The North in the "Old English Orosius": A Geographical Narrative in Context

696 Pages·2008·45.751 MB·English

by  Irmeli Valtonen

M f-mi mu;s nr i a Síxihti': NiiomiLOLociiQur, dk Helsinki
Depilis 1893 ki Socictc Néophilologiquc de Helsinki publie une série d’études
eonsaerée nux Iungues modernes, Mémoires de la Société Néophi/ologique de
Helsinki. Voir nussi http://www.helsinki.fi /jarj/ufy/.
TOME UI (1997, 503 p., % 50.00): To Explain the Present: Studies in the
Changing English Language in Honour of Matti Rissanen, edited by Terttu
Nevalainen & Leena Kahlas-Tarkka.
TOME Uli (1998, 328 p., $ 45.00): Päivi Pahta, Medieval Embryology in the
Vernacular: The Case of De Spermate.
TOME LIV (1998, 208 p., $ 40.00): Maria Salenius, The Dean and his God: John
Donne’s Concept of the Divine.
TOME LV (1999, 294 p., $ 43.00): Minna Palander-Collin, Grammati cal ization
and Social Embedding: l THINK and METHINKS in Middle and Early Modem
English.
TOME LVI (1999, 222 p., $ 40.00): Arja Nurmi, A Social History of Periphrastic
DO.
TOME LVIJ (1999, 283 p., $ 43.00): Mervi Helkkula-Lukkarinen, Construction de
la scene d’énonciation dans A la recherche du temps perdu.
TOME LVIII (2000, 270 p., $ 43.00): Päivi Koivisto-Alanko, Abstract Words in
Abstract Worlds: Directionality and Prototypical Structure in the Semantic Change
in English Nouns of Cognition.
TOME LIX (2001, 287 p., $ 43.00): Aune Österman, “Where your treasure is,
there is your hearf’: A corpus-based study of THERE compounds and
THERE/WHERE subordinators in the history of English.
TOME LX (2002, 362 p., 45.00 €): Seija Kerttula, English Colour Terms:
Etymology, Chronology, and Relative Basicness.
TOME LXI (2002, 378 p., 45.00 €): Variation Past and Present: VARIENG
Studies on English for Terttu Nevalainen, edited by Helena Raumolin-Brunberg,
Minna Nevala, Arja Nurmi and Matti Rissanen.
TOME LXIl (2003, 470 p., 45.00 €): Heli Tissari, LOVEscapes: Changes in
prototypical senses and cognitive metaphors since 1500.
Mémoires de la Soáété Néophilologique de Helsinki
(édités par Juhani Härmä, Jarmo Korhonen et Terttu Nevalainen)
Tome LXXIII

Mémoires de la Société Néophilologique de Helsinki
Tome LXXIII
The North in the Old English Orosius
A Geographical Narrative in Context
by
Irmeli Valtonen
Helsinki 2008
Société Néophilologique
© Irmeli Valtonen 2008
ISBN 978-951-9040-29-5
ISSN 0355-0192
Gummerus Kirjapaino Oy
Vaajakoski 2008
Preface
At a place and time when multidisciplinarity was still uncommon, Pentti
Koivunen of Oulu University, an insightful lecturer of archaeology,
pointed me in the direction I have attempted to follow in this doctoral
dissertation. When I asked for his advice as my archaeology teacher on
how to choose multidisciplinary topic for my MA thesis, which was to be
submitted to the Department of English, he asked me whether I had
heard of Ottar. My reply was apparendy not satisfactory, since I was
prompdy asked to follow Mr Koivunen to a library, where he
determinedly took P. J. Helm's Life of KingÆfred from a shelf, told me to
start with it, and, just as prompdy, left me to my own apprehensive
devices between the book shelves, with a red book in my hands.
At first, this all seemed perplexing, but it soon became clear, that in
order to study the early medieval North, one had to start in Britain. The
route pointed out to me in the dusty darkness of a history library could
only be followed to its, hopefully somewhat more enlightened, end
through this dissertation, which discusses some of the questions which
emerged after my MA thesis. The thesis concentrated on a historical-
philological interpretation of the North in the Old English Orosius.
After my years as a post-graduate student at the Department of Anglo-
Saxon, Norse, and Celtic in Cambridge, the developments in ethnicity
studies and studies on early medieval geography partly altered my focus
and influenced my discussion of this ninth-century narrative, which
describes a large area and many peoples. Advances in the study of the
reign of King Alfred further enabled a more extensive examination of the
Alfredian context of the travel accounts of Ohthere and Wulfstan.
However, many aspects of Anglo-Saxon archaeology and contacts across
the North Sea proved to be impossible to study in Finland. The final
dissertation is thus partly different from the plan that I had in Cambridge.
At almost every stage of this project, from the very beginning to its
completion, I have been most indebted, and happily so, to Professor
Emeritus Matti Rissanen, who encouraged and helped me to continue my
post-graduate research and who was my supervisor in Helsinki. I have
always been able to benefit from his vast scholarly experience, wise
judgement, and disarming sense of humour. Matti’s uplifting spirit and
motivational thoughts never failed while he guided me steadily along
scholarly paths. I have been enormously fortunate to have received his
generous support and comments on various drafts of this thesis, for
VI
which I am deeply grateful. I was also most fortunate to meet Professor
Risto Hiltunen at the instigation of this project. I thank him for his
involvement in the creation of the opportunities which enabled me to
undertake my post-graduate studies and for his evaluation of the pre­
examination version of this dissertation and the comments he made.
In the specific field of my topic, I sincerely thank Professor Simon
Keynes and Professor Emeritus Michael Lapidge, my supervisors in
Cambridge. They taught me about the diversity of Anglo-Saxon studies,
the importance of source criticism, and, most significandy, about the
highest standards of scholarship. Simon, who was my supervisor for most
of my time in Cambridge, always encouraged me and graciously supported
my plans. I would also like to thank Professor David Dumville for his
intelligent help at a vital stage in the project. Professor Stefan Brink very
kindly encouraged me and gave me the opportunity to attend his remark­
able seminar series in Uppsala and he also read a pre-examination copy of
my dissertation and made valuable comments, for which I thank him.
For other important advice, comments, inspiration, or encouragement
at various points in time I sincerely thank Professor Emeritus Evert
Baudou, Professor Martin Foys, Dr Catherine Hills, Professor Sarah
Larratt Keefer, Dr Kathryn Lowe, Dr Andrew Merrills, Professor
Emeritus Bruce Mitchell, Professor Emeritus Bjorn Myhre, Dr Knut
Odner, Professor Emeritus Ray Page, Dr Alexandra Sanmark, and
Professor Emeritus Povi Simonsen. I would like to thank Professor Terttu
Nevalainen for her valuable help and excellent advice, particularly in the
final stage of the project. I have received particular inspiration and
enjoyment from the works of Professor Nicholas Howe, who regrettably
passed away when this dissertation was about to be completed. Professor
Christine Fell, who also no longer is with us, was instrumental in helping
me to continue my post-graduate research in Cambridge. Before he passed
away, Professor Knut Bergsland advised me on matters relating to the
Sami.
I thank Bethany Fox for her efficient revising of the language of the
text, Turo Vartiainen and Tanja Säily for their solid work on the layout
and indexes in this book, and Professor Markku Löytönen and Kirsti
Lehto for their expert help in the drawing of Maps 1-2. However, all
remaining shortcomings in this dissertation are mine alone.
I have also been able to learn from many other scholars representing a
variety of disciplines. They have helped me to understand the special
nature of early medieval studies and see the difficulties presented by my