Medieval English Attitudes to the Outside World

Abstract

Medieval English texts reflect a society that was more interested in, and connected with, the wider world than is often recognised. Using the case study of an almsgiving mission sent by Alfred the Great to ‘India’ in 883, this essay offers a glimpse into how English perceptions of the world shifted over time. It then surveys the approaches taken in this special issue to the topic of medieval English conceptions of a wide and complex world. These essays arise out of the Australian Research Council Discovery Projects ‘The First English Speakers in their own Words (DP230101057; CI: Erin Sebo) and ‘Contesting Conquests: Pre-Modern Attempts to Come to Terms with the Past’ (DE250100116; CI: Matthew Firth).