Childhood & Adolescence in Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture counters the generally received wisdom that early medieval childhood and adolescence were an unremittingly bleak experience. The contributors analyse representations of children and their education in Old English, Old Norse and Anglo-Latin writings, including hagiography, heroic poetry, riddles, legal documents, philosophical prose and elegies. Within and across these linguistic and generic boundaries some key themes emerge: the habits and expectations of name-giving, expressions of childhood nostalgia, the role of uneducated parents, and the religious zeal and rebelliousness of youth. After decades of study dominated by adult gender studies, Childhood & Adolescence in Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture rebalances our understanding of family life in the Anglo-Saxon era by reconstructing the lives of medieval children and adolescents through their literary representation.
| ISBN: | 9781487502027 |
| Publication date: | 1st April 2018 |
| Author: | Susan Irvine, Winfried Rudolf |
| Publisher: | University of Toronto Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 360 pages |
| Series: | Toronto Anglo-Saxon Series |
| Genres: |
Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval Gender studies, gender groups European history: medieval period, middle ages Literature: history and criticism |