<i>On Brytene</i>: Late Old English Poetry and Nation

Abstract English kings from the late ninth century onwards were sometimes presented as kings of Britain. While this is widely attested, less studied is how the English positioned themselves in relation to Britain – or rather, how English they considered Britain to be. A number of late Old English poems engage deeply with the problem of Britain, but have so far escaped attention in this broader context. In multiple cases, late Old English poems elide non-English peoples and present English dominion as normative and unmarked throughout Britain. This is particularly prominent in the Old English poetic Menologium , which is studied here in detail. The treatment of Britain in late Old English poetry also leads to a reinterpretation of one of the most well-known Old English historical poems, The Battle of Brunanburh. The battle becomes a defence of a particularly English version of Britain, with the invading enemies being successfully driven out.