The Non-Christian as Culturally Distinct 'Other' in the Old English Judith and Elene.

The article focuses on how Old English Christian heroic poems redefine social belonging by constructing the non-Christian as a culturally distinct "other," with faith rather than ethnicity determining inclusion or exclusion. Topics include the fluidity of communal identity in Judith and Elene, the r...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parergon Vol. 42; no. 2; pp. 29 - 55
Main Author: Schilling, Cassandra
Format: Article
Published: Australian & New Zealand Association for Medieval & Early Modern Studies 2025
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The article focuses on how Old English Christian heroic poems redefine social belonging by constructing the non-Christian as a culturally distinct "other," with faith rather than ethnicity determining inclusion or exclusion. Topics include the fluidity of communal identity in Judith and Elene, the role of Christianisation and conversion in dismantling or enforcing otherness, and the application of Critical Race Theory to early medieval concepts of identity and belonging.