Old English Homilies from MS. Bodley 343

This edition presents several Old English texts from an Oxford manuscript. The works are unique to this manuscript and have not been edited since 1909, when only a text and translation were supplied. Four of the texts are by the 10th-century writer Aelfric, while the others are anonymous.

The edition presents seven Old English homilies from Oxford Bodleian Library Ms Bodley 343. The manuscript was written in the late twelfth century, but the homilies edited here were all composed over a century earlier. They are all unique to Bodley 343, and have not been edited since the 1909 edition of A.O. Belfour (EETS OS 137), which supplied only a text and translation. Four of the homilies are by AElfric, three are anonymous. The edition includes a general introduction discussing the composition of Bodley 343 and its relation to the various lines of transmission identifiable in Old English manuscripts. It also discusses the language of the homilies, of particular interest owing to its transitional nature. Each homily is preceded by a separate introduction describing its background, contents, and relation to sources and analogues. Latin sources are printed beneath the text and a glossary covering all the homilies is provided.