‘Ealra þæra goda þe þa hæðenan on ðam dagum for godas hæfdon’: A Comparative Analysis of Wulfstan’s De Falsis Deis and Ælfric’s De Falsis Diis

Abstract

Wulfstan’s De Falsis Deis is a reworking of Ælfric’s much longer homily De Falsis Diis. Even though both texts address the issue of pagan gods and their worship, their style and focus are very different. Ælfric’s longer homily deals with the worship of heathen gods in a much wider context, but Wulfstan focuses on the part dealing with the Scandinavian deities. While some of Wulfstan’s changes to Ælfric’s De Falsis Diis are clearly related to adapting the text to a different audience, the change of focus and emphasis indicate that his homily is much more closely related to current events than has previously been acknowledged. The present study provides a comparison of Wulfstan’s De Falsis Deis and Ælfric’s De Falsis Diis, and discusses how Wulfstan’s changes are related to the contemporary situation. Modern English translation of Wulfstan's De Falsis Deis is provided as an appendix.