As a professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, J. R. R. Tolkien could not help but be inspired by the language and literature he studied and taught. As a result, his fictional world is infused with cultural material of the Middle Ages, particularly Old English language and literature. In this post, I focus … Continue reading The Medieval in Middle-earth: Aragorn and Exiled Anglo-Saxon Kings
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Teaching the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons: An early medieval comic strip in the St Augustine Gospels
As Easter is drawing near, this blog post deals with a unique early medieval manuscript that reveals how missionaries around the year 600 tried to teach the story of the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons. Notably, they used a rather modern method: teaching through comics. Saint Augustine of Canterbury (d. 604) In the year 597, a … Continue reading Teaching the Passion to the Anglo-Saxons: An early medieval comic strip in the St Augustine Gospels
The Freoðuwebbe and the Freswael: A Comic Strip Reconstruction of the Finnsburg Fragment and Episode
One of the most intriguing stories referred to in Old English heroic poetry is whatever happend at Finnsburg, between Hnæf , Finn and Hengest. The story is referred to in Beowulf, the so-called Finnsburg Fragment, and Widsith, but the events are rather difficult to piece together. For all who have ever struggled making sense of Finnsburg, … Continue reading The Freoðuwebbe and the Freswael: A Comic Strip Reconstruction of the Finnsburg Fragment and Episode
Bits of Bede. Or: Why Bede deserves his own museum
The news of the closure of Jarrow's visitor attraction Bede's World was disheartening. It was one of England's very few museums solely devoted to the Anglo-Saxon past and I fondly remember visiting the place several years back (one of the highlights of my visit was adopting Hilda the pig via the animal adoption then still in … Continue reading Bits of Bede. Or: Why Bede deserves his own museum
An Anglo-Saxon Anecdote: Alleluia, the Anglo-Saxon Boo!
Alfred and the cakes, Cnut and the waves, and Eadmer the flying monk: Anglo-Saxon history is full of anecdotes. On this blog I will regularly highlight some amusing and/or remarkable episodes from early medieval England, along with a self-made cartoon. This blog discusses how the Britons scared the Anglo-Saxons by shouting 'Alleluia!'… The settlement of … Continue reading An Anglo-Saxon Anecdote: Alleluia, the Anglo-Saxon Boo!
Scribal abuse in the Middle Ages
Adam scriveyn, if ever it thee bifalle Boece or Troilus to wryten newe, Under thy lokkes thou most have the scalle, But after my making thou wryte trewe. So ofte a daye I mot thy werk renewe, Hit to correcte and eek to rubbe and scrape; And al is through thy negligence and rape. [Adam … Continue reading Scribal abuse in the Middle Ages
Anglo-Saxon aphrodisiacs: How to arouse someone from the early Middle Ages?
Now that an Anglo-Saxon eye salve defeated the superbug MRSA, it is time to try out some other Old English recipes: Anglo-Saxon aphrodisiacs!
An Anglo-Saxon Anecdote: How Hengest was led by the nose
The amazing story of how Eldol of Gloucester killed 70 Anglo-Saxons with a stick and grabbed their leader Hengest by the nose.
The Medieval in Middle-Earth: Rings of Power
As a professor of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, J. R. R. Tolkien could not help but be inspired by the language and literature he studied and taught. As a result, his fictional world is infused with cultural material of the Middle Ages, particularly Old English language and literature. In this post, I focus … Continue reading The Medieval in Middle-Earth: Rings of Power
Anglo-Saxon props: Three TV series and films that use early medieval objects
Three TV-series and movies that use props based on real Anglo-Saxon objects!
Thijs Porck 