Skip to main content

The Aelfric Archive

 Collection
Identifier: 02-exws_aelfric

Scope and Contents

Aelfric Archive consists of offprints, photocopies, and drafts of articles that appear in the Aelfric: an annotated bibliography by Professor Reinsma. The articles and papers are about Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham, who lived from approximately 955 CE to 1020 CE. Due to his grasp of languages Aelfric is sometimes referred to as "Grammaticus." The archive primarily contains copies of critical studies pertaining to literature he produced.

Dates

  • Creation: 1850-1998
  • Other: Majority of material found within 1881-1985
  • Other: Date acquired: 1997

Creator

Biographical / Historical

Luke Reinsma was born in the Netherlands. He is Professor of English at Seattle Pacific University. He received his BA from Calvin College in 1970, and his PhD from the University of Michigan, 1978. His dissertation was on the Old English homilies of the Benedictine monk Aelfric: Aelfric, the teacher as rhetorician, 1978.

Biographical / Historical

Aelfric is particularly known as the author of the Anglo-Saxon Homilies, a translator of the Holy Scripture and as a writer on various subjects such as sermons, grammar, and poetry written in both Old English and Latin.

Extent

14 boxes (approximately 6 linear feet)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Archive of research materials relating to Aelfric of Eynsham (c. 955 CE - c. 1010 CE). Archive consists mostly of photocopied materials and offprints used by Proffessor Luke Reinsma compiled the work, Aelfric: an annotated bibliography, published by Garland in 1987.

Physical Access Requirements

WMU Special Collections. Non-circulating. Contact department for access.

Method of Acquisition

The Aelfric Archive was a gift from Professor Luke Reinsma.

Related Materials

Aelfric: an annotated bibliography published by Garland in 1987. (Z8017.3.R44 1987(Spl))

Related Materials

In addition, Special Collections has related editions, facsimiles and translations of Aelfric's works, such as A Testimonie of Antiqvitie printed in 1566, as well as a copy of Professor Reinsma's bibliography. These books are all cataloged individually and searchable in the Western Michigan Libraries online catalog; they are not included in this finding aid.

Physical Description

Most of the articles in the archive are photocopies of the original printed articles.

Title
Aelfric Archive Finding Aid
Status
Completed
Author
Marca Hoyle
Date
2012-10-04
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Western Michigan University Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Western Michigan University Libraries, Special Collections
Zhang Legacy Collections Center
1650 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5307 US
(269) 387-8490