Winters in the World: the Anglo-Saxon Year - with Dr Eleanor Parker

Title picture above: sunset over the River Blyth (©Dr Sam Newton 2018).

An Autumn Equinox special on the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including some of the finest treasures of medieval literature, we shall investigate how the Old English-speaking peoples felt about the annual passing of the seasons and the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature.Many of the festivals we celebrate in Britain today have their roots in the Anglo-Saxon world. We shall trace their surprising history, unearth traditions now long forgotten.

Provisional Timetable for the day - details to follow

10.15 – 11.15:

11.15-11.45: Coffee-break.

11.45 – 12.45:

12.45-13.45: Lunch-break.

13.45-14.45:

There will be time for questions and discussion at the end of each hour.

About Dr Eleanor Parker

Dr Eleanor Parker is Lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Brasenose College, Oxford. She is the author of Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England (2018), Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England (2022), and Winters in the World: A Journey through the Anglo-Saxon Year (2022). She writes regularly for History Today and BBC History Magazine, and has given talks and study-days on a vast range of medieval topics.

Some Suggestions for Optional Background Reading

Alexander, M., The First Poems in English (Penguin Classics 2008).

Leyser, H., A Short History of the Anglo-Saxons (London, 2017).

Parker, E., Winters in the World: A Journey through the Anglo-Saxon Year (Reaktion Books 2022).

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