Hoarded Gold: A Book of Old English Wisdom

• Anglo-Saxon literature is full of reflections on wisdom. Both poetry and prose abound in maxims, proverbs and expressions of wise advice and counsel, rich in subtle observation of human behaviour. The group of poems traditionally identified as wisdom poetry includes some of the most fascinating and mysterious Old English texts, and they form part of a wider interest in the question of wisdom which can be traced throughout Anglo-Saxon culture. This literature celebrates the knowledge that comes from learning and the study of books, but also gives weight to the wisdom gained through experience, inherited lore, and the act of paying careful attention to life in the world. It includes everything from wry sayings about money and mead-drinking to guidance on psychological and emotional growth, as well as profound meditations on how human beings can acquire and use wisdom. 

• This anthology brings together new translations of the wisdom poems with writings on related themes from across the Anglo-Saxon corpus, offering a fresh and accessible introduction to one of the most important strands of thought in early medieval English literature.

Wisdom literature, Proverbs, Anglo-Saxon, Old English, Medieval

• Eleanor Parker is an academic, writer and speaker specialising in the literature and history of early medieval England. She has a doctorate from the University of Oxford, and teaches Old and Middle English literature at Brasenose College, Oxford. Her books include Dragon Lords: The History and Legends of Viking England (2018), Conquered: The Last Children of Anglo-Saxon England (2022), and Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year (2022), and she is the co-editor, with Heather O'Donoghue, of The Cambridge History of Old Norse-Icelandic Literature (2024). She has also published translations of Old and Middle English poetry. She is a regular columnist and reviewer for History Today, and writes and lectures widely about medieval topics for a general audience.