Ancrene Wisse/Guide for Anchoresses: A Translation

Ancrene Wisse, the early thirteenth-century West Midlands guide for female recluses, is one of the major works of early Middle English prose. It is also a key document for our understanding of the development of medieval spirituality. The text reflects the democratization of religious experience which was one of the outcomes of the reform movements of the 'long twelfth century'.

Drawing on new kinds of pastoral literature designed to appeal to a more general audience, Ancrene Wisse is w…