(Old) English, Anglo-Saxon Legal Texts in the Later 11th to Mid-12th Centuries
Thomas Gobbitt
Manuscripts containing English language copies of Anglo-Saxon laws and related texts continued to be produced used well into the mid-12th century. Interpretations underling manuscript contexts prevalent in scholarship have tended prioritise Conquest as defining feature underlying their production use. Such interpretations assume that collation a wide range legal single context was direct result Norman rulers struggling understand newly acquired realm. This article reassesses impact on law, by reviewing extant surviving manuscripts, role vernacular 12th century, history relating law period. Case studies scribal augmenting updating turn century collection are examined. Through these case studies, I illustrate extent agency subtle adaption materiality mise-en-page contexts. argued for manuscript-led approach study later 11th first half centuries.
Literature Compass