Daily Life in Old English
January 3, 2022
Videen, a blogger and medievalist, sifts through centuries of Old English texts to create a portrait of medieval British life in this entertaining linguistic history. As Videen writes, “This book is not like a language primer so much as an old photo album. Old English words are familiar but also strange.” In 12 chapters organized by topics such as food, play, and travel, she provides several “wordhords,” or collections of Old English words and their meanings, and reveals how they have evolved. For example, winter, writing, and god have not changed in over a millennium, while others, including wil-cuma, (or well-comer, a good guest) and un-tima
(un-time, a time when something is forbidden) have long since fallen into disuse. Videen walks readers through many examples and historical situations via language—in a section on meals, for example, she reveals that less daylight in winter meant just one meal a day, plus a snack and a glass of wine before bed. She skillfully brings to life early medieval England, describing both its highs and lows: “The thing about joy in Old English literature is that it’s almost always followed by sorrow. With every feast, there is famine ahead.” Well researched and cannily written, this smart survey makes the old feel new.
April 1, 2022
Ye Olde Englishe this is not: Videen, who has been sharing actual Anglo-Saxon words via Twitter (@OEWordhord) for almost 10 years, devotes her first chapter of this collection of Old English to distinguishing the real from the signboard version. She also offers a concise history of the origins of today's English, from the Romans' departure to the first Plantagenet, ca. 450-1150 CE. Subsequent chapters explore the lives of the earliest English speakers, creators of Beowulf: their diet, leisure, education, work, beliefs, social relations, and more. This early medieval world contains etymological glimpses of later periods. At the end of each chapter, Videen lists the words encountered, their meaning, and (probable) pronunciation. Despite the esoteric content, the prose is engaging, conversational, humorous, and full of surprising revelations: Who would have guessed that the word "lady" derives from "bread-maker"? The source list will inspire further research. VERDICT A specialized but delightful book that is essential for undergraduate students of linguistics, literature, and history and will appeal to anyone with a yen for history or language.--Patricia Lothrop
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