Analysis and translation of the Old English poem Instructions for Christians in the context of the Christian tradition

Abstract

An Old English poem, preserved in a copy of the 12th century, Instructions for Chris­tians, consisting of 265 lines, is considered through the prism of the explication of the theme of moral instructions in the Old English tradition. The poem, along with other Old English sermons and Christian poems, represents the suggestion of moral rules regarding early Chris­tian life, being a set of orders for believers. This article provides the author's translation of the contexts of the poem Instructions for Christians. The problem of studying the phenomenon of instructions and the representation of the indisputable position of faith in the ancient culture of the Anglo-Saxons is posed. The overall goal and objectives of the study determine the com­plex nature of the traditional methods used for philological analysis of texts and the semiotic approach to texts. The analysis of the Old English text showed the interweaving of plots of the Old and New Testaments, reflecting opposing views on poverty and wealth, sacrifices, acts of gift and exchange. Issues related to the deeds of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Apostle Paul are highlighted in the context of the analyzed material. The work provides a list of variant addresses to God which are used in the poem, which indicates a de­veloped Christian tradition in the Old English period, and also notes the direct name of the devil, which is usually absent in the texts of this period.

Keywords

• instructions for christians
• wealth
• poverty
• semiotic formula ‘faith
• hope
• love