Doorways as Liminal Structures in Anglo-Saxon Text and Image

The presentation of movement through the static medium of art creates a difficulty for the Anglo-Saxon artist; how are transitions between spaces or realms represented in a clear manner? One way this is achieved is by depicting doorways within a scene, these architectural representations provide an expedient way of inserting dynamism within a composition, but also within the narrative. This paper will argue that representing movement, achieved through representations of doorways, reflects a wider concern with different types of spaces. Archaeological evidence suggests that gateways to towns were erected to act as a marker of transition between extra- and intermural experiences. This apparent desire to mark transitions, which appears in the archaeological record, is reflected in both the art historical and hagiographical examples. By taking late Anglo-Saxon examples of architectural representations, such as from Genesis A and B, and the Winchester Liber vitae, it is possible to demonstrate how doorways were represented to provide a dynamic component to the composition, and simultaneously acted as an expedient to further along the narrative.