Books and Volumes by Rolf H . Bremmer Jr
This volume presents the first detailed survey of the history of Frisian linguistics, ranging fro... more This volume presents the first detailed survey of the history of Frisian linguistics, ranging from Old Frisian to social linguistics, from early modern grammarians and philologists to modern dialectologists. All three major varieties of Frisian (West, East and North) have been covered. Thanks to the extensive bibliographies it is a must for all who are interested or even active in Frisian linguistics.
Fruits of Learning. The Transfer of Encyclopaedic Knowledge in the Early Middle Ages
Encyclopaedic knowledge – factual knowledge of the divine and human worlds – had profound effects... more Encyclopaedic knowledge – factual knowledge of the divine and human worlds – had profound effects on intellectual activities in the early Middle Ages and its aftermath. Authors and scribes were raised in an intellectual and didactic tradition in which the acquisition and development of encyclopaedic knowledge was highly valued. Their concern with the elementary aspects of time, language, world history, God’s creation and the Bible informed their activities as compilers of manuscripts or as producers of texts. They reaped the fruits of the learning that had grown over the centuries, digested them, or discarded them, or caused them to re-emerge after a long period of time and be used for purposes quite different from those for which they had originally been cultivated. The varieties of such fruit are as diverse as encyclopaedic learning itself, involving musicology, epistolography, liturgy, the study of grammar, codicology, the establishment of reading programmes, the writing of history and, perhaps most prominently, the compilation and promulgation of glosses and glossaries – one of the most essential disciplines in early medieval learning.
The present volume casts light on the way in which encyclopaedic knowledge came to fruition in the ever expanding and diversifying world of medieval learning. Resulting from the fourth workshop in the ‘Storehouses of Wholesome Learning’ project, it builds on the foundations laid by its predecessors. The contributors discuss the influence of encyclopaedic knowledge in their respective fields of expertise. Their generous responses have provided a rich palette of new insights into medieval intellectual culture. Their articles deepen our understanding of medieval learning in its ability to instrumentalise the knowledge inherited from the classical world in the creation of new cultures of wisdom.
An Introduction to Old Frisian. History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary (reprinted, with minor corrections, 2011)
"This is the first text book to offer a comprehensive approach to Old Frisian. Part One begins wi... more "This is the first text book to offer a comprehensive approach to Old Frisian. Part One begins with a succinct survey of the history of the Frisians during the Middle Ages, their society and literary culture. Next follow chapters on the phonology, morphology, word formation and syntax of Old Frisian. This part is concluded by a chapter on the Old Frisian dialects and one on problems regarding the periodization of Frisian and the close relationship between (Old) Frisian and (Old) English. Part Two consists of a reader with a representative selection of twenty-one texts with explanatory notes and a full glossary. A bibliography and a select index complete the book. Written by an experienced teacher and researcher in the field, An Introduction to Old Frisian is an essential resource for students and researchers of Frisian, Old English and other ‘Old’ Germanic languages and cultures, and for medievalists working in this area.
“Old Frisian has long been a well-kept secret in historical linguistics and philology -- despite the tremendous historical and cultural value of the texts, its status as the closest relative of English and important position within West Germanic, as well as the bright light Old Frisian evidence can shed on the broader history of the Germanic languages. We have long needed a solid, English-language introduction to the language from a leading specialist. This book provides all that in a most engaging way.”
Joseph C. Salmons, University of Wisconsin, Madison "
Current Trends in West Germanic Etymological Lexicography
Etymology is that branch of historical linguistics which studies the history and origin of words,... more Etymology is that branch of historical linguistics which studies the history and origin of words, usually presenting its results in dictionary shape. The enduring popular demand for etymological dictionaries has demonstrated the social relevance of this branch of linguistics. The present volume concerns the etymology of the Modern Germanic languages of Western Europe: Dutch, German, English and Frisian.
