Early Medieval English in Nineteenth-Century Europe: The Transnational Reception of Old English in the Age of Romantic Nationalism

Introduction

This project adds an essential decentralizing dynamic to the historiography of Old English studies, by studying the reception of early medieval English in 19th-century continental Europe and going beyond an Anglo-American focus.

Historical Context

Many current linguistic theories, modes of literary criticism, and editorial and pedagogical practices have their roots in the 19th century. Investigating this legacy helps to better understand paradigms and institutions that still influence the field today.

Recent researchers typically link 19th-century engagements with Old English to a desire to historically underpin a patriotic sense of Englishness or the perceived racial superiority of white Americans. Problematically, this Anglo-American lens overlooks an important transnational dimension: the reception of Old English in continental Europe.

Transnational Reception

In the 19th century, Old English poems were claimed as cultural heritage by various non-Anglophone nations, including:

• The Danes
• The Germans
• The Dutch

These competing nationalistic cultural appropriations happened against the backdrop of a growing interest in Old English language and literature across the European continent.

Exploring this transnational reception of Old English offers a new perspective on the 19th-century foundations of Old English studies and thus contributes to ongoing discussions about the field's past, present, and future in terms of diversity and visibility.

Project Goals

This project will identify and analyze interactions with Old English across Europe to explore how a more geographically diverse genealogy of the field affects our perception of the 19th century as a foundational period for the study of Old English.

The project, situated at the intersection of history of humanities and medievalism studies, is powered by:

1. A bibliographical and relational database
2. A multi-disciplinary, multilingual approach

It will reveal new, insightful materials, uncover intellectual networks, and put forgotten protagonists in the limelight.