‘It shames me to say it’: Ælfric and the concept and vocabulary of shame
Alice Jorgensen
Abstract An investigation of Ælfric's shame-vocabulary allows us to divide his shame concept into three areas: being (a)shamed, active shaming, and the shameful. The prototypical scenario is humiliation or exposure before others. However, Ælfric asks audience imagine this kind public, worldly in relation failures live up Christian ideals; he thus encourages ethicization psychologization shame. In addition, readers are invited read find moral symbolism narratives while emotive label ‘shameful’ cues rejection disgust towards what wrong pagan. appeals promote self-scrutiny performance a identity. With respect Anglo-Saxon general, offers case-study flexibility its importance as mode knowing performing self. Ne sceamige nanum menn þ æt anum lareowe gyltas cyðe · forðan þe se nele synna on ðissere worulde andettan mid soðre behreowsunge him sceal sceamian ætforan gode ælmihtigum engla weorodum eallum mannu m eallu deoflum ðam micclan dome þær we eall gegaderode beoð Þær cuðe ure ealra dæda þam werodu seðe ne mæg for sceame anu ge-andettan þonne heofonwarum eorð-waru hel-warum seo sceamu bið endeleas.
Anglo-Saxon England