The Old English Bede: English Ideology or Christian Instruction?*
Abstract
The Old English Bede (OEB), a vernacular version of Bede's Historia ecclesiastica (HE), was written sometime before c.900, possibly at King Alfred's behest. It adds little to Bede's text but makes substantial excisions and abbreviations, removing much historical narrative, many quoted documents and most references to theological controversy. It is often argued that Bede provided an ideological blueprint for the creation of a single English kingdom in the tenth century, but the parts of the HE upon which this interpretation depends are among those omitted from the OEB. This is significant, since there are indications that the OEB was more widely known that the HE in the tenth century. It seems that the translator was not concerned with promoting an English ideology. Rather, he appears to have aimed to produce a text focussed on the inculcation of virtue through examples. This interpretation of the OEB has significant implications for our understanding of the significance of ‘Englishness’ and of whether it was believed that the English were a ‘chosen people’ who enjoyed a ‘special relationship’ with God. In turn, this demands reconsideration of the factors underlying the emergence and endurance of the English kingdom.
- © The Author [2009]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
