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SATO Kiriko Faculty of Foreign Languages Department of English Language Professor

■ Title
Aelfric's Use of Epithets as Hagiographic Diction in the Life of St Laurence

■ Outline
Aelfric exploits various epithets in his hagiographic works, thereby producing a striking
antithesis between the saint and persecutor. The use of epithets prevails especially in
his later prose, and they often fulfil an alliterative function. However, he also displays
this technique in his early hagiography, which was written in ordinary prose without
alliterative requirements. This article examines Aelfric's use of epithets in the Life of
St Laurence from his first collection, the First Series of Catholic Homilies, focusing on
how this life differs from its source in the use of epithets. The epithets in Aelfric's text
often correspond to nouns of neutral meaning or pronouns in his Latin source; they may
even have no comparable words or phrases in the source. Closer investigation reveals
that he improves the source, enhancing the antithesis between the opposing characters.
In conclusion, Aelfric had already adopted effective epithets as a stylistic technique to
compose hagiography during his early stages as a hagiographer.

https://ims.leeds.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2023/11/LMS3_2023.pdf
Single Leeds Medieval Studies University of Leeds 3,pp.1 2023