allmenkunnig

Allmenkunnig is a concept that emerged in the early days of Old English literature, roughly from the 5th to the 12th centuries. It refers to the ideal of possessing comprehensive knowledge or a profound understanding of all things. This was not necessarily a literal claim to omniscience, but rather a cultural aspiration and a characteristic attributed to figures of great wisdom, such as God, wise rulers, or legendary heroes.

The term itself, allmenkunnig, is derived from Old English words: "all" meaning all, "man" meaning man or human, and "cunnung" meaning knowledge or skill. Therefore, it literally translates to "all-knowing" or "all-knowledgeable." In literary contexts, it often signified a character's ability to foresee events, understand complex situations, or possess divine insight. It was a quality that set exceptional individuals apart, imbuing them with authority and a certain mystique.

While the concept was present, direct textual evidence of the word "allmenkunnig" is relatively scarce, but the underlying idea is evident in the descriptions of characters and divine attributes within the surviving Old English corpus. The aspiration towards such broad understanding reflects a worldview where wisdom was highly valued and seen as a key component of leadership and spiritual attainment. The concept's significance lies in its representation of an idealized form of intelligence and awareness within the Anglo-Saxon cultural imagination.