Image credit: London, British Library, Vitellius A. XV, fol. 132r.
The ancestor of Middle and Modern English, Old English was the dominant spoken language of early medieval England and it continued to be spoken widely well beyond the Norman Conquest of 1066. A rich body of literature survives in Old English, not least the famous epic ‘Beowulf’, as well as far lesser known pieces of prose and verse, including riddles, homilies, wills and saints’ lives. For students wishing to explore the communities and societies of England in the Early and High Middle Ages, knowledge of Old English can unlock a myriad of exciting possibilities.
This short course, available for graduate students at CHASE-affiliated institutions, aims to develop participants’ ability to read (in print and manuscript) and to interpret Old English texts. Students will be introduced to the grammar of the language, while they will also be introduced to a range of key and exemplary literature within the surviving corpus.
Classes will run online for two hours per day (10am to 12 noon) from 6th to 10th January 2025. There will be no formal assessment on the course and no prior knowledge of medieval languages is required, but students will be expected to undertake some translation work as homework throughout the week.
The expected learning outcomes are as follows:
Knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary and literary corpus of Old English
Confidence in engaging with and translating Old English texts
An awareness of the existing resources for research in Old English
An appreciation of the range and breadth of Old English literary and historical studies
If you would like to participate in the training, please include a brief summary of why you would like to participate, what you are working on, and any relevant prior linguistic experience.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the course coordinator, Dr Robert Gallagher (r.d.gallagher@kent.ac.uk).