Book Review: The Anglo-Saxon World by Kevin Crossley-Holland

The Anglo-Saxon World: An Anthology by Kevin Crossley-Holland

This book is an anthology of writings from the Anglo-Saxon period of British literature. The texts run the range from allegories and sermons to heroic epics and legal documents. Of course, excerpts from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle are included. The highlight is a full translation of Beowulf into modern English.

The period run from AD 400s (when the Romans departed from the British Isles) to 1066 (when the Normans made their conquest). The book is not in chronological order, however. Different topics are grouped together. The book contains plenty of non-fiction, including slightly boring legal documents which do give interesting insights into how people thought and what they expected in that time. Letters and histories also show what people were like. Poetry both heroic and Christian (though not always both at the same time) show the society's ideals of manhood and decent behavior. A bigger picture emerges from the variety of writings.

Several themes emerge from the texts. The Anglo-Saxons had an ongoing tension between their pagan roots and the Christian influence begun by Augustine of Canterbury, who started evangelizing in 597. The pagan notion of Fate, a fixed outcome for everyone's lives and for certain events, is put alongside divine providence, where the Judeo-Christian God lets people choose their actions freely but with the aid of grace. Beowulf is fated to fight Grendel, Grendel's vengeful mother, and a dragon, though he is empowered by his Christian faith to fight these demonic forces. Even with these elements, the epic poem is not Christian propaganda, just a rollicking good story of an amazing hero. The contrasting elements are held side-by-side and only make the story more intriguing. Legal documents invoke the Lord's blessing and ancient law and custom as they lay down legal precedents, land claims, and marriage contracts. The Anglo-Saxon society was a fascinating blend of cultures and ideas.

This book is a a great survey of primary sources from Britain's Anglo-Saxon period.

Highly recommended.