The metrical intertextuality of the Old English Genesis A and B, and the Old Saxon Genesis

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370582
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: English linguistics
• Research Institution: Kansai Gaidai University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Seiichi 関西外国語大学, 外国語学部, 教授 (90148239)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 韻律 / 古英語 / 古サクソン語 / 古英詩創世記A / 古英詩創世記B / ベオウルフ / ヘリアント / 古サクソン創世記

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This project explored, primarily from a synchronic perspective, the meters of Old English Genesis A and B in their own right and in their integration into a common overarching system, through a comparison with Beowulf, Old Saxon Genesis, and the Heliand. In-depth examinations of a wide range of metrical properties led to a postulation of the prominence scale, OS Genesis/Heliand > Genesis B > Beowulf > Genesis A, whereby Genesis A is characterized as minimal in metrical prominence. At the same time, however, Genesis A and B demonstrably deviate from the four-position principle to a similar extent, the fundamental rule of composition. Furthermore, in regard to an array of metrical features, an earlier part of Genesis A exhibits greater similarities to Genesis B than the later one.

Free Research Field

英語学　韻律学