Aelfric, Catholic Homilies

Mary Swan (University of Leeds)

Ed. by Hugh Magennis, Queen's University Belfast
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.01: English Writing and Culture: Old English, 500-1066.
Vol. editors: Richard William Dance (University of Cambridge), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast)

Dates

First circulation or publication 990 - 995

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Religion and Spirituality (any)
- Prayer

Resources

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The

Catholic Homilies

are the most widely transmitted of the works of Æ;lfric. They were written in their first form relatively early in his authorial career, and most probably between about 990 and 995, whilst he was at the monastery of Cerne Abbas, Dorset, and before he moved to the newly-refounded monastery of Eynsham, Oxfordshire, as its abbot.

The Catholic Homilies are the largest organised series of preaching texts surviving from Anglo-Saxon England. As is typical for early medieval preaching texts, the Catholic Homilies comprise the modern sub-genres of homily (an exposition of the section of the Gospels which has been read out beforehand) and sermon (general Christian moral guidance and exhortation), and they also include a number of hagiographic pieces. (See separate entry on Old

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1729 words

Citation: Swan, Mary. "Catholic Homilies". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 August 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=9620, accessed 03 December 2024.]

Aelfric, Catholic Homilies

Dates

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Resources

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