How to Read and Understand Anglo Saxon Litrature

HOW TO:

Read and Understand Anglo Saxon Literature

By Julia Loewen

Lo! The æroworld was fullwer of earth-treaders whom spræc a forwened englisc. Did you get that? Didn't think so. That's because you just read an ancient form of English known as Anglo Saxon. This strange language may slightly resemble the English you know and use today, but many of the words like, "spræc" or "fullwer" probably don't ring any bells. The Anglo Saxon language was spoken in Northern Europe around the years of 550 to 1066 CE, and some of the earliest stories known to mankind originated during this time. To prevent you from missing out on these legendary stories, you must follow the simple steps below so you can read, understand, and enjoy Anglo Saxon Literature! 

1. Understand the background of the story

It's easy to pick up any modern-day book and easily read and understand it without any troubles. When reading Anglo Saxon literature, it's different. With all the strange words, phrases, and names, a reader that is unfamiliar with the plot might as well read a book in Chinese. It is important to do some research on the literature prior to reading it so it makes sense what is going on in the story and why. A good place to find this information is Spark Notes, because they provide easy-to-read summaries and translations of Anglo Saxon literature that will help paint the picture of the events in the ancient stories. TIP: Don't think that reading a translation or summary of an Anglo Saxon piece will be the same as reading the actual piece, because it won't! The information on Spark Notes should only be used as a guideline.

2. Become familiar with the characters

Beowulf, Achilles, Grendel, and Oedipus are just a bunch of letters put together if you aren't familiar with their role in the story. That is why it is important to research a character list on Spark Notes or a similar website. This list will give the reader a short description of the character without spoiling the whole story.

3. Know the meaning of kennings/epithets

One of the most prominent aspects of Anglo Saxon literature are the kennings and epithets. A kenning is a descriptive phrase formed from two nouns. An epithet is an adjective that expresses a quality or

characteristic of a person or thing with an adjective and a noun. Kenning and Epithets are ubiquitous in Anglo Saxon literature and for a better understanding of the language, it is necessary to know what is being symbolized or described. 

QUIZ: Is "earth-treader" a kenning or epithet, and what does it mean? 

ANSWER: "Earth-treader" is a kenning because "earth" and "treader" are both nouns representing something else. "Earth-treader" represents one who walks the earth, so a human. If an epithet were to describe a human in a similar way, it would be something like "adventurous creatures". 
4. Have a dictionary nearby
The English Language sounded slightly different only 50 years ago, so imagine how much the language has evolved over the last 2000 years! The English language from 550-1066 CE is extremely different that the language spoken today, even with translations to make it simpler. It is not expected of readers to know off the top of their head the meaning of "æroworld" or "forwened", but with useful websites and dictionaries, the words can be understood. The website 
OldEnglishTranslater.co has the meanings of many Old Enlish words that have a similar definetion to modern-day English. Some of the words in Anglo Saxon literature can also be found in a dictionary.

Conclusion:
Now that you have acquired all of the tips and tricks of reading Anglo Saxon literature, see if you can translate the first sentence of this post. Remember to use the information in this post to understand what the sentence may be about, find kennings or epithets, and use the Old English Translator. Comment below what you come up with!