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EN
413: OLD ENGLISH TEXTS: Mitchell, A Guide to Old English
(Blackwell) IMPORTANT WEB PAGES: Old English Aerobics www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/OEA
(A) SCHEDULE: |
| 8/29 | Introduction
to Old English--How we got there from Indo European and Proto Germanic,
OR why we don't speak Sanskrit or Celtic. About OE, Lesson 1 (C) |
| 8/31 | Spelling and
Pronunciation Read Mitchell # 6-10 Spelling and Pronunciation: Consonants (C) and Vowels (C) |
| 9/3 | Introduction to Inflections Read Mitchell #10-35 Old English as an Inflected Language (C) (including case systems and tables) Elements of the Sentence (A) |
| 9/5 | Strong Masculine and Neuter Nouns Read Mitchell #33-46 Table of Strong Masculine and Neuter Nouns (C) Flash cards for Masculine and Neuter Nouns (C) Case System (C) |
| 9/7 | Let's Begin
Reading!! "Abraham
and Isaac" (C) also in Mitchell (178). Listen to audio, but make sure you write down your translation/notes Nominative Exercises (A) |
| 9/10 | Continue
"Abe and Isaac" Learn the Accusative (A) |
| 9/12 | Finish
"Abe and Isaac" Let's do Dative (A) and Genitive (A) More Flashcards (C) |
| 9/14 | More Noun
Declensions: Feminine
(C) and Weak
Nouns (C) Do Noun Exercises (A) |
| 9/17 | Let's Read "The
Fall of Man" (A) Do Exercises (A) |
| 9/19 | Finish "Fall of Man" |
| 9/21 | Pronouns: Read
Mitchell #15-20 Pronouns (C) Pronoun Exercises (A) Pronoun Flash cards (C) |
| 9/24 | Let's Read "The
Voyage of Ohthere" (C) Adjective Exercises (A) |
| 9/26 | Continue
reading "Ohthere" Begin OE Verbs: Read Mitchell #115-126 Weak Verbs (C) Learn Verb "To Be" (C) Do Exercises (C) |
| 9/28 | More
"Ohthere" Begin Strong Verbs: Read Mitchell #87-114; Appendix A (152) Verbs (A) Exercises on Weak Verbs (C) |
| 10/1 | Let's Begin
"Ęlfric's Colloquy" (C); Mitchell (182) Do Strong Verb singan (C) |
| 10/3 | Continue Colloquy Review Case Endings (C) Exercises on singan (C) |
| 10/5 | Continue Colloquy;
Do all Calgary Lesson 9 Exercises: Pronouns 9 (C) Feminine Nouns 9 (C) Noun Substitution (C) |
| 10/10 | Continue Colloquy;
Read about Syntax
(C) Do Exercises on Prepositions (A) |
| 10/12 | Let's Read "Cynewulf
and Cynehyrd" (C) Mitchell (208) Do Exercises on Conjunctions and Adverbs (A) |
| 10/15 | Finish "Cynewulf" Do "Heo lufaž že" exercise (C) |
| 10/17 | Let's read some Bede "The
Conversion of St. Edmund" (C) Read up on the subjunctive (C) |
| 10/19 | More "Edmund" Do Lesson 12 Flash Cards (C) |
| 10/22 | Finish "Edmund" Do Exercises and Flash Cards for Lesson 13 (C) |
| 10/24 | Let's finally do some poetry! "Dream
of the Rood" (C); Mitchell (256ff) Read "Dream of the Rood" Web page |
| 10/26 | More "Rood" Read "Intro to Runes" Web page |
| 10/29 | More "Rood" |
| 10/31 | Read "Deor" TBA |
| 11/2 | "Deor" |
| 11/5-9 | "The Wanderer" (A); Mitchell (268ff) |
| 11/12-16 | "The Wanderer" |
| 11/19-30 | Beowulf (Chickering) |
| 12/3-7 | Beowulf; Film: The 13th Warrior TBA |
| REQUIREMENTS: The main requirements of this course will not be the usual papers/tests/etc. Instead, showing up for class prepared (as best you can) with a hopeful attitude will count heavily in your final grade. Old English can be difficult, and, for those who have not studied other inflected languages (most people), confusing and frustrating. Thus cheery group dynamics will mean a lot. In addition to your fuzzy subjective grade for class work, you will be required to give a SERIOUS oral report on some aspect of Anglo-Saxon culture. It would be best if you approached this as an opportunity to teach your peers. You will also write a ten page paper due at the end of the term. This may be a research paper or literary analysis, or substantial translation of a text we have not worked on. And finally there will be a take-home, practice translation test some time in October and another around finals. These will only count against you if you do not take them seriously. In class work 50-60% Oral report 15-20% Final paper 20-30% Take home tests ??? |
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| THE PLAN: This class will be structured like most graduate seminars in Old English. We will spend some time on basic grammar issues, especially for the first month or so. Gradually we will do more and more translation, beginning with prose and eventually moving to poetry. The final weeks of the semester will be spent on Beowulf which we will read in its entirety in translation with sections (Grendal/Mother/Dragon) in Old English. I expect to spend some time on cultural issues (oral reports will be key) and on literary discussion, so some outside historical reading will be required. We will also practice reading texts out loud. Both on-line programs have an audio component, and I have a tape of several poems We will be using the on-line material from the University of Calgary and the University of Virginia (Old English Aerobics). Once you look at the Mitchell grammar you will understand why. Even if you don't like computers, you will probably find looking up words to be easier on-line. Both programs have audio. The language lab on the second floor of St. Ed's has computers with sound cards and head phones if you do not have your own equipment. Sound will not work in the other labs although the graphics will. Some days we will do exercises in class that you may find useful to prepare ahead of time or which you should repeat for homework. I forget declensions all the time. Make sure you write down translations even if you do them on-line. You will not remember them in class the next day. The U Calgary site has a number of links to Old
English cultural material which you may find
useful. In addition I have ordered the penguin Anglo-Saxons
(Campbell), and I have put the Library's copy of Old
English Literature (Lapidge) on reserve.
More info will follow.
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