Welcome to these on-line editions of Ælfric's homilies on the Old Testament books of Judith, Esther, and the Maccabees. This web site replicates a printed scholarly edition, but is entirely electronic. Here you will find completely new editions of the texts, new research on their contexts, sources, analogues, and a word-list to help in translating. To navigate this site use the menu bar on the left to look at any section. When you wish to look at a particular edition you will need to make sure that your browser is linked to an Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have one of these you can simply download one for free from the Adobe site (get 3.x or higher). You should also get a copy of Peter Baker's Old English Fonts Package which is also free! Tip: You should configure your browser to automatically open your Acrobat Reader, or have it open before you start using the site.
To define the homilies one could use the keywords: sieges, battles, beheadings, murder, seduction, torture, genocide, and a few elephants. I do hope you enjoy these often overlooked gems of Old English Prose.
Yours,
Stuart Lee (the Editor)