Verbal Encounters: Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse Studies for Roberta Frank Roberta Frank. Photographby Alexander C. Murra Verbal Encounters Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse Studies for Roberta Frank Edited by Antonina Harbus and Russell Poole UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS Toronto Buffalo London www.utppublishing.com © University of Toronto Press Incorporated 1005 Toronto Buffalo London Printed in Canada ISBN 0-80x0-8011-1 Printed on acid-free paper Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Verbal encounters: Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse studies for Roberta Frank / edited by Antonina Harbus and Russell Poole. (Toronto Old English series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-802,0-8011-1 i. English philosophy - Old English, ca. 450-1100 - History and criticism. z. Old Norse poetry - History and criticism. I. Frank, Roberta II. Harbus, A. (Antonina) III. Poole, Russell Gilbert PRI76.V47 2,005 42,9 C2.OO4-9O4O4X-I University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial assistance to its publishing program of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. University of Toronto Press acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP). CONTENTS PREFACE vii ABBREVIATIONS ix NOTES ON EDITIONS xi Introduction i Roberta Frank: Bibliography, lyjo-zooi <j Part I — On Words i. Early Medieval Chaos 15 Christopher A. Jones z. Composing and Joining: How the Anglo-Saxons 39 Talked about Compounding Don Chapman 3. Cennan, 'to cause to be born'/ 'to cause to know': 55 Incarnation as Revelation in Old English Literature Pauline Head 4. Pride, Courage, and Anger: The Polysemousness 77 of Old English Mod Soon-Ai Low Part II — On Anglo-Latin and Old English Prose <j. Desipere in loco: Style, Memory, and the Teachable Moment 91 Carin Ruff 6. Courtroom Drama and the Homiletic Monologues of 105 The Vercelli Book Dorothy Haines Part III — On Old English Poetry 7. 'Him J)a£s grim lean becom': The Theme of Infertility 1x7 in Genesis A Karin Olsen 8. Odd Characters: Runes in Old English Poetry 145 Robert DiNapoli 9. The Education of Beowulf and the Affair of the Leisure Class 163 Haruko Momma 10. Articulate Contact in Juliana 183 Antonina Harbus Part IV — On Old Norse Literature n. The Refracted Beam: Einarr Skulason's Liturgical Theology 203 Martin Chase 12. Beardless Wonders: 'Gaman vas Syxu (The Sex Was Great) 223 Oren Falk 13. Prophetic Dreams and Visions in the Sagas of the Early 247 Icelandic Saints Bernadine McCreesh 14. Claiming Kin Skaldic-Style 269 Russell Poole NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS 285 INDEX 287 PREFACE We are grateful to all those who have helped bring this volume to fruition. In particular our thanks go to our good-natured and productive contributors; to Grace Desa, Ruth Harvey, and Walter Goffart for advice and information; to Alexander C. Murray for photographing our honorand and providing technical advice; to Debbie Rayner and Andrew Gillett for their support and practical assistance throughout the genesis and development of this book; and to Roberta herself for kind help in so many ways. This page intentionally left blank