For today’s Feature Friday, how about rediscovery of a lost world? Michelle Joelle, student, writer, and blogger, has been posting a “Mini-Syllabus” every now and then. I enjoy each one. Here is one to learn Anglo-Saxon–the Old English language that we find in Beowulf. It is very connected to Old Icelandic and Old Norwegian and the rest of the Norse mythologies and hero tales. It is something I would like to learn, so I’m folding down this page for the future!
Although I am still working my way through my last syllabus, I’m excited that my book club is reading Beowulf this fall. I’ve decided to make the most of this chance to talk about Beowulf with a wonderful group of intelligent readers by setting myself a larger project. I’d love to get a better sense of the language and the context from which Beowulf, and though I won’t get to this project for some time, I couldn’t resist sharing it here.
First, there is the story itself.
1. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation (Bilingual Edition), by Seamus Heaney.
Heaney’s translation is widely considered the best, most exciting new translation, and as such is a great starting point. I also love any translation with the original text on the left-hand side.
2. Beowulf, a Translation and Commentary, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Of course, with Tolkien’s new translation out…
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I love me my Beowulf. Enjoy!
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¿Posible lectura? ¿Qué te parece?
A.
> El 2 oct 2015, a las 19:11, A Pilgrim in Narnia escribió: > > >
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Awesome, thanks for sharing! I love listening to people speak Saxon….it’s so familiar and so strange, all at once.
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Yeah, it is kind of neat. At Mythcon they chanted the first 50 lines of Beowulf–memorized! I feel like I almost have the words… but then I don’t.
I am reading aloud to my son Simon Armitage’s translation of the Middle English Morte Darthur. On the left page is the old version, on the right the alliterative translation. We are getting good at reading the old version. Clever idea.
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Old Saxon, I mean. In other words, Old English….well, I’m sure you get my drift…
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