Aspects of Shame in Anglo-Saxon England

Abstract

This thesis explores a new kind of shame introduced to the Anglo-Saxons with the conversion to Christianity. Shame came to be viewed as a positive emotion; it encouraged one to recognise sinful behaviour and repent. It differed from heroic shame, a negative emotion to be avoided for its association with humiliation. This new sense of shame had to be learnt; it was taught through preaching, and internalised through processes of confession and repentance. The first chapter, an examination of vernacular glosses to the Psalms, looks at the translation of two words from Latin into Old English, forwandian and aswarnian, which enabled religious concepts of shame to be expressed verbally. Chapter Two argues for the importance of the Alfredian Pastoral Care as an administrative document aimed at regulating the behaviour of society through encouraging penance and feelings of shame. The second half of the thesis uses this understanding of shame to reinterpret literature tied more closely to historical events. Chapter Three focuses on Aldhelm's seventh-century treatise, De Virginitate, which includes shameful descriptions of sexual behaviour to reinforce the sanctity of virginity for a monastic audience. Chapters Four and Five examine the broad range of documentary evidence for King Æthelred II’s reign, suggesting that by the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, shame could incorporate a range of nuanced meanings, and could be used as a political tool to manipulate people’s behaviour and opinions. Looking at how shame is used as a rhetorical device alerts us to the different agenda of each author, enabling new interpretations of these texts and the events they record.