Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad
Encyclopedia
"Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meiðhad" is a 1929 essay by J. R. R. Tolkien
on the thirteenth century Middle English
treatise Ancrene Wisse
("The Anchoresses' Rule") and on the tract on virginity
Hali Meiðhad ("Holy Maidenhood"). The essay has been called "the most perfect of Tolkien's academic pieces".
In this essay Tolkien first promulgated the AB language
concept.
Tolkien and Ker later (in 1962) edited a volume of the text for the Early English Text Society
.
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
on the thirteenth century Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
treatise Ancrene Wisse
Ancrene Wisse
Ancrene Wisse or Guide for Anchoresses is an anonymous monastic rule for anchoresses, written in the early 13th century. Ancrene Wisse was originally composed for three sisters who chose to enter the contemplative life...
("The Anchoresses' Rule") and on the tract on virginity
Virginity
Virginity refers to the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. There are cultural and religious traditions which place special value and significance on this state, especially in the case of unmarried females, associated with notions of personal purity, honor and worth...
Hali Meiðhad ("Holy Maidenhood"). The essay has been called "the most perfect of Tolkien's academic pieces".
In this essay Tolkien first promulgated the AB language
AB language
In English philology, AB language refers to the early Middle English dialect of Ancrene Wisse and the Katherine Group . The 'A' and 'B' refer to extracts in Hall's Selections from Early Middle English, 1130-1250 where 'A' is from the Katherine Group texts in MS Bodley 34 and 'B' is from Ancrene...
concept.
Tolkien and Ker later (in 1962) edited a volume of the text for the Early English Text Society
Early English Text Society
The Early English Text Society is an organization to reprint early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes are in Middle English and Old English...
.