Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: Basic Readings (Basic Readings in Chaucer and His Time)

The study of manuscripts is fundamental to the appreciation of Anglo-Saxon texts and culture. Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts: Basic Readings provides an introductory collection of materials covering basic terms, techniques, resources, issues, and applications. Focusing on manuscripts copied before 1100 in England, the selections gathered here consider their history, production, analysis, and significance. Drawn from a variety of published sources and new writings commissioned for this collection, these essays offer a thorough background in principles and practices, along with up-to-date coverage of new developments in paleography. This interdisciplinary collection introduces key subjects of research for Anglo-Saxon studies while suggesting potential developments and new directions within the field.

Mary P. Richards is Professor of English at the University of Delaware. She is the author of Texts and Their Traditions in the Medieval Library of Rochester Cathedral Priory.