliography of English history to 1485. Based on the sources and literature of English History from the earliest times to about 1485, by Charles Gross. Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1975. Z2017.G8, Info Center. Chapter XI, Anglo-Saxon and Celts: Sources.
• Kenney. 1929, 1966. The Sources for the Early History of Ireland. Corrected ed.
• Lapidge. 1985. Bibliography of Celtic-Latin Literature 400-1200. Z7028.C44, Green Stacks.
• Maier. 1997. Dictionary of Celtic religion and culture. BL900 .M4513, Green Stacks. Celts--History--Dictionaries. Celts--Religion--Dictionaries. Mythology, Celtic--Dictionaries.
• Bromwich. 1974. Medieval Celtic Literature, a select bibliography. Z7011.B76, Lane Rm.

Last modified: June 7, 2007