The functions of the chronotope in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle poems
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-5-93-119
Abstract
The article argues that the Chronicle poems depict not only events, such as victories over enemies or coronations or deaths of rulers, but also their spatiotemporal coordinates, presented in inextricable interdependence. The Chronicle poems, as demonstrated in the article, integrate various methods of measuring time: absolute calendar time based on the birth of Christ (Anno Domini); sacral time linking events to Church feasts; relative time assessed by the reign of a monarch from his accession to the throne until his death; genealogical time rooted in the dynastic names of the ruler and his ancestors; and spatial time defined by the use of the chronotope. In the Battle of Brunanburh, the chronotope broadens the spatiotemporal perspective, evaluating the victory on a universal scale. In the Capture of the Five Boroughs, the chronotope legitimises the acquisition of new space and the return of ancestral lands, ensuring long-lasting glory for the subject of praise. In the poem about the Coronation of Edgar, the chronotope establishes a parallel between the coronation of an earthly monarch and the consecration of the head of the Church, thereby affirming the king’s dominion over a sacred space. The chronotope of the poem about the Death of Edgar acquires apocalyptic symbolism, establishing the spatiotemporal determinacy of natural cataclysms and disasters within the kingdom by the king’s death. In the poem on the Death of Alfred, the chronotope is imbued with allusive functions that contrast the past greatness of the nation with its treacherous present. The chronotope in the poem concerning the Death of Edward presents a contrast between the fleeting, temporary power over terrestrial space, which is handed down to a worthy successor (Harold Godwinson), and the promise of eternal salvation in the heavenly kingdom. The study of the chronotope in the poems of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, as conducted in the article, sheds light on the perception of time and space acquisition in medieval England.
About the Author
I. G. Matyushina
Russian State University for the Humanities
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Inna G. Matyushina, Dr. of Sci. (Philology)
bldg. 6, bld. 6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Review
For citations:
Matyushina I.G. The functions of the chronotope in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle poems. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2025;(5):93-119. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2025-5-93-119
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