The Wanderer (Anglo-Saxon Period)

The title directly introduces the reader to the topic of the literary work; the exile. The Wanderer is a dramatic monologue, in which gloomy feelings about exile are portrayed. When reading The Wanderer, the students face different problems in order to grasp the text such as the unfamiliarity with the AS culture, the historical background, and the language.

AS Culture: The concept of “Comitatus” is crucial when analyzing The Wanderer. In a few words, Comitatus were tiny kingdom, in which the AS social organization was based upon. Since AS did not have a sense of national identity, the Comitatus was everything they had. Thus, there was no life outside the Comitatus. If expelled, the chances of survival were minimal. The first part of The Wanderer manifests the anguish in which the persona is immersed, for he is in exile. He nostalgically remembers the good old days when he was part of the Comitatus and the chieftain was generous towards him.

Historical Background: The Anglo-Saxons were pagans. The Christian campaign in the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms began around 597 A.D. with the conversion of King Albert of Kent. There were irreconcilable differences between paganism and Christianity. However, Christians in their eagerness to convert the AS people allegedly altered the literary texts and adapted them to their beliefs. Past two of The Wanderer is believed to be the result of the syncretism as the attempt to reconcile the AS traditions with the Christian Values. Accordingly, part two can be seen as a homily, that shows the Christian values, while part one portrays the AS philosophy.

Language: Regarding language, it is important to be aware of the fact that we get one of the many versions of the text. The original text was transcribed probably several times. Moreover, it has also been translated over and over again. Thus, some of its original meaning has been lost due to transcriptions and translations. Consequently, the text can be divided in part one and part two for its analysis. The use of a dictionary is essential. Likewise, the student should handle the concept of caesure, alliteration, ubi sunt, and kenning since these were literary devices employed by AS.

By Cinthya Cervantes