Historiography and literary patronage in late Anglo-Saxon England: the evidence of Æthelweard's Chronicon

Abstract

On numerous occasions Ælfric of Cerne, and of Eynsham, refers to the long-standing patrons of his career and oeuvre, Ealdorman Æthelweard and his son Æthelmær. Ælfric is, however, our sole witness to this patronage. As a result, we get only his view of their relationship, and there are blind spots which, in our enthusiasm for the unusual wealth of personal information from an Anglo-Saxon author, we tend to ignore. In this article I examine Ealdorman Æthelweard's Chronicon for what it might reveal about its author, and his background; and I suggest that it brings into clearer focus his own role in an unparalleled case of literary patronage in Anglo-Saxon England.