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Offers in the Old Saxon Hêliand

Illocutionary force, recipient agency and speech representation

ORCiD logo with link | Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Published online: 11 May 2026
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jhp.25013.con
Abstract
This study examines offers in the Hêliand, an Old Saxon gospel harmony, using a combined form-to-function and function-to-form approach. Offers are also classified according to speech representation mode and role configuration to assess how recipient agency and illocutionary force are shaped in discourse. A key finding is that offers appear both in Direct Speech (ds) and in Narrative Representation of Speech Acts (nrsa), showing how the poem exploits different representational strategies to frame this speech act. In ds, offers generally retain their performative force and remain negotiable, even without real-time interaction, though some hybrid cases reduce this immediacy. In nrsa, by contrast, negotiability is reduced, with some instances highlighting deliberate refusal whilst others present acceptance or rejection as fixed outcomes. Within the Hêliand itself, this attenuates their interactive quality, yet in comparison with the Diatessaron the same framing often sharpens volitional elements and foregrounds recipient responsibility more explicitly than its source. By representing religious devotion as an exchange requiring active acceptance, the Hêliand adapts not only the lexicon but also pragmatic framing, making offers an additional tool for aligning Christian teaching with Saxon cultural models of lordship-based exchange of service and reward.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical framework
    • 2.1The speech act of offering
    • 2.2Offers in historical contexts
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1The Old Saxon Poem Hêliand
    • 3.2Data collection and analysis
    • 3.3Limitations
  • 4.Analysis
    • 4.1Offers in ds
    • 4.2Offers in nrsa
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (61)
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