Byrhtferth's East Anglian Chronicle

“Over the past two decades there have been radical developments in our knowledge of the pre-Conquest chronicles of England. Reliable textual editions have now been published of nearly all the major chronicles, national and regional, in both Latin and in Old English. At the same time, great strides have been made in analyzing the origin, content, and transmission of these texts ... Few scholars have the knowledge and experience to envisage such a daunting undertaking, and of these, fewer still are in a position to make the attempt. Dr. Hart, who has been examining the full range of this material closely and independently over a period of half a century, now plans to embark upon this enterprise ... This pioneering study makes no claim to be definitive, but will surely provide a firm basis upon which further progress can be made to our understanding of the history of England in the early medieval period.” – (from the Preface) Alfred P. Smyth, Professor Emeritus, University of Kent at Canterbury

“For the past fifty years, Dr. Hart has made major contributions to our understanding of many different aspects of Anglo-Saxon history and literary culture. His work has long been characterized by a refreshing determination to challenge the assumptions upon which existing orthodoxy depends, and to set up alternative views based on his own first-hand examination of the evidence ... This is essential reading for all those interested in one of the most fascinating periods of early English history.” – Professor Simon Keynes, University of Cambridge

Part I: Source and Attribution
1. The Manuscript
2. Sources and Concordance of Annals
3. The Rouen Annals 4. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
5. Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica
6. Cuthbert’s Letter De Obitu Bedae
7. The Vision of Eucherius
8. The Vision of Rollo
9. The Vision of Charles the Fat
10. The Life of St Neot
11. The Passion of King Edmund
12. The Life of King Alfred
13. The Raven Banner
14. Hæsten the Viking
15. The Worcester Latin Chronicle
16. Byrhtferth’s Northumbrian Chronicle
17. The Date and Place of Compilation

Part 2: Edition and Translation of the East Anglian Chronicle
Edition and Translation
Bibliography
Index of Persons
Index of Places
Index of Subjects