Current Trends reports on recently completed etymological dictionaries or on such projects in progress. The contributors communicate their experiences in tackling the problems they … read moreencountered both in their researches and in shaping their findings. As a result, the volume offers a blend of theoretical and practical approaches to etymological lexicography which makes stimulating reading for university courses in etymology, as many of the problems signalled for one language also apply to other ones. Simultaneously, the book offers the specialist the opportunity to keep abreast of the advances made over the past ten years.
"Hir is eskriven". Lezen en schrijven in de Friese landen rond 1300.
'In all, this is a very useful book, for those interested in Frisian matters but also for scholar... more 'In all, this is a very useful book, for those interested in Frisian matters but also for scholars of literacy, and really a microhistory of sorts that utilitizes the remaining books very well [...]. Invitingly written and usefully illustrated, Hir is eskriven is accessible to scholars as well as an informed lay audience. Bremmer has done a great job of bringing to life a highly developed culture that for a long time seemed to never had existed, and in doing so has reinforced the legitimacy not just of Frisian and Friesland but of other minority languages and subordinate provinces which these days are of such great interest to linguists and historians.' Michel Aaij in The Heroic Age 9 (okt. 2006).
'The work is well illustrated. Black-and-white photographs are entirely adequate, and most of the major texts can thus be shown. There has been recent work on some major aspects of Frisian culture [...], but full paleographic studies of the legal manuscripts remain a desideratum. The book contains a full bibliography and several useful appendices, including one of works named or cited in the Bloemhof Chronicle and another of thirteenth- or early-fourteenthcentury manuscripts from Friesland. Overall this is a most welcome study.' Brian Murdoch in Speculum (okt. 2006).
'Eine deutliche Anregung, ein allgemeines Interesse an der friesischen Schriftkultur zu erwecken, ist dem Autor mit dieser Studie bestimmt gelungen. Die deutliche Kapiteleinteilung, die schönen Illustrationen, die vier Appendices [...] regen zu weiterer Beschäftigung mit dem 'Altfriesischen' an.' Erika Langbroek in Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Gemanistik 62 (2006).
An edition with full codicological, literary, and linguistic introduction of a lengthy devotional... more An edition with full codicological, literary, and linguistic introduction of a lengthy devotional and pastoral Middle English text on the five senses, uniquely surviving in London, British Library, Harley 2398. The dialect points towards Micheldean, Dean of Forest, Gloucestershire, as do the names of two 16th-century owners. What should we see, hear, feel, taste and smell, and equally important, what not? How can we see and taste God? The author is remarkably tolerant towards Lollards and the way they try to live according to the Gospel, yet unlike the Lollards he is orthodox (transubstantialist) in his view of the Eucharist. Don't spice up your meals, don't turn away from your foul-smelling fellow-Christian. Moderation and mortification of the flesh will make you feel the fruit of love that touches where the Holy Gost teaches and inspires.The text is fully annotated and provided with a comprehensive glossary.
Rome and the North. The Early Reception of Gregory the Great in Germanic Europe
The present volume presents a survey of the reception of Gregory's works, as this emerges in the ... more The present volume presents a survey of the reception of Gregory's works, as this emerges in the international Latin culture of Europe, and in the early- and high-medieval vernaculars of Anglo-Saxon England, South and North Germany, the Low Countries, Frisia, and Scandinavia and Iceland. Special attention is paid to Gregory's Moralia in Job, the Homilies on Ezechiel and on the Gospels, the Pastoral Rule and the Dialogues. The essays, as a group, comprise an important and up-to-date survey of Gregory's profound influence on both the literary culture of the Germanic-speaking peoples and the pastoral practice of their clergy. Through the many innovating approaches of the contributors, the book offers a challenging starting point for further research. Rome and the North is thus of interest to all students and scholars of medieval literature, theology and history and especially to medievalists interested in the lasting legacy bequeathed by Gregory to the medieval Germanic-speaking world.
