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Abstract:

The article deals with the principles of creating the Anglo-Saxon Christian epic and is based on the Old English poem Exodus. Consecutive analysis of the history of reception and interpretation of the biblical text allows to reproduce the tradition of commenting and studying the text of the Scripture, known to the Anglo-Saxons. The poetics of Christian epic is viewed on the main components of the epic text (beginning of the text, epic variation, retardation, description of the battle, composition of the text as a whole). These constituent parts of the text are analysed from the point of view of their semantics and the associations with the tradition of the interpretation of the biblical plots. Preserving the multiple senses inherent to the epic text, the Christian epic gains additional senses, connected with the tradition of allegorical interpretation of the Bible. The orientation of the basic stylistic devices to allegoreza i. e. urging the reader to use the main types of allegorical interpretation (typological, anagogic, allegorical) is significant for the text. Most of the analysed passages would remain unclear without it. The stylistic devices have enlarged their functions: the beginning of the text attracted the attention to understanding the Old Testament in the context of the New one, epic variation served not only the repetitive nomination of the object but also to show their allegorical meanings, digression allowed to include typological parallels.