This dissertation examines representations of masculine gender in the terminology and content of early medieval English texts. This study of masculinity also investigates sex and gender relations, as well as the ideologies that support them in androcentric texts which seemingly have little relevance for gender studies. This project involves two methods of analysis: (1) a semantic field study of OE and ME terminology suspected to have senses relating to gender and sexuality and (2) literary analysis of OE and ME texts from the perspective of contemporary theories of gender to facilitate a gender-based, reanalysis of such texts. In this dissertation I accomplish five main objectives that I outlined at the outset of this project: (1) I provide...