• Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Old English Chronicle

The Old English Chronicle

Hardcover

Series: Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library

Medieval & Renaissance HistoryGeneral Military HistoryGeneral Poetry

ISBN10: 0674290879
ISBN13: 9780674290877
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: Nov 4 2025
Pages: 336
Weight: 0.95
Height: 1.00 Width: 5.10 Depth: 8.20
Language: English

A thousand years of English history, encapsulating invasions, the rise and fall of kings, and religious events

Among the vernacular historical writings of early medieval England, the Old English Chronicle holds a prominent place, providing not only a backbone of English history from the fifth through the twelfth centuries but also a record of language development and geography. The seven texts in the Chronicle, known as manuscripts A through G, offer a brief year-by-year summary of important national events.

The Old English Chronicle: The A-Text to 1001 is the earliest and most interesting of these manuscripts. It covers more than a thousand years, with entries written throughout the tenth century by different scribes. Although many entries are spare, noting only the death of a king or church official, others offer detailed accounts and interpretations of events such as the movement of viking armies against King Alfred or the narrative of treachery, retribution, and loyalty widely known today as Cynewulf and Cyneheard. In addition to the A-Text, this edition contains two highly political poems, The Death of Alfred and The Death of Edward, as well as The Battle of Maldon, a brilliant verse rendering of a defeat against Scandinavian invaders in 991.

The Old English Chronicle, Volume I contains newly edited Old English texts and expert translations of key works of medieval historical writing.

Also in

Medieval & Renaissance History