Felix Croylandensis Mon.

This paper deals with the Vita S. Guthlaci (VSG), the only work attributed to the elusive Felix. The VSG is a detailed account of the life of Guthlac (c. 674-714), one of the most celebrated saints of early medieval England. Firstly, the essay offers an up-to-date discussion of the evidence concerning Felix’s life and context, with a special focus on the wide range of sources and their subtle integration and layering displayed in the VSG, which show him to be a well-read, sophisticated author with access to a well-stocked library. There follows a thorough presentation of the manuscript tradition of the VSG, with a renewed assessment of the relationship of the codices. Thirdly, existing editions are surveyed, with a critical discussion of the current one by B. Colgrave and a call for a new critical edition. Finally, the essay concludes with a comprehensive survey of the vast indirect tradition of the VSG in Latin, Old and Middle English.