Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic

Subject Overview at Downing

Average places per year 1
Course duration 3 years
Standard offer A-Level: A*AA
IB 40-42, with 776 at Higher Level
Other qualifications: see entrance requirements
Course requirements No previous knowledge of the subject is expected or required; all languages are taught from scratch and we don’t assume that students have studied early medical history or language at school. However, we do require passion and commitment and look for evidence of your general ability in arts and humanities subjects.
Admission overview

Submitted Examples of Written Work: Produced during your studies

Admissions Assessment: No assessment required

Interview: 2 x 30 minute interviews

UCAS code QQ59
Campus code D

Why study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge?

The Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Tripos (ASNC) concerns the different peoples of the British Isles and Scandinavia, mainly from the fifth to the eleventh century during the early Middle Ages and their:

  • history
  • material culture
  • languages
  • literature

The course will appeal to anyone with a special interest in early languages, medieval literature or medieval history. It requires the eagerness to investigate the unknown and the determination to pursue matters into the darkest corners. Teaching is mostly provided in the form of lectures, classes and individual supervisions by the Department of ASNC, located on the Sidgwick Site. The range of options in the ASNC Tripos is not available in any course offered by any other university. This gives the course three advantages:

It is cross–cultural. ASNC students study the history, languages and literatures of various peoples active in different parts of northern Europe, separately and in relation to each other. The main areas in question are:

  • Anglo-Saxon England
  • The Celtic lands (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany)
  • Viking Scandinavia (with Iceland, Orkney, Shetland, etc.)

Secondly, it is interdisciplinary. The ASNC course provides the interested student with an opportunity to acquire expertise in:

  • early languages and literature
  • early medieval history
  • the skills involved in handling medieval manuscripts.

Thirdly, it is source-based. The course is founded on the premise that studies are best pursued through direct analysis of the original texts.

Within the wider scope of the Tripos, students are free to place the focus of their studies where they please. Most will select a combination of historical and literary options. It is also possible to select a range of historical courses, to select a range of literary and linguistic courses, or to concentrate on either the Celtic or the Germanic (Anglo–Saxon and Scandinavian) peoples.

Why study Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Downing College?

Only about thirty students per year across the whole University are admitted to study ASNC. This encourages strong ties between fellow students, creating a valuable network of contacts between undergraduates at different colleges. At College level, the academic welfare of students is overseen by their Director of Studies, whose responsibilities include interviewing applicants, offering advice on the selection of papers, suggesting which lectures and classes to attend and making arrangements for weekly supervisions. Downing is fortunate in this respect in having an internal Director of Studies who is also a Fellow of the College, Dr David Pratt, a specialist in Anglo–Saxon history. Dr Pratt is also Director of Studies in History for Downing. He has published two books, one on texts attributed to the Anglo-Saxon king, Alfred the Great (2007), and another which provides editions of the two earliest texts for the rite of royal anointing in Anglo-Saxon England (2023).

Who is Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Downing College Looking For?

Prospective applications to study the ASNC Tripos can be supported by a wide variety of sixth-form subject choices, including English Literature, History, German, French or Latin. There is no specific language requirement for admission, but some evidence of linguistic ability is generally desirable. In general, no specific study of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic material itself is expected or required, but prospective students are strongly encouraged to read as widely as they can before committing themselves to the subject. In advance of interviews, we ask to see some of the written work you have produced during the course of your studies and this will provide some of the basis for discussion. There is no need to bring material along to the interview. Anglo–Saxon, Norse and Celtic applicants receive two half–hour interviews on the same day, each with two interviewers. The interviews are an attempt to assess the nature, rather than limits, of your knowledge and interests. Both interviews are largely subject–based, although more general questions may also be asked.

Further advice about entry requirements and interviews for all subjects can be found in the Applying to Downing section of this site.

How can you find out more about Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic?

An Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic introductory reading list can be found here.

These titles are given as a guide to help applicants gain a better understanding of the subject matter. They are not intended as preparatory reading and interviewers will not expect candidates necessarily to have read any of these titles.

The Department of ASNC, University of Cambridge - YouTube

Online resources – International Society for the Study of Early Medieval England (isseme.org)

British Museum