Practice in Learning. The Transfer of Encyclopaedic Knowledge in the Early Middle Ages
The articles in this second volume of ‘Storehouses of Wholesome Learning’ emanate from the second... more The articles in this second volume of ‘Storehouses of Wholesome Learning’ emanate from the second workshop in the project, this time held at Leiden in June 2005. They focus on illuminating the multifaceted practice of learning by laying bare the exchanges of scholarship between the British Isles and the continent. From the Development of the Foetus, found in Bremmer’s contribution, to the Fifteen Signs of Doomsday, the encyclopaedic knowledge that was disseminated all over Western Europe in written texts and, in all likelihood, through oral transmission, featured strongly in the practice of early medieval learning. The subject of that learning was nothing less than life itself, both in the physical and in the spiritual sense of the word.
Foundations of Learning: The Transfer of Encyclopaedic Knowledge in the Early Middle Ages
""Overall, this collection of essays represents an extremely valuable contribution, in terms of d... more ""Overall, this collection of essays represents an extremely valuable contribution, in terms of data as well as theoretical analysis, to the intellectual history of the Anglo-Saxons.
Encyclopaedic texts and miscellaneous manuscripts have not aroused great enthusiasm among literary critics or among those who study the most erudite Anglo-Saxon authors, but as this volume amply demonstrates, these unglamorous texts were widely disseminated, studied, and adapted in Anglo-Saxon England. They figured prominently among the texts that Anglo-Saxons with middling educations were likely to have known, and accordingly, they should be better represented in source studies of both Old English and Anglo-Latin literature."
Journal of English and Germanic Studies 109 (2010), 224-8"
Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (reprinted 2007)
Approaches to Old Frisian Philology
"This volume provides an admirable focus for Frisian studies, historical, legal, sociolinguistic ... more "This volume provides an admirable focus for Frisian studies, historical, legal, sociolinguistic and linguistic." Chris J. Wells, Notes & Queries N.S. 47 (2000)
Advances in Old Frisian Philology
Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian ... more Like its two predecessors, Aspects of Old Frisian Philology (1990) and Approaches to Old Frisian Philology (1998), Advances in Old Frisian Philology combines contributions by specialists of medieval Frisian studies with papers by international specialists from adjacent fields who have been invited for the occasion to bring their expertise to the discipline of Old Frisian. Together, the diverse approaches considerably advance our knowledge of and insight into various aspects of Old Frisian philology.
Directions for Old Frisian Philology
Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted... more Old Frisian is the youngest among the Old Germanic languages and has perhaps not always attracted the attention it deserves. The present volume testifies to the many challenges which the language, literature and culture of the medieval Frisians pose to the modern researcher. Reading the contributions of the twenty-plus authors, it becomes clear that approaches range from traditional to modern, from practical to theoretical, from syntax to etymology, from diachronic to synchronic, from orality to Latinity – in short, all of them aspects that can be subsumed under the term ‘philology’. Like its three predecessors, this special volume brings together veterans and newcomers, Frisians and scholars from all over the world, together reflecting the enthusiasm and learning they bring to the subject. Innovative, explorative, provocative – whatever qualification the reader wants to apply, what the authors above all show are directions for Old Frisian philology which future students in the field may take with profit.
"This series has a valuable function as an Old Frisian showcase, giving Germanic philologists of every sort an opportunity to keep up with this interesting field." Modern Language Review 111.1 (2016)
"Vielleicht hätte bei der Vielzahl der aufgegriffenen Themen ein Sachregister für den interessierten Leser die Orientierung in dem neuen gewichtigen Sammelband verbessern können, doch ist er in jedem Fall den Autoren und Herausgebern für die vielfältigen neuen Erkenntnisse zu großem Dank verpflichtet und darf vielleicht auch die Hoffnung auf eine glückliche Fortsetzung der Reihe in der Zukunft äußern." Gerhard Köbler (no date)<http://www.koeblergerhard.de>
"While the papers have their individual weaknesses and strengths, the overall content of “Directions for Old Frisian Philology” is quite good. The breadth of approaches detailed in its pages gives the impression not only of a field that is growing, but one in which the participants are passionate about their work. Many chapters contain their own appendix, allowing for a more detailed exploration of the analyses that have been presented, and a number of the studies establish not only how they fit into the context of Old Frisian studies but also how they connect with broader studies of Germanic philology. As such, this volume can also serve as an introduction to Frisian for those who study related languages and are looking to expand their research." LINGUIST List 26.3133 (2015)
Signs on the Edge. Space, Text and Margin in Medieval Manuscripts
Medieval cultures to the north and west of the Alps gained their initial understanding of visual ... more Medieval cultures to the north and west of the Alps gained their initial understanding of visual spatialization from the Ancient world, but developed their own ways of managing primary and secondary space on any surface where text and/or art interact. The eleven essays of this volume span the period from early insular manuscripts through to later medieval books or artefacts, and examine specific strategies in scribal layout or prescribed authorial design. These vary in their sophistication from the naïve and inadvertent to the self-conscious and at times parodic intentional, allowing us a fascinating insight into the many different ways in which main and marginal space on the page could be employed by medieval imaginations.
