San Francisco Public Library

Old English literature, language as history, Renée R. Trilling

eng

Course guidebook Includes bibliographical references (pages 85-89)

videorecording

Old English literature

videorecording

1287024843

Renée R. Trilling

761

The great courses. Literature & language. Literature

language as history

"At first glance, Old English bears very little resemblance to English as it exists today. In fact, in many ways, it feels like a completely different language from its modern descendant. However, if you look at this language through the lens of history, you can trace the origins of the modern version from its early ancestor. This glimpse into the past opens the door to a fascinating historical and linguistic lineage--one that reveals a rich, multifaceted perspective on the early medieval history of Britain and its peoples. The epics, historical chronicles, religious texts, and other pieces of Old English literature we still have--pieces that exist only in a handful of unique manuscripts preserved over the course of centuries--can take us back to a world that is simultaneously strange and familiar. In the 24 lessons of Old English Literature: Language as History, you will experience the premodern world through the powerful tool of the written word. With the guidance of author and medieval scholar Professor Renée Trilling, you will look back on the early medieval history of the British Isles and discover what Old English can reveal about the peoples, traditions, beliefs, and cultures of the past"--Publisher's website

adult

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