Course

Old English in Context

University of Oxford

This course from Oxford University delves into the historical and social context of Old English literature.

Course Lectures
  • Enhanced Podcast Tour of the Old English Manuscripts on display at the British Library by Dr S. D. Lee, Faculty of English, University of Oxford, 21st March 2007.

  • Enhanced Podcast Tour of the Anglo-Saxon exhibits on display at the British Museum by Dr S. D. Lee, Faculty of English, University of Oxford, 27th April 2007.

  • Topics include who the Anglo-Saxons were, where they came from, and where they settled; the rough period covered in Old English; differences and similarities between Old English and Modern English; the use of runes and more.

  • Topics include how Old English works, and what makes it different from Modern English; where Old English comes from and how it relates to other languages; pronunciation, inflection, dialects and more.

  • Old English Poetry
    Stuart Lee

    Topics include how Old English poetry works, what the major poems are and how they were performed; what links we can draw with modern poetry and music; basic metrics and devices used for effect, and more.

  • Old English Prose
    Stuart Lee

    Topics include the first attempts at prose in the English language, 'short stories', historical texts, legal documents, as well as such writers as Alfred the Great, and Aelfric of Eynsham.

  • This final lecture looks briefly at how Old English has been reused by modern writers, but specifically at how the Anglo-Saxons have been portrayed on film, and what film studies can do to help us enjoy Old English poetry.

  • Beowulf
    Stuart Lee

    Dr Francis Leneghan gives a talk on Beowulf