Popular Religion in Late Saxon England: Elf Charms in Context

by Karen Louise Jolly

Book Overview

In tenth- and eleventh-century England, Anglo-Saxon Christians retained an old folk belief in elves as extremely dangerous creatures capable of harming unwary humans. To ward off the afflictions caused by these invisible beings, Christian priests modified traditional elf charms by adding liturgical chants to herbal remedies. In Popular Religion in Late Saxon England, Karen Jolly traces this cultural intermingling of Christian liturgy and indigenous...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807845655
• ISBN13: 9780807845653
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: University of North Carolina Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.1"