Aelfric
Aelfric (flourished c. 955βc. 1025, probably Eynsham, Oxfordshire, Eng.) was an Anglo-Saxon prose writer, considered the greatest of his time. He wrote both to instruct the monks and to spread the learning of the 10th-century monastic revival. His Catholic Homilies, written in 990β992, provided orthodox sermons, based on the Church Fathers. Known as Grammaticus due to his authorship of a Latin grammar, he also wrote Lives of the Saints, Heptateuch (a vernacular language version of the first seven books of the Bible), as well as letters and various treatises.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Aelfric
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
07 February 2024
Access Date:
November 14, 2026