thijsporck BL, Royal 7 C XII, Christ III, Old age, Old English poetry, Parker Library, CCCC MS 302, Vercelli Book

Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

From the Viking mead drinking in Valhalla to the unending punishments of the Greek underworld, the afterlife has always been an imaginative place. In this blog post, I survey how the afterlife was conceptualised in early medieval England, in particular with reference to 'old age'. Heaven is a place without old age The prime place … Continue reading Heaven is a place without old age: Age and the afterlife in early medieval England

thijsporck Beowulf, Finnsburg Fragment, Old English, Old English poetry, Tolkien, Widsith

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