Ancrene Wisse
E9146
Ancrene Wisse is an early 13th-century Middle English devotional and instructional guide written for female religious recluses (anchoresses), notable for its spiritual counsel and insight into medieval religious life.
Aliases (1)
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Middle English devotional work
→
guide for anchoresses → medieval prose text → religious rule → |
| addressesTopic |
chastity and purity
→
fasting and bodily discipline → obedience and humility → penance and confession → prayer and contemplation → relations with servants and visitors → rules for speech and silence → temptation and spiritual warfare → |
| alternativeName |
Ancrene Riwle
→
Rule for Anchoresses → |
| approximateDate |
c. 1200–1230
→
|
| author |
unknown
→
|
| authorshipStatus |
anonymous
→
|
| culturalContext |
female religious communities in medieval England
→
|
| dateWritten |
early 13th century
→
|
| genre |
devotional literature
→
didactic prose → spiritual guide → |
| historicalContext |
high Middle Ages in England
→
|
| influenceOn |
anchoritic and monastic rules in England
→
later Middle English devotional writings → |
| intendedAudience |
anchoresses
→
female religious recluses → |
| languageFamily |
West Midlands Middle English dialect
→
|
| literaryForm |
prose, not verse
→
|
| notableFor |
early example of Middle English prose
→
guidance on contemplative life for women → insight into medieval religious life → |
| originalLanguage |
Middle English
→
|
| placeOfOrigin |
England
→
|
| preservation |
survives in multiple medieval manuscripts
→
|
| primaryFunction |
regulation of daily life of anchoresses
→
|
| providesEvidenceFor |
use of Middle English in spiritual literature
→
vernacular religious instruction for women → |
| religiousOrderContext |
anchoritic life
→
|
| religiousTradition |
Christianity
→
|
| secondaryFunction |
spiritual encouragement and consolation
→
|
| structure |
prose treatise divided into parts
→
|
| subjectMatter |
ascetic practice
→
moral instruction → rules for anchoritic enclosure → spiritual counsel → |
| theologicalOrientation |
pastoral and practical spirituality
→
|
| titleInEnglish |
Ancrene Wisse
→
|
Referenced by (3)
| Subject (surface form when different) | Predicate |
|---|---|
|
Ancrene Wisse
("Ancrene Riwle")
→
|
alternativeName |
|
Middle English
→
|
hasNotableWork |
|
Ancrene Wisse
→
|
titleInEnglish |