Overview

References to weaving and binding are ubiquitous in Anglo-Saxon literature. Several hundred instances of such imagery occur in the poetic corpus, invoked in connection with objects, people, elemental forces, and complex abstract concepts. Weaving Words and Binding Bodies presents the first comprehensive study of weaving and binding imagery through intertextual analysis and close readings of Beowulf, riddles, the poetry of Cynewulf, and other key texts. Megan Cavell highlights the prominent use of weaving and binding in previously unrecognized formulas, collocations, and type-scenes, shedding light on important tropes such as the lord-retainer ""bond"" and the gendered role of ""peace-weaving"" in Anglo-Saxon society. Through the analysis of metrical, rhetorical, and linguistic features and canonical and neglected texts in a wide range of genres, Weaving Words and Binding Bodies makes an important contribution to the ongoing study of Anglo-Saxon poetics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Megan Cavell
Publisher:   University of Toronto Press
Imprint:   University of Toronto Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.10cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.690kg
ISBN:  

9781442637221

ISBN 10:   1442637226
Pages:   256
Publication Date:   30 March 2016
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
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Table of Contents

Construction and Constriction: Introducing Human Experience in Old English Poetry Part I – Webs and Rings: Experiencing Objects Chapter 1: The Material Context of Weaving Chapter 2: The Woven Mail-Coat Chapter 3: The Material Context of Structural Binding Part II – Ties and Chains: Experiencing Bondage  Chapter 4: Binding in Nature Chapter 5: Imprisonment and Hell Chapter 6: Slavery and Servitude Part III – Patterns and Nets: Experiencing the Internal and the Abstract Chapter 7: The Body and Mind Chapter 8: Language and Knowledge Chapter 9: Creation, Magic and Fate Chapter 10: Peace Weaving and Binding: Conclusions on Human Experience and World View

Reviews

'This scholarly, thorough treatment of imagery offers new insights into Old English poetic contemplation of human experience.' -- M.B. Busbee Choice Magazine vol 54:05:2017

"‘This scholarly, thorough treatment of imagery offers new insights into Old English poetic contemplation of human experience.’ -- M.B. Busbee * Choice Magazine vol 54:05:2017 * ‘This study of binding, unbinding, and weaving terminology is stimulating in the course of its many surprises… There is much to recommend in this latest addition to the Toronto Anglo-Saxon Series.’ -- John M. Hill * Mediaevistik vol 29:2016 * ‘Weaving words will be a catalyst for future research in many different areas. It will be a valuable reading for anyone interested in gaining new insights from early literature.’ -- Emily Thornbury * Speculum vol 93:02:2018 * ""In using poetic style to interrogate the themes of weaving and binding in Old English literature, Megan Cavell’s book Weaving Words and Binding Bodies relates in a limited way to recent work on textiles while primarily concerning itself with a more traditional, philological approach to literary scholarship."" -- Tiffany Beechy, University of Colorado Boulder * University of Toronto Quarterly, vol 87 3, Summer 2018 *"

‘This scholarly, thorough treatment of imagery offers new insights into Old English poetic contemplation of human experience.’ -- M.B. Busbee * Choice Magazine vol 54:05:2017 * ‘This study of binding, unbinding, and weaving terminology is stimulating in the course of its many surprises… There is much to recommend in this latest addition to the Toronto Anglo-Saxon Series.’ -- John M. Hill * Mediaevistik vol 29:2016 * ‘Weaving words will be a catalyst for future research in many different areas. It will be a valuable reading for anyone interested in gaining new insights from early literature.’ -- Emily Thornbury * Speculum vol 93:02:2018 * ""In using poetic style to interrogate the themes of weaving and binding in Old English literature, Megan Cavell’s book Weaving Words and Binding Bodies relates in a limited way to recent work on textiles while primarily concerning itself with a more traditional, philological approach to literary scholarship."" -- Tiffany Beechy, University of Colorado Boulder * University of Toronto Quarterly, vol 87 3, Summer 2018 *

Author Information

Megan Cavell is a Junior Research Fellow in the Department of English Studies at Durham University.

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