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- Anglo Saxon Monster Names Meanings
- Anglo Saxon Monster Names Generator
- Anglo Saxon Monster Names List
- Anglo Saxon Monster Names A-z
The best Anglo-Saxon books and poems selected by Dr Oliver Tearle. What are the finest works of Anglo-Saxon literature? We’ve restricted our choices to works of literature written in Anglo-Saxon or Old English, so that rules out Bede’s Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, which, as the title suggests, was written in Latin.But there’s a wealth of great literature written in Old English.
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- Another important figure in Anglo-Saxon belief appears to be 'thurse' (giant/ogre/monster), given the large number of place-names and folk-stories associated with derived forms (AS.hobbe-thurse: hobthurse, hobthrush, hobtrash, gytrash, trash etc.).
- The Anglo-Saxon gods have also been adopted in forms of the modern Pagan religion of Wicca, particularly the denomination of Seax-Wicca, founded by Raymond Buckland in the 1970s, which combined Anglo-Saxon deity names with the Wiccan theological structure. Such belief systems often attribute Norse beliefs to pagan Anglo-Saxons.
Home > College of Arts and Sciences > English > ENGLISH_DISS > 224
Title
Author
Date of Award
5-6-2019
Degree Type
Dissertation
Anglo Saxon Monster Names Meanings
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Anglo Saxon Monster Names Generator
Department
English
First Advisor
Edward Christie
Second Advisor
Scott Lightsey
Third Advisor
David Johnson
Anglo Saxon Monster Names List
Abstract
Anglo Saxon Monster Names A-z
Anglo-Saxon scholars generally define monsters within very narrow parameters: monsters are beings that are against nature and therefore not human. Examples of these Anglo-Saxon monsters include Grendel, Grendel’s mom, and the dragon from Beowulf. However, Old English poetry contains another type of monsters often overlooked by scholars: the monstrous human. Human monstrosities present fascinating hybrid figures that visually look like humans, but who display characteristics of monsters. Under Foucault’s punishment theory, these monstrous humans serve as spectator punishments who are transformed because of their crimes against society. By analyzing lexical descriptions and applying theoretical concepts, I argue that a new category of monster should be recognized in Anglo-Saxon literature.
Monstrous humans appear in both Anglo-Saxon biblical and heroic poetry. In the biblical texts Judith and Daniel, the main antagonists, Holofernes and Nebuchadnezzar, act as human monstrosities. They are characterized by their excessive vices, and through these vices, they lose their reason and ultimately their humanity. Similarly, in Beowulf, the bad king Heremod serves as a warning because his vice and evil actions lead him to be cast from the community and stripped of his humanity. Furthermore, Beowulf also illustrates human monstrosities since Beowulf and the Geats are depicted as dangerous, violent figures that are more monstrous than heroic when they are first introduced, which reflects the savage duality present within the warrior identity. Analyzing the texts through contemporary theoretical concepts also helps elucidate how monstrous humans function outside their societies. By using Kristeva’s theory of abjection, I examine how Holofernes both repulses and fascinates as a vice-ridden monster. Judith Butler’s performative identity theory applies to Heremod, who rejects his social role and therefore transforms into a monster, and to the armored Geats, who undertake monstrous violent acts as part of their performative warrior identity. Each of these texts explores the important relationship between humanity and monstrosity and how reason is the chief characteristic that keeps one from being termed a beast.
Recommended Citation
Scoggins, Virginia Rachel, 'Transformation and Punishment: Revisiting Monstrosity in Anglo-Saxon Literature.' Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2019.
https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_diss/224
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