Not much is known about Benjamin Thorpe (1782-1870), yet he was one of the first scholars to publish voluminous editions and translations of Old English texts. This blog provides an overview of Thorpe's works on Anglo-Saxon texts and also reveals how his reputation was almost ruined because of faulty reprints of his Beowulf edition. Benjamin … Continue reading Benjamin Thorpe: The Man Who Translated Almost All Old English Texts
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
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
Old English is alive! Five TV series and movies that use Old English
Old English a dead language? Think again! the language of the Anglo-Saxons is making a comeback in modern cinema.
A medieval giant on display: Last resting place of Beowulf’s Hygelac discovered?
Where was the giant Hygelac (mentioned in Beowulf) buried?
Thijs Porck 