CLASSES 3 – 4 OLD ENGLISH

Outer/ External history

1 What historical event is associated with the beginning of Old English/ Anglo-Saxon? What do the two names stand for?

2 What’s the story of Old English? What languages is it influenced by? In what way? Give a comment on the Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon , Roman (again!) and  Danish influence. Make sure you can give some examples of place names and common vocabulary resulting from that influence. 

3 What events/ legends/ do you associate with the following characters?

Boadicea, Vortigern, Hengist and Horsa, Bede, Caedmon, Cynewulf , Arthur, Athelbert,  Aiden,  Augustine, Paulinus,  King Alfred

A nursery rhyme - Hengist and Horsa (provide the missing rhymes)

Hengist was coarser than Horsa,

And Horsa was awfully coarse.

Horsa drank  .................. (rhymes with risqué)

Told tales that were risqué,

But Hengist was a ................ (rhymes with coarse)

Horsa grew coarser and coarser,

But Hengist was coarse all his life,

That reprobate Horsa

Drank tea from a ................., (rhymes with coarser)

But Hengist ate peas with his ...............  (rhymes with life)  

Desmond Carter, 1980,  The Children’s Book of Comic Verse, Piccolo

4 What events do you associate with the following dates?

55 - 54 B. C.,  A. D. 43, . A.D. 410, A.D. 449, A.D.  597 ,A. D. 664 A.D. , 669 A.D., 737 A.D.

787 A.D. , 878 A.D.

5 Hadrian’s Wall, Danelaw are two famous boarder lines Britain. What groups of people did they separate?

6 The place names listed below have a symbolic meaning to most Britons. What do you associate them with?

Lindisfarne, Canterbury, Jarrow, Whitby, Wedmore, Winchester

7 Which event marks the end of the period known as Old English?

Language:

8 What dialects of Old English do we distinguish? What is the origin of the distinction?

9 What graphic systems were used in Old English? What were the spelling rules?

10 What’s the origin of the following names? Sassenachs, Angli/Anglia, Enland, Wales

11 What’s the most syntactic significant difference between Old English and Present Day English? 

12 What are other differences in terms of: gender, plurals, comparison of adjectives, articles, pronouns, verb form – regular and irregular/weak or strong (Is there any difference between these distinctions?), compounds, affixation?

Literature:

What pieces of literature do you associate with the Old English period? How can you describe the works you are familiar with in terms of their subject matter and form (kenning, caesura, alliteration)?

Reading passages: Our Father (Biography of English)

Caedmon’s Hymn (657-680)

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.

Marc Sands (translation)
Now we praise                   heaven's Guardian,
the Measurer's might,           and his many thoughts,
the work of the Glory-father    when he wonders all,
Oh eternal Lord,                the beginning established.
He first created                for men's sons
heaven as a roof,               Oh holy creator.
Then middle-earth               mankind's guardian,
eternal Lord,                   after he made
for men, the earth              Oh Master almighty!

-          Dream of the Rood (7th century), Riddles (Exeter book) (10th century) – see handout

-          Beowulf (8th – 11th century)

[1] Hwæt! wē Gār-Dena in geār-dagum, What! We [of] Gar-Danes (lit. spear-danes) in yore-days,

[2] þeod-cyninga, þrym gefrunon, [of] people-kings, trim (glory) afrained(have learned of by asking),

[3] hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon. how those athelings (princes) arm-strong feats framed (made/performed).

[4] Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, Oft Scyld Scefing, [from] scathers (enemies) [in] threats (armed bands),

[5] monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah, [from] many magths (clans, groups of sons, c.f. Irish Mac-), mead-settles took,

[6] egsode eorl. Syððan ærest wearð awed earls (leaders of men). Since erst (first) [he] worth (came to be)

[7] feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad, fewshiped (helpless, in "fewship") founden, he thence (from then onward) [in] loving care abode (lived),

[8] weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah, wex (waxed) under welkin (the clouds), [in] mind's-worth (honour) thrived,

[9] oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra oth that (until that) him each [of] those by-sitting ("sitting" or dwelling roundabout)

[10] ofer hronrade hyran scolde, over whale-road (kenning for sea) hear (obedience) should (owed),

[11] gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs god cyning! gifts [to] yield. That was [a] good king!