'Charms', Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England

Ciaran Arthur

doi:10.1017/9781787442887

Since its inception in the nineteenth century, the genre of Anglo-Saxon charms has drawn the attention of many scholars and appealed to enthusiasts of magic, paganism, and popular religion. Their Christian nature has been widely acknowledged in recent years, but their position within mainstream liturgical traditions has not yet been fully recognised. In this book, Ciaran Arthur undertakes a wide-ranging investigation of the genre to better understand how early English ecclesiastics perceived these rituals and why they included them in manuscripts were written in high-status minsters. Evidence from the entire corpus of Old English, various surviving manuscript sources, and rich Christian theological traditions suggests that contemporary scribes and compilers did not perceive "charms" as anything other than Christian rituals that belonged to diverse, mainstream liturgical practices. The book thus challenges the notion that there was any such thing as an Anglo-Saxon "charm", and offers alternative interpretations of these texts as creative para-liturgical rituals or liturgical rites, which testify to the diversity of early medieval English Christianity. When considered in their contemporary ecclesiastical and philosophical contexts, even the most enigmatic rituals, previously dismissed as mere "gibberish", begin to emerge as secret, deliberately obscured texts with hidden spiritual meaning.Ciaran Arthur is a Research Fellow at Queen's University Belfast.

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
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Contents
pp v-v
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Illustrations
pp vi-vi
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Acknowledgements
pp vii-vii
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Abbreviations
pp viii-viii
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Introduction
pp 1-18
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Part I
pp 19-20
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1 - Kill or Cure: Anglo-Saxon Understandings of Galdor
pp 21-64
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2 - By the Power Vested in Me: Galdor in Authorised Rituals
pp 65-98
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Part II
pp 99-100
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3 - Ite Missa Est: The Liturgical Nature of ‘Charms’
pp 101-133
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4 - Crops and Robbers: A Case Study of the Vitellius Psalter
pp 134-166
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Part III
pp 167-168
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5 - In the Beginning Was the Letter: The Cosmological Power of ‘Gibberish’
pp 169-214
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Conclusion
pp 215-218
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Bibliography
pp 219-247
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General Index
pp 248-250
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Index of Manuscripts
pp 251-252
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Anglo-Saxon Studies
pp 253-254
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'Charms', Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv

Contents
pp v-v

Illustrations
pp vi-vi

Acknowledgements
pp vii-vii

Abbreviations
pp viii-viii

Introduction
pp 1-18

Part I
pp 19-20

1 - Kill or Cure: Anglo-Saxon Understandings of Galdor
pp 21-64

2 - By the Power Vested in Me: Galdor in Authorised Rituals
pp 65-98

Part II
pp 99-100

3 - Ite Missa Est: The Liturgical Nature of ‘Charms’
pp 101-133

4 - Crops and Robbers: A Case Study of the Vitellius Psalter
pp 134-166

Part III
pp 167-168

5 - In the Beginning Was the Letter: The Cosmological Power of ‘Gibberish’
pp 169-214

Conclusion
pp 215-218

Bibliography
pp 219-247

General Index
pp 248-250

Index of Manuscripts
pp 251-252

Anglo-Saxon Studies
pp 253-254

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'Charms', Liturgies, and Secret Rites in Early Medieval England

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