The 1722 line Old English poem,

, is found in a tenth-century manuscript, now known as the Vercelli Book (Vercelli, Cathedral library, MS CXVII, folios 29b-52b). The date of composition of the poem is not known and like most Old English texts,

is anonymous. Previous generations of scholars debated whether or not

was the work of Cynewulf, who “signed” in runes his name in two other Vercelli Book poems

and

, but this debate is not of current interest.

Andreas is of the hagiographical (“saints' life”) genre and it retells the apocryphal Acts of Andrew and Matthew in the land of Mermedonia. The apocryphal Acts of the apostles are a complex group of loosely related texts, which relate the missions and martyrdoms of Jesus's

761 words

Citation: Kilburn, Jasmine. "Andreas". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 20 November 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=10618, accessed 21 November 2024.]