Ancrene Wisse

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Ancrene Wisse (also Ancrene Riwle) or Guide for Anchoresses is an anonymous monastic rule (or manual) for anchoresses, written in the early 13th century. Ancrene Wisse was originally composed for three sisters who chose to enter the contemplative life. The work consists of eight parts: Parts 1 and 8 deal with what is called the "Outer Rule" (relating to the anchoresses' exterior life), Parts 2-7 with the "Inner Rule" (relating to the anchoresses' interior life). The didactic and devotional material is supplemented by illustrations and anecdotes, many drawn from everyday life.[1]

Contents

Language and textual criticism [edit]

The version of Ancrene Wisse contained in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 402 was written in an early Middle English dialect known as 'AB language' where 'A' denotes the manuscript Corpus Christi 402, and 'B' the manuscript Oxford, Bodleian Library MS Bodley 34. Manuscript Bodley 34 contains a set of texts that have become known as the "Katherine Group": Seinte Katerine, Seinte Margarete, Seinte Iuliene, Hali Meiðhad and Sawles Warde.[2] Both manuscripts were written in the AB language, described by J.R.R. Tolkien as "a faithful transcript of some dialect...or a 'standard' language based on one' in use in the West Midlands in the 13th century." [3] The word Ancrene itself still exhibits a plural genitive inflection descended from the old Germanic weak noun declension; this was practically unknown by the time of Chaucer.

Surviving manuscripts [edit]

There are seventeen surviving medieval manuscripts containing all or part of Ancrene Wisse. Of these, nine are in the original Middle English, four are translations into Anglo-Norman French, and a further four are translations into Latin. The shortest extract is the Lanhydrock Fragment, which consists of only one sheet of parchment.[4] The extant manuscripts are listed below.

Version[4][5] Approx. date Location Manuscript
C - Cleopatra 1225–1230 British Library Cotton MS Cleopatra C.vi
B - Nero 1225–1250 British Library Cotton MS Nero A.xiv
C - Titus 1225–1250 British Library Cotton MS Titus D.xviii
A - Corpus 1225–1240 Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 402
Lanhydrock Fragment 1300-1250 Bodleian Library, Oxford MS Eng. th.c.70
P - Pepys 1375–1400 Magdalene College, Cambridge MS Pepys 2498
V - Vernon 1375–1400 Bodleian Library, Oxford MS Eng. Poet.a.1
G - Caius 1350–1400 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge MS 234/120
R – Royal 15th century British Library MS Royal 8 C.i
V - Vitellius (French) early 14th century British Library Cotton MS Vitellius F.vii
S – Trinity (French) late 13th-early 14th century Trinity College, Cambridge MS 883 (R.14.7)
L- Latin 1300–1350 Merton College, Oxford MS c.i.5 (Coxe 44)

Although none of the manuscripts is believed to be produced by the original author, several date from the first half of the 13th century. The first complete edition edited by Morton in 1853 was based on the British Library manuscript Cotton Nero A.xiv.[6] Recent editors have favoured Corpus Christi College, Cambridge MS 402 of which Bella Millett has written: "Its linguistic consistency and general high textual quality have made it increasingly the preferred base manuscript for editions, translations, and studies of Ancrene Wisse."[7] It was used as the base manuscript in the critical edition published as two volumes in 2005-2006.[8] The Corpus manuscript is the only one to include the title Ancrene Wisse.[2]

The Ancrene Wisse was partly retranslated from French back into English and reincorporated in the late 15th-century Treatise of Love.[9]

The community [edit]

The community joined by the three sisters was thought to be Kilburn Priory, near the medieval City of London. Efforts to identify the author as the Godwyn who led the house until 1130 are inconclusive.[10]

Notes [edit]

  1. ^ Daiches & 1979 48
  2. ^ a b Millett 1996, p. 5
  3. ^ Tolkien 1929
  4. ^ a b Hasenfratz 2000 Introduction
  5. ^ Wada 2003, p. 10
  6. ^ Morton 1853
  7. ^ Millett 1996, p. 49
  8. ^ Millett 2005-2006
  9. ^ Allen, Emily Hope (1940), "Wynkyn de Worde and a second French compilation from the Ancrene Riwle with a description of the first (Trinity Coll. Camb. MS.883)", in Long, P.W., Essays and Studies in Honor of Carleton Brown, New York: New York University Press, pp. 182–219 .
  10. ^ Allen 1929, pp. 635–40

References [edit]

Editions [edit]

  • Baugh, A.C., ed. (1956), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from British Museum MS Royal 8 C.i, Early English Text Society 232, Oxford University Press .
  • Day, Mabel, ed. (1952), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Cotton MS Nero A.xiv, on the Basis of a Transcript by J. A. Herbert, Early English Text Society 225, Oxford University Press .
  • D'Evelyn, Charlotte, ed. (1944), The Latin Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Merton College MS 44 and British Museum MS Cotton Vitellius E.vii, Early English Text Society 216, Oxford University Press .
  • Dobson, E.J., ed. (1972), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from British Museum Cotton MS. Cleopatra C.vi., Early English Text Society 267, Oxford University Press .
  • Hasenfratz, Robert J., ed. (2000), Ancrene Wisse, Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, ISBN 978-1-58044-070-7 . Full text available online.
  • Herbert, J.A., ed. (1944), The French Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from MS. Cotton Vitellius F.vii., Early English Text Society 219, Oxford University Press .
  • Mack, F. M., ed. (1963), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Cotton MS. Titus D.xviii. and Bodleian MS. Eng. th.c.70, Early English Text Society 232, Oxford University Press .
  • Millett, Bella, ed. (2005-2006), Ancrene Wisse : a corrected edition of the text in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 402, with variants from other manuscripts. 2 vols., Early English Text Society 325 & 326, Oxford University Press . Volume 1: ISBN 0-19-722328-1, Volume 2: ISBN 0-19-920576-0.
  • Morton, James, ed. (1853), The Ancren Riwle; a Treatise on the Rules and Duties of Monastic Life, Edited and Translated from a Semi-Saxon MS. of the Thirteenth Century, London: Camden Society .
  • Tolkien, J.R.R., ed. (1962), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Ancrene Wisse: Edited from MS. Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 402, Early English Text Society 249, Intro. by Ker, N.R., Oxford University Press . (Reprinted in 2000 ISBN 0-19-722249-8).
  • Trethewey, W.H., ed. (1958), The French Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Trinity College, Cambridge MS R.147, Early English Text Society 240, Oxford University Press .
  • Wilson, R.M., ed. (1954), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Gonville and Caius College MS. 234/120, Early English Text Society 229, Intro. by N.R. Ker, Oxford University Press .
  • Zettersten, Arne, ed. (1976), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Edited from Magdalene College, Cambridge MS. Pepys 2498, Early English Text Society 274, Oxford University Press .
  • Zettersten, Arne; Diensberg, Bernard, eds. (2000), The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle, The 'Vernon' text: MS. Bodleian Library Eng. Poet. a.1, Early English Text Society 310, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-722314-1 .

Further reading [edit]

External links [edit]

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