Caroline Agnes Brady

Caroline Agnes Brady (October 3, 1905 – November 5, 1980) was an American expert in languages, known for her studies of Old English and Old Norse literature. She wrote a book called The Legends of Ermanaric in 1943, based on her Ph.D. research, and wrote three important articles about the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. Brady taught at several top universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard University.

Caroline Brady
Born	Caroline Agnes Brady October 3, 1905 Tientsin, China
Died	November 5, 1980(1980-11-05) (aged 75) Bellevue, Washington, US
Nationality	American
Occupation	Philologist
Years active	1933–1983
Notable work	The Legends of Ermanaric (1943); three articles on Beowulf (1952, 1979, 1983)
Signature

Life

Early Life and Education

Brady was born in Tientsin, China, but she was an American citizen. As a child, she moved around a lot, living in Los Angeles, California; British Columbia, Canada; and Austin, Texas. She studied at the University of California, where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees, finishing in 1935.

Career Highlights

After completing her Ph.D., Brady became an English instructor at the University of California’s College of Agriculture. From 1941 to 1946, she worked as an assistant professor at UC Berkeley. She then spent three years teaching at the University of Pennsylvania. At the end of 1949, she moved to teach at Central Oregon Community College, but she left a few months later because of health problems.

In 1952–53, Brady received a fellowship from the American Association of University Women, known as the Marion Talbot Fellowship. During this time, she published two articles. However, she did not publish any more academic work for 25 years. Her last two articles were released in 1979 and after her death in 1983.

Her Work

The Legends of Ermanaric: Brady argued that the Gothic king Ermanaric was part of two different traditions. This earned her praise for her careful and independent research. Critics noted her ability to challenge traditional ideas.

Studies on Beowulf: Brady’s three papers on Beowulf were considered important studies of the poem. According to scholar Katherine O'Brien O'Keeffe, Brady’s work explored the detailed meanings of the words used in Beowulf. Brady argued that the poet was a skilled artist who carefully chose words and phrases, not someone simply following formulas or clichés.

Brady’s work remains important for understanding Old English literature and Beowulf in particular.

Publications

Books

• Brady, Caroline (September 1935). The Legends of Ermanaric (Ph.D.). University of California Press, Berkeley.
• Brady, Caroline (1943). The Legends of Ermanaric. Berkeley: University of California. OCLC 878278262.

Articles

• Brady, Caroline (November 1933). "A Note on the Historical Prototype of Sigfried". Modern Philology. 31 (2). University of Chicago Press: 195–196. doi:10.1086/388087. JSTOR 433891. S2CID 162361312.
• Brady, Caroline (1937). The Eormanric of the Wīdsīð. University of California Publications in English. Vol. III. Berkeley: University of California Press.
• Brady, Caroline (April 1938). "Becca of the Banings". The Journal of English and Germanic Philology. XXXVII (2). University of Illinois Press: 169–188. JSTOR 27704379.
• Brady, Caroline (April 1939). "The Date and Metre of the Hamðismál". The Journal of English and Germanic Philology. XXXVIII (2). University of Illinois Press: 201–216. JSTOR 27704484.
• Brady, Caroline (October 1940). "Innweorud Earmanrices". Speculum. XV (4). University of Chicago Press: 454–459. doi:10.2307/2853463. JSTOR 2853463. S2CID 225090506.
• Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist & Brady, Caroline (November 1940). "Sundrmœðri–Sammœðra". Scandinavian Studies and Notes. XVI (4). Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study: 133–137. JSTOR 40908177.
• Brady, Caroline (December 1940). "Óðinn and the Norse Jǫrmunrekkr-Legend". Publications of the Modern Language Association. LV (4). Modern Language Association: 910–930. doi:10.2307/458885. JSTOR 458885. S2CID 163229366.
• Brady, Caroline (1952a). "The Synonyms for "Sea" in Beowulf" (PDF). Studies in Honor of Albert Morey Sturtevant. Lawrence, Kansas: University of Kansas Press. pp. 22–46.
• Brady, Caroline (June 1952b). "The Old English Nominal Compounds in -rád". Publications of the Modern Language Association. LXVII (4). Modern Language Association: 538–571. doi:10.2307/459826. JSTOR 459826.
• Brady, Caroline (1979). "'Weapons' in Beowulf: an analysis of the nominal compounds and an evaluation of the poet's use of them". Anglo-Saxon England. 8. Cambridge University Press: 79–141. doi:10.1017/S0263675100003045.
• Brady, Caroline (1983). "'Warriors' in Beowulf: an analysis of the nominal compounds and an evaluation of the poet's use of them". Anglo-Saxon England. 11. Cambridge University Press: 199–246. doi:10.1017/S0263675100002611.
• Brady, Caroline. "Kings Frotho I-V: A Study in Saxo's Historical Method". Unpublished.

Reviews

• Brady, Caroline (January–June 1941). "The Orkneyinga Saga by Alexander Burt Taylor". The Journal of American Folklore. 54 (211–212). American Folklore Society: 90–92. doi:10.2307/535815. JSTOR 535815.
• Brady, Caroline (April 1951). "Walter of Aquitaine: Materials for the Study of His Legend by F. P. Magoun, Jr. & H. M. Smyser". Speculum. XXVI (2). University of Chicago Press: 397–401. doi:10.2307/2852428. JSTOR 2852428.
• Brady, Caroline (November 1955). "The Digressions in Beowulf. by Adrien Bonjour". Modern Language Notes. LXX (7). Johns Hopkins University Press: 521–524. doi:10.2307/3039650. JSTOR 3039650.