About

This website was set up to share information and references about writing in Anglo-Norman (the dialect of French that was used in medieval England and other parts of the British Isles). Sometimes referred to as the ‘French of England’, there was a rich literary culture which used Anglo-Norman between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, and the language was also widely used in records during that time.

It is a place for connecting with other people interested in the study of medieval culture and history, and hopefully a useful resource for those interested in Anglo-Norman literature and language.

Many articles link to entries in Ruth Dean’s indispensable catalogue of Anglo-Norman literary texts and manuscripts, particularly providing references to new editions, translations or scholarship on the relevant text which had come out since the catalogue was published. Anyone is welcome to add further references in comments.

It is not however a comprehensive resource. It may be superseded in future by a more comprehensive catalogue of Anglo-Norman literature proposed in a recent article by Daron Burrows.

The site also contains occasional discussions on other aspects of Anglo-Norman literature and language. It may even occasionally contain articles on connected topics that are not Anglo-Norman (but which still relate to medieval literature and history). The website is open for guest posts if there are Anglo-Norman texts or topics about which you would like to share information.

Works cited:

Burrows, Daron, ‘Dean v. 2.0: Towards an online database of Anglo-Norman texts and manuscripts’, in Present and Future Research in Anglo-Norman: Aberystwyth Colloquium, July 2011 / La recherche actuelle et future sur l’anglo-normand: Colloque d’Aberystwyth, juillet 2011, ed. by David Trotter (Aberystwyth and Swansea: The Anglo-Norman Online Hub, 2012), pp. 195-8.

Dean, Ruth J., with Boulton, Maureen B. M., Anglo-Norman Literature: A Guide to Texts and Manuscripts, Anglo-Norman Text Society Occasional Publications Series 3 (London: Anglo-Norman Text Society, 1999).