A Short History of the Middle Ages Fourth Edition

Plate 2.8: Franks Casket (1st half of 8th cent.). Made up of panels of carved whalebone, the Franks Casket
combines not only various literary traditions but also some artistic ones. The whole idea of having figural
scenes on a casket was classical, but the style here is Anglo-Saxon. Compare the style of cloaks and figures
on the left (the Weland scene) with Luke in Plate 2.5.

Just as the Anglo-Saxons held on to their artistic styles and their ancient legends,

so too did they retain their language. In England, the vernacular—the language of the

people, as opposed to Latin—was quickly turned into a written language and used in

every aspect of English life, from government to entertainment. But the same was

true in Ireland; the uniqueness of Anglo-Saxon culture should not be exaggerated.

The model for the Franks Casket probably came from a similar one carved earlier in

Francia or Italy, and certainly comparable cultural creativity and the fusion of diverse

elements were equally characteristic of early medieval Ireland and Scotland.