Dr. Bankert 3 credits

“Cædmon’s Hymn” (purported to be the first poem written in English)

Nu sculon herigean         heofonrices weard,
meotodes meahte         and his modgeþanc,
weorc wuldorfæder,         swa he wundra gehwæs,
ece drihten,         or onstealde.
He ærest sceop         eorðan bearnum
heofon to hrofe,         halig scyppend;
þa middangeard         moncynnes weard,
ece drihten,         æfter teode
firum foldan,         frea ælmihtig.

          Old English, “the language of the dawn,” was spoken and written 700 years before Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 14th century. It is the language of Beowulf, of monks, of scops, and of firelit meadhalls, it is the language of a complex alien culture, yet it gave birth to 1400 years of English literature and is the foundation of Modern English. Contrary to popular assumptions, a considerable variety of Anglo-Saxon literature survives—risqué riddles, love laments, letters from grumpy monks about women’s toilet habits, bizarre dialogues between the soul and the body, strangely complex tales of Christ and his saints, wildly unique adaptations of biblical narratives, and heroic stories of battle, betrayal and heroism. In this class, students will learn to read the Old English language, beginning with short prose pieces and gradually tackling poetry as we study the grammar and acquire vocabulary. We will also read some works in translation, explore the remarkable literary culture of the Anglo-Saxons, and investigate manuscript culture – learning how manuscripts were prepared and copied, and what these often unique documents can tell us about the people who made and read them.

          Assignments will include regular short language quizzes and two translation exams (a midterm and final), as well as a presentation and two short essays. This course satisfies the period requirement of the English major.

Required Course Texts:
Reading Old English:  A Primer and First Reader. Eds. Robert Hasenfratz and Thomas J. Jambeck. W. Virginia University           Press, 2005. ISBN 1-933202-01-7
Marsden, Richard. The Cambridge Old English Reader. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-45612-6 (paperback)

Back to Courses

JMU Web Privacy Statement