Darkness, Depression, and Descent in Anglo-Saxon England

Authors

Ruth Wehlau

Files

Document Type

Edited Collection

Description

This collection of essays examines the motifs of darkness, depression, and descent in both literal and figurative manifestations within a variety of Anglo-Saxon texts, including the Old English Consolation of Philosophy, Beowulf, Life of Saint Guthlac, the Junius manuscript, the Wonders of the East, and the Battle of Maldon. Essays deal with such topics as cosmic emptiness, descent into the grave, and recurrent grief. In their analyses, the essays reveal the breadth of this imagery in Anglo-Saxon literature as it is used to describe thought and emotion, as well as the limits to knowledge and perception. The volume investigates the intersection between notions of darkness and the burgeoning interest in representations of the mind and of emotion within Anglo-Saxon literature.

Publication Date

6-3-2019

Publisher

Medieval Institute Publications

Imprint

Medieval Institute Publications

City

Kalamazoo

ISBN

9781580443685

Keywords

darkness, Anglo-Saxon, mind, depression

Disciplines

Literature in English, British Isles | Medieval Studies

Citation for Published Book

Wehlau, Ruth, ed. Darkness, Depression, and Descent in Anglo-Saxon England. Kalamazoo, MI: Medieval Institute Publications, 2019.