Anonymous, Cleanness

Ad Putter (University of Bristol)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.01: English Writing and Culture: Old English, 500-1066.
Vol. editors: Richard William Dance (University of Cambridge), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1375

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)

Resources

This poem is extant in a single manuscript (British Library, Cotton Nero A.x.), where it follows Pearl (q.v.) and precedes Patience (q.v.) and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (q.v.). All four works are believed to have been written by the same poet. The first word of the poem, clannesse, gives the work its modern title, although the poem is also known as Purity. The alternative editorial titles pick out different aspects from the wide range of meanings united in the poet’s concept of cleanness, which encapsulates standards of hygiene (e.g. clean hands and clothes), sexual practices (homosexuality is unclean) as well as moral virtues (such as proper respect for sacred objects). As in Patience, the …

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504 words

Citation: Putter, Ad. "Cleanness". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 March 2001 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13214, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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