Manuscripts in the Low Countries (Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile, vol. 13)
Presents a new, detailed analysis of the make-up and contents all the manuscripts in the Netherla... more Presents a new, detailed analysis of the make-up and contents all the manuscripts in the Netherlands and Belgium containing Old English text.
Franciscus Junius F. F. and His Circle
The present volume contains contributions on many aspects of Junius's life, his work as an art th... more The present volume contains contributions on many aspects of Junius's life, his work as an art theorist, as a Neo-Latin author, his studies of Philip Sydney and Edmund Spencer, and of his Germanic philology. A check-list of his correspondence completes the volume. Contributors include C.S.M. Rademaker, Philipp Fehl, Colette Nativel, Judith Dundas, Chris H. Heesakkers, Ph.H. Breuker, Peter J. Lucas, E.G. Stanley, Rolf H. Bremmer Jr., and Sophie van Romburgh.
Pieter Jacob Cosijn, Notes on Beowulf
The book was originally published in Dutch in 1890 and is now introduced, translated and fully so... more The book was originally published in Dutch in 1890 and is now introduced, translated and fully sourced with a biography of Cosijn, based on his extensive correspondence with the foremost scholars in the field.
"This is a solid and interesting little book that fully achieves its modest aim of making available in English and placing in context 'the only extensive contribution in Dutch to Beowulf scholarship of lasting significance'". Howell Chickering, Speculum 68 (1993).
Saints' Lives and Homilies (Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile, vol. 21)
Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts in Microfiche Facsimile, vol. 21, Dec 1, 2012
This volume contains detailed descriptions of form and contents of fourteen manuscripts with Old ... more This volume contains detailed descriptions of form and contents of fourteen manuscripts with Old English saints' lives and homilies from sundry places (Copenhagen, Cambridge, Lincoln, London and Oxford). The volume is completed with microfiche facsimiles of each of the manuscripts discussed.
Articles, and Book Chapters by Rolf H . Bremmer Jr
Emotional Alterity in the Medieval North Sea World, 2023
This chapter explores the semantic field of four basic emotions—joy, sadness, fear and anger— an... more This chapter explores the semantic field of four basic emotions—joy, sadness, fear and anger— and the role these emotions play in as far as they occur in medieval Frisian lawbooks and narrative texts.
Tracing Paradigms: One Hundred Years of Neophilologus, 2016
No essay has exercised a greater impact on Beowulf studies in the twentieth century and indeed, u... more No essay has exercised a greater impact on Beowulf studies in the twentieth century and indeed, until the present day, than has J. R. R. Tolkien's "Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics". Originally a lecture delivered in 1936, the essay has been reprinted numerous times both separately and in various anthologies of essays on Anglo-Saxon literature. Critical voices were few in the 1950s, but van Meurs (1955) was one of them. In this contribution his remarkable article, still relevant, is placed in the context of its time and critically evaluated.
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Books and Volumes by Rolf H . Bremmer Jr
The present volume casts light on the way in which encyclopaedic knowledge came to fruition in the ever expanding and diversifying world of medieval learning. Resulting from the fourth workshop in the ‘Storehouses of Wholesome Learning’ project, it builds on the foundations laid by its predecessors. The contributors discuss the influence of encyclopaedic knowledge in their respective fields of expertise. Their generous responses have provided a rich palette of new insights into medieval intellectual culture. Their articles deepen our understanding of medieval learning in its ability to instrumentalise the knowledge inherited from the classical world in the creation of new cultures of wisdom.
