EARLY ANGLO-SAXON HOMILETIC TRADITION: A LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The paper explores style and grammar in the works of two distinguished figures in Early Anglo-Saxon homiletic literature, Ælfric of Eynsham (950‒1010), best known for his Sermones Catholici (Catholic Homilies), and Wulfstan, Archbishop of York (died 1023) famous for his prodigious sermon Sermo Lupi ad Anglos (Sermon of the Wolf to the English). It is maintained that the rhetorical stances of these homiletic figures though largely similar in their strong appeal to the key Christian values, differ in terms of themes and their linguistic techniques. Preaching is regarded herein as an influential and persuasive mass medium of public communication aimed to educate and foster a moral agent, particularly in the urban context. Therefore, the body of preaching texts from the late Old English period is treated in terms of homiletic discourse displaying a typical set of linguistic markers, i.e., formulaic opening addresses, repetitive tautological or contrastive pairings, alliterations, imperative constructions, topicalized word-order, etc. The cross-study of notable homiletic texts will reveal contrastive features in the texts of the aforementioned authors primarily caused by their sociopolitical vision, language situation in England of the tenth throughout twelfth centuries, and, most importantly, by the tradition of homilies written in vernacular. The similarities commonly attributed to King Alfred’s cultural renaissance traits will be highlighted in the works of these authors, who largely contributed to the development of the unique writing style of the English kingdom. To conclude the preamble, it is important to emphasize Ælfric and Wulfstan’s foundational role as collective precursors in educating and promoting the English vernacular.