Old English Literature: Language as History

Overview

Course No. 30020
Learn the basics of Old English and reveal what literature can tell us about the origins of English-speaking culture in medieval Britain.

In these 24 lessons with medieval scholar Professor Renée Trilling, you’ll explore:

• The Germanic roots of English and its evolution in medieval Britain
• How to read and understand Old English grammar, syntax, and pronunciation
• Classic works like Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon in their historical context
• The cultural transformations brought by Christianity and the Norman Conquest

Video Lectures

1. The Literary World of Early England (33 min)
   English as one of Europe’s oldest written vernacular languages.
2. Where Did English Come From? (32 min)
   The migration of Germanic peoples to Britain in the 4th-5th centuries.
3. Languages in Medieval England (32 min)
   Cultural interactions between Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Celts, and Vikings.
4. Germanic Culture and Old English (29 min)
   Reconstructing the oral culture of premigration Germanic tribes.
5. Learning Old English: Pronouns (31 min)
   Pronunciation and structure of Old English pronouns.
6. Learning Old English: Nouns and Adjectives (31 min)
   Understanding Old English as a synthetic language.
7. Learning Old English: Weak Verbs (31 min)
   First lesson on Old English verb forms and language change.
8. Learning Old English: Strong Verbs (33 min)
   The surprisingly regular system of strong verbs.
9. The Germanic Migrations: 300 to 600 CE (26 min)
   Theories about the adventus Saxonum (coming of the Saxons).
10. Old English Literary Aesthetics (31 min)
    Poetic techniques: meter, alliteration, variation, and interlace.
11. Warriors in Old English Poetry (28 min)
    Heroic ideals in The Battle of Maldon.
12. Beowulf: The Germanic Hero Par Excellence? (34 min)
    The epic poem’s blend of history, legend, and poetic invention.
13. Heroism and Gender in Old English Poetry (31 min)
    Women’s experiences in Beowulf, Judith, and The Wife’s Lament.
14. Christianity Comes to Medieval England (29 min)
    How Christianity brought literacy back to Britain.
15. Latin Literacy in Medieval England (33 min)
    The religious transformation of England’s literary landscape.
16. Old English Preaching and Teaching (32 min)
    The need for religious texts in the vernacular.
17. Christian Heroes in Old English Literature (35 min)
    Biblical translations and religious storytelling.
18. English Literacy and Learning under Alfred (33 min)
    Alfred the Great’s promotion of education and national identity.
19. Old English and the Rule of Law (33 min)
    Early English vernacular law codes.
20. Old English and Scientific Learning (31 min)
    Medieval understandings of nature, time, and the human body.
21. Old English versus the Vikings (34 min)
    The Norse raid on Lindisfarne and Scandinavian influence.
22. The Norman Conquest of Old English (33 min)
    How 1066 changed English culture and language forever.
23. Old English Afterlives (31 min)
    The 13th-century revival of preconquest literature.
24. Old English Today (36 min)
    The modern impact of Old English on writers like Tolkien.