Schustereder Strategies of Identity Construction

The Writings of Gildas, Aneirin and Bede
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-3-8470-0431-8
Verlag: V&R unipress
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 0 - No protection

E-Book, Englisch, 281 Seiten

Reihe: Super alta perennis

Based on an analysis of a variety of early medieval writings from Britain, including De Excidio et Conquestu Brittaniae by the Briton Gildas, the early Welsh collection of stanzas commonly referred to as Y Gododdin, and the Venerable Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, his Historia Abbatum and Chronica Maior, Strategies of Identity Construction provides evidence of an active and productive medieval discourse of ethnic and political identity construction in Britain. The book demonstrates that different gentes, even competing peoples, use the same strategies to construct and communicate their identities. This phenomenon is not only visible when comparing the different writings which were subject to analysis in this research, but can also be seen when analyzing changes the writings underwent during the transmission processes of their manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages. Elements of a discourse of identity construction here not only appear to be productive, but can also be seen in close connection with historical, political and social developments at the same time, rendering the study of the discourse of identity construction an important tool for providing a modern understanding of medieval politics and societies in periods of change and transition.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Schustereder, Stefan J.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturgeschichte und Literaturkritik
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Systematische Theologie Geschichte der Theologie, Einzelne Theologen
• Geisteswissenschaften Christentum, Christliche Theologie Christentum/Christliche Theologie Allgemein Christliche Kunst und Kultur
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Englische Literatur

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Acknowledgements;9
2;Introduction;13
3;Theoretical considerations;17
3.1;Imagined Communities - the construction of identity;21
3.2;Medieval Ethnic communities and Writing;25
3.3;Markers of ethnic identity;28
3.3.1;Names;29
3.3.2;The Founding Myth;31
3.3.3;History;32
3.3.4;Heroic Figure;33
3.3.5;Rule and Kingship;34
3.3.6;Customs;35
3.3.7;Laws;36
3.3.8;Territory and Boundaries;37
3.3.9;Language;38
3.3.10;Otherness;40
3.3.11;Religion;42
3.3.12;Summary;43
4;Discussion of other Potential Source Writings;45
4.1;Adomnán’s Vita Sancti Columbae;45
4.2;The vitae of St Cuthbert;46
4.3;The Whitby Life of Gregory the Great;47
4.4;Felix’s Life of St Guthlac;47
4.5;Stephen of Ripon’s Vita Sancti Wilfrithi;48
4.6;The Works of Taliesin;49
5;Methodological Considerations - Identity Construction as Discourse;51
5.1;The concept of discourse;51
5.2;Discourse and the Construction of Identity;54
5.3;Discourse Analysis;56
5.3.1;Historical Discourse Analysis;56
5.3.2;Critical Discourse Analysis;57
5.3.3;The Discourse Historical Approach;58
5.3.4;Analysis of the Discoursive Strategy (ADS) of Identity Construction;58
5.4;Methodological Steps;61
6;Gildas’ De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae;65
6.1;Authorship and Date of Composition;68
6.1.1;The origin of the name Gildas;68
6.1.2;Gildas’ geographical background;69
6.1.3;Gildas’ educational background;71
6.1.4;Date of Composition;74
6.2;Manuscripts and Editions;80
6.3;Structure and Subject Matter;81
6.4;Gentes and collective identities in Gildas’ DEB;82
6.4.1;Britons in Gildas’ De Excidio Britanniae;82
6.4.2;Romans in Gildas’ De Excidio Britanniae;91
6.4.3;The Saxons in Gildas’ De Excidio Britanniae;94
6.4.4;Picts and Scots in Gildas’ De Excidio Britanniae;97
6.5;Summary and Conclusion;100
7;Aneirin’s Y Gododdin;109
7.1;Authorship and Date of Composition;112
7.2;Manuscripts and Editions;121
7.3;Structure and subject matter;126
7.4;Gentes and collective identities in Aneirin’s Gododdin poems;129
7.4.1;The Britons in Y Gododdin;131
7.4.2;The Saxons in Y Gododdin;135
7.4.3;The English in Y Gododdin;138
7.4.4;People of Deira, Bernicia and Gwynedd in Y Gododdin;141
7.4.5;Christian references in the Gododdin poems;150
7.5;Summary and Conclusion;154
8;Bede’s Historiae;161
8.1;Authorship and Dates of Composition;164
8.1.1;Bede’s Life and Death;164
8.1.2;Bede’s Language;166
8.1.3;Jarrow and Wearmouth;167
8.2;The scholarly discussion about Bede;168
8.3;Bede’s Works;170
8.4;Selection of texts;171
8.4.1;The Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum;172
8.4.2;The Chronica Minor and the Chronica Maior;173
8.4.3;The Historia Abbatum;174
8.5;Manuscripts and Editions of the Texts;175
8.5.1;Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum;175
8.5.2;Chronica Maior;176
8.6;Structure and Subject Matter;177
8.6.1;Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum;177
8.6.2;Chronica Maior;180
8.7;Gentes and collective identities in Bede’s writings;181
8.7.1;Bede and the Britons;181
8.7.1.1;The Britons, Bede and the DEB;181
8.7.1.2;Bede and the Britons after Gildas;200
8.7.2;Bede and the Saxons;204
8.7.2.1;The geuissi in the HE;209
8.7.2.2;The gyrui in the HE;211
8.7.2.3;The Continental Saxons in the HE;213
8.7.3;Bede and the angli;216
8.7.4;Bede, the picti and the scotti;227
8.8;Summary and Conclusion;238
9;Summary;247
9.1;Textual and Intertextual Identity Markers;247
10;Conclusion - Strategies of Identity Construction;257
10.1;Strategies of identity construction - the Analysis of Discourse Strategies;257
10.2;Gildas’ De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae;259
10.3;Aneirin’s Y Gododdin;260
10.4;Bede’s Historiae;261
10.5;Outlook for further research;265
11;Editions and Translations;267
12;Bibliography;269
13.1;Title Page;3
13.2;Copyright;4
14;Leere Seite;282

Über Autor(innen)

Schustereder, Stefan J.
Dr. Stefan J. Schustereder arbeitete nach seiner Promotion im Fach Anglistik in Freiburg und Oxford bis 2014 als wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter an der Universität Bonn. Zurzeit ist er als Lehrer tätig.