Beowulf - Old English (years, language, how, different)

[TXRunner]

If you just want to nerd out on some Old English without getting a Bachelor's degree in Beowulf, follow this translation of Beowulf (I printed it out myself to make notes) and watch this performance (singing and harp) of the poem in Old English.

If I had the Heaney translation of Beowulf back in high school, I might have actually liked the poem. I always remembered it as sounding archaic and being hard to get through.

Heaney translation of Beowulf
https://www.scuc.txed.net/site/handl...ull%20text.pdf

Benjamin Bagby performance of Beowulf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcIK_8f7oQ

[TXRunner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcIK_8f7oQ

[SunGrins]

How do you think the archaic linguistic contexts translate into modern English?

[in_newengland]

Interesting to hear olde English sung and spoken. I remember learning about Beowulf back in high school and seeing the strange, undecipherable text. A very different language from today's English and very beautiful.

We did read the Canterbury Tales in high school. That was written in middle English and I could almost understand it, but thank goodness the text was written in modern English or I never would have made it through even one tale.

[RDM66]

Originally Posted by TXRunner

If you just want to nerd out on some Old English without getting a Bachelor's degree in Beowulf, follow this translation of Beowulf (I printed it out myself to make notes) and watch this performance (singing and harp) of the poem in Old English.

If I had the Heaney translation of Beowulf back in high school, I might have actually liked the poem. I always remembered it as sounding archaic and being hard to get through.

Heaney translation of Beowulf
https://www.scuc.txed.net/site/handl...ull%20text.pdf

Benjamin Bagby performance of Beowulf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcIK_8f7oQ

When I was in college and took English Lit the professor required us to memorize the first 12 lines of Beowulf in Old English. After we finished the test we had to recite it for him to pass.

I can still recite it almost 40 years later.

I majored in English. I took all of the English Lit classes from Beowulf to Virginia Woolf.

[Milo Wolf]

Originally Posted by TXRunner

If you just want to nerd out on some Old English without getting a Bachelor's degree in Beowulf, follow this translation of Beowulf (I printed it out myself to make notes) and watch this performance (singing and harp) of the poem in Old English.

If I had the Heaney translation of Beowulf back in high school, I might have actually liked the poem. I always remembered it as sounding archaic and being hard to get through.

Heaney translation of Beowulf
https://www.scuc.txed.net/site/handl...ull%20text.pdf

Benjamin Bagby performance of Beowulf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcIK_8f7oQ

I think 'sounding archaic' is rather unavoidable with Old English.