Ælfflæd of Whitby’s Letter to Adela of Pfalzel

Bibliographic Data

ID21871310
AuthorsPeter Darby (0000-0002-5664-7706, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume13
Issue1
Pages7-40
Publication date2023-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Mediaeval Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2033-5385 • E-ISSN: 2033-5393
PublisherBrepols Publishers NV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1484/j.tmj.5.153827
OpenAlexW7162459721
LanguageEN
References cited14

In early medieval Northumbria, the monastery of Whitby emerged as an important centre of religious, cultural, and political influence under the leadership of its abbesses. Whitby was a double monastery governed by women of high status, notably Hild and her successor Ælfflæd, both of whom were closely connected to the secular aristocracy. This article offers a comprehensive analysis of Ælfflæd’s Latin letter to the continental abbess Adela, one of the few texts authored by a woman to come down to us from early medieval England. Focussing on the letter’s linguistic features, biblical and patristic references, and formulaic structure, the study offers a comprehensive analysis of Ælfflæd’s compositional technique. The article situates her letter within the broader context of Whitby’s intellectual legacy and demonstrates the significance of female monastic leadership in shaping early medieval Christian networks and literary culture

Medieval Latin · Medieval Literature · Middle Ages · Politics · Successor cardinal · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · Historical, Literary, and Cultural Studies · Medieval Literature and History

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