Giving the Head's Up in Ælfric's Passio Sancti Eadmundis: Postural Representations of the Old English Saint

Postural descriptions are an important feature of decapitation scenes in Anglo-Saxon texts. 'Posture' is denoted through physical positioning, elevation and descent, and prepositional descriptions. It is also portrayed through a focus on anatomical order where the head is positioned above other bodily members. These descriptions are used in Old English to frame decapitation scenes and to portray saints and adversaries, working on typological and tropological levels.