Trees in the Religions of Early Medieval England

A solid contribution to early medieval scholarship, and a notably original one. * EARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE * One of its great strengths is that it takes in a great variety of data - archaeological, art historical, linguistic and literary....What makes this book distinctive is the focus on the possible religious roles of trees before and after the conversion to Christianity. * MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY * This beautifully illustrated volume offers a sound overview. * NOTTINGHAM MEDIEVAL STUDIES * Bintley demonstrates the malleability and indomitability of tree lore and, in doing so, provides a deeper, more rounded insight into the changing Anglo-Saxon cultures and systems of belief. * TIME & MIND * Bintley has produced an intriguing, well-rounded disquisition into a fascinating subject. * COMITATUS * Presents a sympathetic approach to the ways in which Christianity dealt with heathen tree worship by absorbing and reinterpreting its tree symbolism. . . . [M]akes a most valuable addition to the existing literature. * SPECULUM *

MICHAEL BINTLEY is Associate Professor in Medieval English Literature at the University of Southampton. He is author of Trees in the Religions of Early Medieval England (2015), and Settlements and Strongholds in Early Medieval England: Texts, Landscapes, and Material Culture (2020), and co-author of Landscapes and Environments of the Middle Ages (2023). MICHAEL BINTLEY is Associate Professor in Medieval English Literature at the University of Southampton. He is author of Trees in the Religions of Early Medieval England (2015), and Settlements and Strongholds in Early Medieval England: Texts, Landscapes, and Material Culture (2020), and co-author of Landscapes and Environments of the Middle Ages (2023).

Introduction - Michael D.J. Bintley Holy Trees and Inculturation in the Conversion Period - Michael D.J. Bintley Anglo-Saxon Holy Trees and their Northern European Counterparts - Michael D.J. Bintley Rewriting the Holy Rood in Anglo-Saxon Spiritual History - Michael D.J. Bintley The Human Forest: People and Trees in Early Medieval England and Scandinavia - Michael D.J. Bintley Conclusions - Michael D.J. Bintley Bibliography - Michael D.J. Bintley