Transmission, Adaptation, and Variation in Early Medieval English Literature
The literature of early medieval England, both Old English and Anglo-Latin, is often characterized either by a derivative devotion to an authoritative past, or by unorthodox innovation. While this dichotomy between tradition and innovation has much merit, many textual examples defy this categorization. In some cases, innovative texts and authors actually conform closely to their discursive models, while other texts that seem to adhere to tradition in fact create significant developments and variations. Untangling the complex relationships between texts and their sources reveals much about composition, genre, form, and language – the very foundations of textual practice.