What can be imagined and written in the English language as it existed in the British Isles from about 450-1100 CE? In this intensive introduction to the Old English language, we will learn its basic grammar and lexicon in order to read selections that suggest the strange, complex beauties of literature in the Old English period: fantastic adventures, battles won and lost, and the contemplation of the self — exiled or exultant or afraid. We’ll situate this literature in its material culture and try out its voices by reading Old English aloud.
