Say what I am called
Wrætlic hongað bi weres þeo,
frean under sceate. Foran is þyrel.
Bið stiþ ond heard. Stede hafað godne.
Þonne se esne his agen hrægl
ofer cneo hefeð, wile þæt cuþe hol
mid his hangellan heafde gretan
þæt he efenlang ær oft gefylde.
Say what I am called
A wondrous thing hangs by a man’s thigh,
under its lord’s clothing. In front there is a hole.
It stands stiff and hard. It has a good home.
When the servant raises his own garment
up over his knee, he wants to greet
with his dangling head that well-known hole,
of equal length, which he has often filled before.
Inquiry questions
What changes has the English language
undergone over the centuries? (Context,
Style)
- Inquiry Task
How can texts from different times and
cultures influence the creation of new texts?
(intertextuality)
- Analysis work
How can we create texts of literary value using
contemporary social media language and
conventions? (style, self-expression)
- Summative Task
Can informal e-texts or social media language,
like twitter feeds, be a literary language?
(context, style)
- Debate / discussion
Beowulf – Epic poem
Created by an Anglo-Saxon poet to preserve the
myths and histories of their people.
Part of oral storytelling tradition and recited during
feasts and celebrations.
Written down by Christian scribes who added
Christian details to the poem.
Takes place in about 500 AD and many of the
characters are real.
Inspired by the Germanic / Scandinavian culture
that flourished in Northern Europe.
Old English
• Do you recognise any letters?
• Why do some letters look alike?
History of alphabets
• Germanic Runic Alphabet > Adopted from Etruscan > Influenced by
Greek > Influenced by Phoenicians, etc..
• Anglo-Saxons originally used (variety of) Runic Alphabet, then
adopted writing style from Irish missionaries that was used in
religious texts (majority of written texts were religious)
• Beowulf, not written down. Runic only used for short epitaphs. Until
Christians copied the story down in Anglo-Saxon.
Etruscan alphabet (What do you
notice?)
Runic alphabet (What do you
notice?)
Anglo-Saxon alphabet (What do you
notice?)
How do you pronounce Anglo-
Saxon?
• All letters are pronounced
• Short vowels and consonants same(ish) (e & d)
• Long vowels are very different
• Some sounds no longer exist (y, c, g, h, s, z, f, v)
Þæt wæs god cyning
Can you read it?
But how does it really
sound?
[Link]
watch?v=CH-_GwoO4xI
Vowels – Long vowels have
macrons: −
• short a is pronounced like the Modern English "o" sound in "contact"
• long a is pronounced like the "a" sound in Modern English "father
• æ is pronounced like the "a" sound in Modern English "cat" or "bat"
• short e is pronounced like the "e" sound in Modern English "bet"
• long e is pronounced to rhyme with Modern English "way"
• short i is pronounced like the "i" sound in Modern English "his"
• long i is pronounced like Modern English "ee" in "feed"
• short o is pronounced like the "o" sound in Modern English "pond"
• long o is pronounced like the "o" sound in Modern English "go"
• short u is pronounced like the "u" sound in Modern English "bull”
• long u is pronounced like the "oo" sound in Modern English "school"
• short y is pronounced like the "i" sound in Modern English "will”
• long y is pronounced like the "oo" sound in Modern English "school," but with the lips slightly pursed
Consonants
Most Old English consonants are pronounced the same way as their Modern English equivalents.
Except:
• c can be pronounced either as a hard "c" sound, represented in Modern English by "k," or as the
sibilant that is represented in Modern English by "ch." Thus cyrran demonstrates the hard "c,"
and ceosan demonstrates the sibilant. Some editors indicate the sibilant pronunciation of "c" by
putting a dot above the consonant.
• g can also be pronounced two ways. Before certain vowels it is pronounced like the Modern
English "y" in the word "yes": gifu. When "g" is used before other vowels it is pronounced the
same as Modern English "g" in "golden": goda. Some editors indicate this voiced pronunciation
of "g" by putting a dot above the consonant.
• h is never silent. It is pronounced with a bit of a throat-clearing sound, like the "ch" at the end of
Scottish "loch" or German "Bach": dryhten. "H" also is used in combination with the "semi-
vowels" "r," "l," and "w" in ways not familiar in Modern English: hlaford, hronræd, hwæt.
• sc is pronounced like Modern English "sh": scip.
Now you try!
Write down your
line phonetically
using the notes on
the PPT / MB
Now you try!
Write down your
line phonetically
using the notes on
the PPT / MB
Word origins (Anglo-Saxon)
• Anglo-Saxon words we use now are common words because everyone used
them!
• hæþen, adj., heathen
• heah, adj., high
• hord, noun, n., hoard
• scieppan, verb, to create
• benc, noun, f., bench
• broþor, noun, m., brother
• sweostor, noun, f., sister
Word origins – French & Elvish
• English uses French words • Tolkien used Anglo-Saxon words
brought over by the Normans. as inspiration for Elvish in LOTR
BUT, nobility only spoke French. too!
SO, words that described luxury
were kept.
• Balrog as Bealuwearg "baleful-
monster
• Veal
• Venison
• Elvish pronunciation is similar
• Beef
• Mutton
Improving a paragraph
• Pick a paragraph from your essay to workshop
• Improve analysis by answering “why did the author do this” or “how”
for each claim you make.
• Improve evaluation by answering “why is this a good example” or
“what detail here is particularly effective” for each example you have.
• Improve organization by using transition phrases to connect ideas
together and link between paragraphs.
• Improve using language by getting rid of contractions, spelling
mistakes, improving grammar, and using more sophisticated language
