I have started studying Old English. The grammar is more like German and some of the words are more similar to German than modern English. It does not look or sound very German to me. I feel I understand German a lot better than Old English.
Her we sprecaþ on Ænglisc
- Thread starter LVXORD
- Start date
I was interested to come across this extract in Complete Old English by Mark Atherton, as I live in Reading. I know Wallingford, which is a pleasant town. The Kennet is a river that runs through Berkshire and joins the Thames at Reading. I did not think it was a town.
þa hit winterlæhte, þa ferde seo fyrd ham. 7 se here com þa ofer þa Sancte Martines mæssan to his friþðstolw Whitlande 7 tylode him þær æghwær þæs ði behofedon, 7 þa to ðam middan wintran eodan him to heora gearwan feorme ut þuruh Hamtunscire into Bearrucscire to Readingdon, 7 hi a dydon heora ealdan gewunan, atendon hiora herebeacen swa hi ferdon. Wendon þa to Wealingaforda and þæt eall forswældon, 7 wæron him þa ane niht æt Ceolesige, 7 wendon him þa andlang Æscesdune to Cwicelmeshlæwe, 7 þær onbidedon beotra glypa, forðon oft man cwæp, gif hi Cwicelmeshlæw gesohton, þæt hi næfre to sæ gan ne scoldon, wendon him þa oðres weges hamwerd. þa wæs ðær fyrd gesomnod æt Cynetan, 7 hi þær togædere fengon, 7 sona þæt wered on fleame gebrohton 7 syþþan hiora herehyþe to sæ feredan, ac þær mihton geseon Wincester leode rancne here 7 unearhne ða hi be hiora gate to sæ eodon, 7 mete 7 madmas ofer .l. mila him fram sæ fetton.
When winter came the English army went home. And the Viking army came then at St Martin's Mass to its refuge on the Isle of Wight, and acquired there what it needed, and then at Midwinter they went to their ready feast out through Hampshire into Berkshire to Reading. And they practised their old custom and lighted their beacons as they travelled. They came to Wallingford and burned it all, and were then one night at Cholsey, and so moved along Ashdown to Cwichelm's Barrow. There they awaited the boasted threats, because it was often said that if they reached Cwichelm's Barrow, they would never get back to the sea, and they returned home by a different route. By the time the local levy was assembled at Kennet, and they came together, and at once they put the levy to flight, and afterwards they transported their plunder to sea. So there the people of Winchester could see the proud bold army as they passed their gates towards the sea, and they had taken food and money over fifty miles from the sea.
þa hit winterlæhte, þa ferde seo fyrd ham. 7 se here com þa ofer þa Sancte Martines mæssan to his friþðstolw Whitlande 7 tylode him þær æghwær þæs ði behofedon, 7 þa to ðam middan wintran eodan him to heora gearwan feorme ut þuruh Hamtunscire into Bearrucscire to Readingdon, 7 hi a dydon heora ealdan gewunan, atendon hiora herebeacen swa hi ferdon. Wendon þa to Wealingaforda and þæt eall forswældon, 7 wæron him þa ane niht æt Ceolesige, 7 wendon him þa andlang Æscesdune to Cwicelmeshlæwe, 7 þær onbidedon beotra glypa, forðon oft man cwæp, gif hi Cwicelmeshlæw gesohton, þæt hi næfre to sæ gan ne scoldon, wendon him þa oðres weges hamwerd. þa wæs ðær fyrd gesomnod æt Cynetan, 7 hi þær togædere fengon, 7 sona þæt wered on fleame gebrohton 7 syþþan hiora herehyþe to sæ feredan, ac þær mihton geseon Wincester leode rancne here 7 unearhne ða hi be hiora gate to sæ eodon, 7 mete 7 madmas ofer .l. mila him fram sæ fetton.
When winter came the English army went home. And the Viking army came then at St Martin's Mass to its refuge on the Isle of Wight, and acquired there what it needed, and then at Midwinter they went to their ready feast out through Hampshire into Berkshire to Reading. And they practised their old custom and lighted their beacons as they travelled. They came to Wallingford and burned it all, and were then one night at Cholsey, and so moved along Ashdown to Cwichelm's Barrow. There they awaited the boasted threats, because it was often said that if they reached Cwichelm's Barrow, they would never get back to the sea, and they returned home by a different route. By the time the local levy was assembled at Kennet, and they came together, and at once they put the levy to flight, and afterwards they transported their plunder to sea. So there the people of Winchester could see the proud bold army as they passed their gates towards the sea, and they had taken food and money over fifty miles from the sea.