accepted as mere artistic preference. The inclusions and omissions should be author’s understood as the conscious choices of a master, with effects carefully calculated for his audience. I contend that decisions about the structure of the narrative on Edwin Bede’s were intended to draw the to a particular episode in the life: his reader’s attention king’s period in exile. By presenting this part of story as an analepsis, Bede was able to Edwin’s position an influential, previous event at the centre of his narrative. Bede did this because of, rather than despite, the resulting breach in chronological order. Furthermore, the interruptions occasioned by the papal letters of Popes Boniface and Honorius were similarly designed to position exile story in the centre of account, forming Edwin’s Bede’s an envelope structure which frames and contextualizes the analeptic climax of Edwin’s exile. The effect of this envelope is reinforced by a second thematic envelope formed by presentation of warrior- and Christian-kingship in the narrative present. Bede’s Edwin’s These literary constructs and use of exile story as a focal point for his Bede’s Edwin’s narrative will be defined and examined in turn below, as will the typological and figural connections to the Bible work invites within the text. Bede’s 2.2: Exile as Analeptic Climax Edwin’s I begin this discussion with an examination of the climactic analepsis of Bede’s frame narrative: exile experience at the court of King Rædwald. First I should Edwin’s clarify the literary terminology I adopt here. is a narratological term for a ‘Analepsis’ passage which functions as a flashback within a story, wherein a forward-moving narrative is broken up by one or more accounts of earlier events. A is a story ‘frame narrative’ which holds another story within it, in our case the analepsis. Historically, exile Edwin’s followed invasion of Deira, either or However, Bede begins c.590-2 c.604. Æthelfrith’s his story in a narrative present concurrent with post-exile rule (reigned 616-633) Edwin’s
accepted as mere artistic preference. The author’s inclusions and omissions should be understood as the conscious choices of a master, with effects carefully calculated for his audience. I contend that Bede’s decisions about the structure of the narrative on Edwin were intended to draw the reader’s attention to a particular episode in the king’s life: his period in exile. By presenting this part of Edwin’s story as an analepsis, Bede was able to position an influential, previous event at the centre of his narrative. Bede did this because of, rather than despite, the resulting breach in chronological order. Furthermore, the interruptions occasioned by the papal letters of Popes Boniface and Honorius were similarly designed to position Edwin’s exile story in the centre of Bede’s account, forming an envelope structure which frames and contextualizes the analeptic climax of Edwin’s exile. The effect of this envelope is reinforced by a second thematic envelope formed by Bede’s presentation of Edwin’s warrior- and Christian-kingship in the narrative present. These literary constructs and Bede’s use of Edwin’s exile story as a focal point for his narrative will be defined and examined in turn below, as will the typological and figural connections to the Bible Bede’s work invites within the text. 2.2: Edwin’s Exile as Analeptic Climax I begin this discussion with an examination of the climactic analepsis of Bede’s frame narrative: Edwin’s exile experience at the court of King Rædwald. First I should clarify the literary terminology I adopt here. ‘Analepsis’ is a narratological term for a passage which functions as a flashback within a story, wherein a forward-moving narrative is broken up by one or more accounts of earlier events. A ‘frame narrative’ is a story which holds another story within it, in our case the analepsis. Historically, Edwin’s exile followed Æthelfrith’s invasion of Deira, either c.590-2 or c.604. However, Bede begins his story in a narrative present concurrent with Edwin’s post-exile rule (reigned 616-633)
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