“Old Frisian has long been a well-kept secret in historical linguistics and philology -- despite the tremendous historical and cultural value of the texts, its status as the closest relative of English and important position within West Germanic, as well as the bright light Old Frisian evidence can shed on the broader history of the Germanic languages. We have long needed a solid, English-language introduction to the language from a leading specialist. This book provides all that in a most engaging way.”
Joseph C. Salmons, University of Wisconsin, Madison "
Current Trends reports on recently completed etymological dictionaries or on such projects in progress. The contributors communicate their experiences in tackling the problems they … read moreencountered both in their researches and in shaping their findings. As a result, the volume offers a blend of theoretical and practical approaches to etymological lexicography which makes stimulating reading for university courses in etymology, as many of the problems signalled for one language also apply to other ones. Simultaneously, the book offers the specialist the opportunity to keep abreast of the advances made over the past ten years.
'The work is well illustrated. Black-and-white photographs are entirely adequate, and most of the major texts can thus be shown. There has been recent work on some major aspects of Frisian culture [...], but full paleographic studies of the legal manuscripts remain a desideratum. The book contains a full bibliography and several useful appendices, including one of works named or cited in the Bloemhof Chronicle and another of thirteenth- or early-fourteenthcentury manuscripts from Friesland. Overall this is a most welcome study.' Brian Murdoch in Speculum (okt. 2006).
'Eine deutliche Anregung, ein allgemeines Interesse an der friesischen Schriftkultur zu erwecken, ist dem Autor mit dieser Studie bestimmt gelungen. Die deutliche Kapiteleinteilung, die schönen Illustrationen, die vier Appendices [...] regen zu weiterer Beschäftigung mit dem 'Altfriesischen' an.' Erika Langbroek in Amsterdamer Beiträge zur älteren Gemanistik 62 (2006).
Encyclopaedic texts and miscellaneous manuscripts have not aroused great enthusiasm among literary critics or among those who study the most erudite Anglo-Saxon authors, but as this volume amply demonstrates, these unglamorous texts were widely disseminated, studied, and adapted in Anglo-Saxon England. They figured prominently among the texts that Anglo-Saxons with middling educations were likely to have known, and accordingly, they should be better represented in source studies of both Old English and Anglo-Latin literature."
Journal of English and Germanic Studies 109 (2010), 224-8"
"This series has a valuable function as an Old Frisian showcase, giving Germanic philologists of every sort an opportunity to keep up with this interesting field." Modern Language Review 111.1 (2016)
"Vielleicht hätte bei der Vielzahl der aufgegriffenen Themen ein Sachregister für den interessierten Leser die Orientierung in dem neuen gewichtigen Sammelband verbessern können, doch ist er in jedem Fall den Autoren und Herausgebern für die vielfältigen neuen Erkenntnisse zu großem Dank verpflichtet und darf vielleicht auch die Hoffnung auf eine glückliche Fortsetzung der Reihe in der Zukunft äußern." Gerhard Köbler (no date)<http://www.koeblergerhard.de>
"While the papers have their individual weaknesses and strengths, the overall content of “Directions for Old Frisian Philology” is quite good. The breadth of approaches detailed in its pages gives the impression not only of a field that is growing, but one in which the participants are passionate about their work. Many chapters contain their own appendix, allowing for a more detailed exploration of the analyses that have been presented, and a number of the studies establish not only how they fit into the context of Old Frisian studies but also how they connect with broader studies of Germanic philology. As such, this volume can also serve as an introduction to Frisian for those who study related languages and are looking to expand their research." LINGUIST List 26.3133 (2015)
"This is a solid and interesting little book that fully achieves its modest aim of making available in English and placing in context 'the only extensive contribution in Dutch to Beowulf scholarship of lasting significance'". Howell Chickering, Speculum 68 (1993).
Articles, and Book Chapters by Rolf H . Bremmer Jr