The image of the garden, the yard and the orchard in the early medieval Old English literature

Authors

  • Mercedes Salvador Bello Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

Keywords:

green spaces, garden, orchard, Anglo-Saxon literature

Abstract

Even if there is much information about green spaces in the late Middle Ages, the absence of visual or textual documentation about them in the Anglo —Saxon period is, by contrast, remarkable. Consequently, there are hardly any studies on this subject. However, it is possible to explore the idea that the Anglo-Saxons had about green spaces through the analysis of several works that allude to gardens, orchards and forests. In this essay, I am going to examine the role of the descriptions of green spaces appearing in excerpts from the English version of St Benedict’s Rule, the English translation of Gregory the Great’s Dialogues, The Phoenix, Judgement Day ii and Beowulf. The study of these selected texts can give us an insight into the role played by green spaces in Anglo-Saxon England.

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Published

2013-02-01

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Salvador Bello, Mercedes. 2013. “The Image of the Garden, the Yard and the Orchard in the Early Medieval Old English Literature”. Cuadernos del CEMYR, no. 21 (February): 145-61. https://www.ull.es/revistas/index.php/cemyr/article/view/4177.