Call for Papers for the 50th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, MI, May 14-17, 2015

Session Sponsored by the Anglo-Saxon Hagiography Society (ASHS):

Anonymous Anglo-Saxon Prose Saints’ Lives

We invite paper abstracts for a session dedicated to anonymous Anglo-Saxon hagiographical prose in either Old English or Anglo-Latin. After two years of successful sessions at the Congress, we hope to continue conversation about and sustained exploration of the vernacular and Latin anonymous hagiography of Anglo-Saxon England. There is a long tradition of studying vernacular saints’ lives in Anglo-Saxon Studies, but a disproportionate amount of scholarly attention has been given to verse hagiographies and to those by Ælfric of Eynsham, the most famous named author of Old English prose saints’ lives. Even though 40% of the extant prose corpus is non-Ælfrician, there remains a considerable gap in scholarship when it comes to anonymous Old English prose; similarly, Anglo-Latin saints’ lives have received little attention. These texts warrant close study, not only because they remain understudied, but also because they can provide valuable insight into Anglo-Saxon religious culture and its concerns when approached as independent literary products in their own right.

This open-topic session welcomes papers on any aspect related to anonymous Anglo-Saxon prose saints’ lives.

Please submit abstracts of no more than 500 words and the Participant Information Form (available HERE) by September 15 to the session organizers: Robin Norris (robin_norris@caleton.ca) and Johanna Kramer (kramerji@missouri.edu). If preferred, hard copies may be sent to Johanna Kramer, Univ. of Missouri–Columbia, Dept. of English, 114 Tate Hall, Columbia, MO 65211.

(via ISAS)