{"product_id":"elves-in-anglo-saxon-england-9781843835097","title":"Elves in Anglo-Saxon England","description":"\u003cb\u003eElves and elf-belief during the Anglo-Saxon period are reassessed in this lively and provocative study.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnglo-Saxon elves [Old English \u003ci\u003eælfe\u003c\/i\u003e] are one of the best attested non-Christian beliefs in early medieval Europe, but current interpretations of the evidence derive directly from outdated nineteenth- and early twentieth-century scholarship. Integrating linguistic and textual approaches into an anthropologically-inspired framework, this book reassesses the full range of evidence. It traces continuities and changes in medieval non-Christian beliefs with a new degree of reliability, from pre-conversion times to the eleventh century and beyond, and uses comparative material from medieval Ireland and Scandinavia to argue for a dynamic relationship between beliefs and society. Inparticular, it interprets the cultural significance of elves as a cause of illness in medical texts, and provides new insights into the much-discussed Scandinavian magic of \u003ci\u003eseidr\u003c\/i\u003e. Elf-beliefs, moreover, were connected with Anglo-Saxon constructions of sex and gender; their changing nature provides a rare insight into a fascinating area of early medieval European culture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Shortlisted for the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award 2007","brand":"Alaric Hall","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42959999959158,"sku":"9781843835097","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1374\/6550\/files\/CoreSourceHub_4aa62b2e-da1b-4b71-8193-ffa56e8282a5.jpg?v=1770499703","url":"https:\/\/ingramacademic.com\/products\/elves-in-anglo-saxon-england-9781843835097","provider":"Ingram Academic \u0026 Professional","version":"1.0","type":"link"}