Bibliography
Rory
Naismith
Works authored
Naismith, Rory, Early medieval Britain, c. 500–1000, Cambridge History of Britain, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2021.
Contents: Preface; Acknowledgements; List of source boxes; List of methods and analysis boxes; List of illustrations; List of maps -- 1. Introduction -- Part I. Conceiving early medieval Britain: 2. An island in the ocean: the idea of Britain -- 3. On the edge of the world: Britain and Europe -- 4. Legend, myth and history -- 5. Migrations and peoples -- 6. Fragments of the past -- Part II. Making early medieval Britain: 7. Britain c. 500 -- 8. 'Fertile of tyrants': Britain 500–650 -- 9. 'What the outcome will be, a future age will see': Britain 650–850 -- 10. 'God help us!': Britain 850–1000 -- Part III. Living in early medieval Britain: 11. Kingship in action -- 12. Building a Christian society -- 13. Maintaining belief: the church as an institution -- 14. Family, friend, lord, slave: the basis of society -- 15. Land, people and settlement -- 16. Getting and giving: acts and settings of exchange -- 17. Language and communication -- 18. 'As far as the cold waves reach': conclusion -- Glossary; Index.
abstract:
Early medieval Britain saw the birth of England, Scotland and of the Welsh kingdoms. Naismith's introductory textbook explores the period between the end of Roman rule and the eve of the Norman Conquest, blending an engaging narrative with clear explanations of key themes and sources. Using extensive illustrations, maps and selections from primary sources, students will examine the island as a collective entity, comparing political histories and institutions as well as societies, beliefs and economies. Each chapter foregrounds questions of identity and the meaning of 'Britain' in this period, encouraging interrogation and contextualisation of sources within the framework of the latest debates and problems. Featuring online resources including timelines, a glossary, end-of-chapter questions and suggestions for further reading, students can drive their own understanding of how the polities and societies of early medieval Britain fitted together and into the wider world, and firmly grasp the formative stages of British history.
Contents: Preface; Acknowledgements; List of source boxes; List of methods and analysis boxes; List of illustrations; List of maps -- 1. Introduction -- Part I. Conceiving early medieval Britain: 2. An island in the ocean: the idea of Britain -- 3. On the edge of the world: Britain and Europe -- 4. Legend, myth and history -- 5. Migrations and peoples -- 6. Fragments of the past -- Part II. Making early medieval Britain: 7. Britain c. 500 -- 8. 'Fertile of tyrants': Britain 500–650 -- 9. 'What the outcome will be, a future age will see': Britain 650–850 -- 10. 'God help us!': Britain 850–1000 -- Part III. Living in early medieval Britain: 11. Kingship in action -- 12. Building a Christian society -- 13. Maintaining belief: the church as an institution -- 14. Family, friend, lord, slave: the basis of society -- 15. Land, people and settlement -- 16. Getting and giving: acts and settings of exchange -- 17. Language and communication -- 18. 'As far as the cold waves reach': conclusion -- Glossary; Index.
abstract:
Early medieval Britain saw the birth of England, Scotland and of the Welsh kingdoms. Naismith's introductory textbook explores the period between the end of Roman rule and the eve of the Norman Conquest, blending an engaging narrative with clear explanations of key themes and sources. Using extensive illustrations, maps and selections from primary sources, students will examine the island as a collective entity, comparing political histories and institutions as well as societies, beliefs and economies. Each chapter foregrounds questions of identity and the meaning of 'Britain' in this period, encouraging interrogation and contextualisation of sources within the framework of the latest debates and problems. Featuring online resources including timelines, a glossary, end-of-chapter questions and suggestions for further reading, students can drive their own understanding of how the polities and societies of early medieval Britain fitted together and into the wider world, and firmly grasp the formative stages of British history.
Contributions to journals
Naismith, Rory, “Antiquity, authority, and religion in the Epitomae and Epistolae of Virgilius Maro Grammaticus”, Peritia 20 (2008): 59–85.
abstract:
Virgilius Maro Grammaticus’s origins and date have often been discussed: the setting he imagined for his works has not. How Virgilius imagined himself and his ‘authorities’ reveals a fascinating mélange of names, characters, and religious ideas plucked from history, all brought together to emphasise the antiquity and variety within the Latin language. Modelled on the atmosphere of familiar Late Antique and early medieval grammars, Virgilius’s setting was probably created to allow veiled comment on the future of Latin in changing intellectual circumstances. There is considerable manuscript and citation evidence that the name Virgilius Maro Grammaticus was not used in the medieval period, and the Epitomae and Epistolae are ascribed only to Virgilius Maro. The ambiguity this name created was strengthened by the presence of Aeneas and other classical-sounding authorities, and created much confusion amongst medieval readers and copyists trying to distinguish the grammarian from the poet.
(source: Brepols)
abstract:
Virgilius Maro Grammaticus’s origins and date have often been discussed: the setting he imagined for his works has not. How Virgilius imagined himself and his ‘authorities’ reveals a fascinating mélange of names, characters, and religious ideas plucked from history, all brought together to emphasise the antiquity and variety within the Latin language. Modelled on the atmosphere of familiar Late Antique and early medieval grammars, Virgilius’s setting was probably created to allow veiled comment on the future of Latin in changing intellectual circumstances. There is considerable manuscript and citation evidence that the name Virgilius Maro Grammaticus was not used in the medieval period, and the Epitomae and Epistolae are ascribed only to Virgilius Maro. The ambiguity this name created was strengthened by the presence of Aeneas and other classical-sounding authorities, and created much confusion amongst medieval readers and copyists trying to distinguish the grammarian from the poet.
(source: Brepols)
