Irvine, Susan, ed., Old English Homilies from MS Bodley 343 (Early English Text Society Original Series 302, 1993). ISBN: 197223044
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Text name(s): The Healing of the King's Son; The Servant's Failure to Forgive; The Healing of the Blind Man; St. Vincent's Day; The Temptation of Christ; The Transfiguration of Christ; The Transience of Earthly Delights

Number of pages of primary source text: 150

Medieval Author(s): Aelfric

Dates: 1000 - 1100

Archival Reference: MS Bodley 343

Original Language(s): English - Anglo-Saxon / Old English;

Translation: Original language included.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): England;

County/Region:

Apparatus: Glossary Introduction

Comments:

Each homily is followed by a section of notes explaining the text. In addition, sources for quotes in the homily are cited in Latin in the footnotes. There is a comprehensive glossary.

Introduction Summary:

The introduction (65 pp.) notes that the seven homilies included in this edition are unique to MS Bodley 343, which contains 83 texts in Old English. Irvine discusses the probable authorship of four of these homilies by Ælfric. The other three are anonymous. She then describes the manuscript, which was written in the second half of the twelfth century, in great detail. This is followed by an extremely technical discussion of the language of the homilies. In addition to this introduction, each individual sermon has its own introduction discussing the date, audience, sources, and themes.

Cataloger: MK