To follow up on Otfried and Linda, there is also boundary water. There
seems to have been a sense in the early MA about the natural division of
peoples (gens), and water often formed the traditional boundary between
them. This image of tribal boundary water is commented on by Bede,
Historia Ecclesiastica, Book One, for example, in his story of the
martydom of St. Alban. Overcoming a traditional notion of tribal
boundary water seems to have been important in Bede's designation of the
Northumbrians as part of the Anglian gens, since the gens is divided by
the Humber. If your friend is interested, s/he may want to consult:
Mayr-Harting, Henry. The Coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England.
(1972) Pennsylvania UP, 1991. pp. 14-16.
Elton, Hugh. Frontiers of the Roman Empire. Indiana UP, 1996. pp. 1-9.
Gregory the Great. Moralia in Job. PL 143. 9, 36; 15, 16; and 20, 4.
Stephen
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