E 310: OLD ENGLISH AT MHC

Syllabus

English 313 is an introduction to the Old English language (its phonology, morphology, and syntax) and to Old English literature. In this course you will learn the language and translate poetry from the original.

We meet Monday evenings on campus.

We will be using:

• Henry Sweet, Sweet's Anglo-Saxon Primer, 9th edition (Oxford), ISBN 0198111789;
• Richard Marsden, The Cambridge Old English Reader (Cambridge), ISBN 0521456126.
• The Anglo-Saxon World, ed. Kevin Crossley-Holland (Oxford), ISBN 0192835475

All books are available at Odyssey Books in the mall at 9 College Street.

We will read Michael Drout's online grammar as a supplement to Sweet. The link is here: King Alfred's Grammar. (We may also read Hans-Peter Hasenfratz, Die Germanen, if the translation is published by the Fall.) You need not have Malcolm Godden and Michael Lapidge, The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature (Cambridge, 1991). But it is an excellent resource comprised of top-notch essays. Also, an excellent student dictionary is J. R. Clark Hall, A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 4th edition (University of Toronto, 1960). There are a number of recommended readings. These are available in the library, or at any of the dozens of libraries in the vicinity. You need purchase none of these. I will also be providing handouts.

NB. You priority in this class is to understand the language. So, please make sure to have Sweet as soon as possible.

We begin with an introduction to the language of Anglo-Saxon England in the ninth century. You must be competent in English grammar (here is a good, short book on English grammar; check the library, too). We will discuss various aspects of the language's syntax, morphology, phonology, and history. This will continue throughout the course. We will also translate and discuss Old English poems, saints' lives, wills, charters, and so forth. Finally, we will discuss briefly the culture of Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages in order to contextualize the Old English texts.

Attendence is encouraged. Lectures and discussions provide much of the material for which you are responsible. I will not repeat a lecture, summarize a lecture, or provide anyone with my lecture notes. My lectures are copyrighted material, so no recording, please.

There is a midterm exam, a final paper, and many homework assignments.

Midterm is worth 20%; final paper is 35%; and each assignment is 5% of your total grade (3 quizzes, 5 homeworks). You can replace up to two (2) assignments with short, philological papers (topics here).

Here is a Final Paper Guide.

• Papers must be handed in at the beginning of class on the date due. Late papers will not be accepted.
• All missed assignments get an "F." If you foresee being absent, please let me know well beforehand.
• Please check your student handbook or college guidelines for information on plagiarism.
• All papers must be typed or word-processed.

See Undergraduate Grading Policies.

Everyone is encouraged to meet with me at least once during the semester, if only to verify that the grades you have correspond to the ones in my gradebook. Please make an appointment to meet with me at a time convenient to you and I will try to oblige.

Each author's ideas and phrasing are his or her own property. If you reproduce them without due recognition, then you have committed plagiarism. If you have any question whatsoever about whether you might be committing plagiarism, please consult me immediately. On the whole, the college expects you to act and write with the highest degree of integrity. For more information, consult your handbook or the pages in this site devoted to plagiarism (see "Resources").

NOTE 1: Please make and keep a copy of all your assignments. That copy may be a disc copy. In case any difficulties arise with respect to misplaced assignments or with respect to discrepancies between your records and my own, I will accept the evidence of your computer system's dating function. For your own peace of mind, I suggest that you lock any document on the day it is due. That will prevent your system from associating your document with a later date.

NOTE 2: The schedule of this course is subject to change. It is not to be construed as a substitute for your attendance or as a catalogue of all the information for which you are responsible. All changes will be announced beforehand. This syllabus and the accompanying schedule constitute a binding contract between a student and professor. If you do not agree with any of the provisions set herein and as of this moment, then you are free to drop this class within the time allotted by the administration.

NOTE 3: All material pertaining to this course is copyrighted material and is subject to international and US laws of copyright. No recording devices, please.

Key:

September:

October:

November:

December:

MHC Academic Calendar

To search the Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records, click here.

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LINKS.

MHC Williston Library
Google Books
Search Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Old English Newsletter Bib
Anglo-Saxon Bibliography

Germanic Lexicon Project
Bosworth-Toller (partial)
Thesaurus of Old English

The Labyrinth
Medieval Sourcebook
ANSAX database (FAQ)
Norse Saga Net
Anglo-Saxon Charters
Siever's Heliand
Bible (Douay-Rheims)
Dumézil, Norse Gods
Klaeber, Beowulf

Manuscripts of St. Gall

ISAS
Old English at UVa
Viking Ship Museum

Warning! Jingoistic anti-Roman revisionism, but nevertheless informative:

VIDEO: The Ancient Celts
VIDEO: The Goths
VIDEO: The Barbarian Tribes