A TREASURY OF ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND:
Faith and wisdom in the lives of men and women, saints and kings
By Paul Cavill . Zondervan. 299 pages. £7.99
ISBN 0 007 10404 9
The Lindisfarne Gospels, on display at the British Library and now, in an electronic version, on the island of Lindisfarne itself, constitute many people's introduction to Anglo-Saxon Christianity. The vigour and intricate charm of the manuscript illustrations may well stimulate a desire to discover more. This book affords a pleasurable extension of that basic acquaintance.
The description of it as a 'treasury' may suggest unadorned passages of literature. Happily, Paul Cavill is much more than a compiler and a gifted translator from Old English and Latin. While allowing the Anglo-Saxon Christians to speak for themselves, he provides helpful background, commentary, biblical comparison and critique of the poetry and prose passages given. His selections are grouped thematically under topics such as the world, men and women, home, children and song. We realise that human nature is the same then as now, even if the circumstances are different, as we find ourselves sympathising with a Frisian woman whose husband is away at sea, and with a hard-working slave ploughman. We are introduced to heroes such as Byrhtnoth, killed by the Vikings at the Battle of Maldon in 991; Bede, the teacher and historian; and Caedmon, the shy herdsman given the gift of poetry.
