Bad Faery

Sunday, February 10, 2008

U211

My new course is proving very time-demanding hence the lack of blogging. So far I’m enjoying the studying. Unit 1 looked at varieties of ‘Englishes’ (’English’ English, Scots English, Franglais, etc) and at the global influence of English both as a mother tongue and as a second and foreign language.

Unit 2, which is the one I’m currently working on, looks at the origins of the language, from its fifth century beginnings with the Anglo Saxon invasion of Britain, through to the Norman Conquest and the subsequent emergence of Middle English. And I’m loving the history side again just like in my last course.

The course material is accompanied by a TV series called The Adventure of English and in the first episode Seamus Heaney is featured reading an extract from his translation of Beowulf. I actually bought his Beowulf just before Christmas and have been dipping in and out of it at leisure. However, having heard him read it I absolutely must get the audio version. It sounded brilliant and there’s something about that soft Northern Irish accent of his that fits the reading perfectly.

And I can’t leave without posting a little bit of Old English since I’ve been learning a little bit about it this week:

This extract describes Grendel’s attack on the Great Hall that Beowulf and his warriors are defending.

In off the moors, down through the mist bands
God-cursed Grendal came greedily loping.
The bane of the race of men roamed forth,
hunting for a prey in the high hall.
Under the cloud-murk he moved towards it
until it shone above him, a sheer keep
of fortified gold. Nor was that the first time
he had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar’s dwelling -
although never in his life, before or since,
did he find harder fortune or hall-defenders.

Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney

Comments:

Wow!  That is so interesting!  I do sometimes wish I were back in school again...as I know I have a much deeper thirst for things now....it’s less about making sure I pass the class and more about learning.

Thanks for letting us go on your journey with you!

and by the way I love the current art photo!

:)

Posted by Monique on 02/11 at 06:00 AM

I’ve come late to education so this is all new to me.  I’m finding it ok so far but then this is only the second week so there could be tears before bedtime yet.

I love your quilts (I’m just back from a visit to your blog) - I especially like the deers by the water and the red one with the butterflies.

Posted by Bad Faery on 02/11 at 10:26 PM

I’m commenting on the top poem...no comment space there for some reason. Delightful poem and would like to copy and give to some clients with your permission. Says so much to so many!

Posted by Lynn on 02/18 at 03:12 AM

Well it’s not my poem so of course you can use it!
It belonged to Mr Borges (you may have spotted a book by him on my desk) and as he’s dead I’m sure he won’t mind:)

Posted by Bad Faery on 02/18 at 08:16 PM

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