The Old English version of Bede's
Historia ecclesiastica gentis anglorum(OEHE) is one of the earliest and most substantial surviving works of Old English prose [on the Latin text, see the entry “
Historia ecclesiastica gentis anglorum”; see also Bede]. Translated anonymously around the end of the ninth or beginning of the tenth century, the OEHE survives in five manuscripts and three excerpts dating from after 883-930 to
c.1062-95. The text, which is substantially shorter than Bede's original, was well known and actively used in medieval England.
We do not know exactly when, where or by whom the translation was made. Although the OEHE has long been associated with King Alfred the Great's programme to translate the books “most necessary for all men to know” into English [see the
1563 words
Citation: Rowley, Sharon. "The Old English Version of Bede’s Historia ecclesiastica gentis anglorum". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 April 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=26468, accessed 21 November 2024.]
