Turnea, 1250140. The Northmen's Beast: The Great Beast Motif and its Use in 11th-century England

Abstract

This thesis examines the use of the Great Beast motif, used widely in Scandinavian from the late 10th century onwards, in 11th-century England. Particularly, it investigates the use of this motif and its connection to Anglo-Scandinavian cultural identity. It considers three objects which display this motif as case studies. These objects were created during the 11th century, and two of them were likely made during the reign of Canute the Great, a Danish prince who ruled England for nearly 20 years. This thesis generates a criteria for the motif after a close study of the motif’s depictions in Scandinavia. Incorporating primary sources such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, monastic letters, archeological evidence as well as an analysis of academic literature, it demonstrates that rather than referring to a simple hybridity, Anglo-Scandinavian cultural identity was multifaceted and complex. This thesis argues that the use of the Great Beast motif on these selected objects reflect different aspects of this identity.