Old English, Final Paper, November 2013
This paper is to be submittted by 17 December.
Note: in this paper long vowels are marked with accute accents.
Part I, 40%
a Set texts.
For each of the following 7 passages:
a) Translate the passage into English, Icelandic or French
b) Identify and describe the passage briefly, and give its context.
c) Parse the underlined words, i.e. give the part of speech of the word in question (in
this paper they will only be nouns, pronouns, adjectives or verbs) and supply the
following information:
for:
nouns:
case, number, gender; and give the nom.sg. form.
pronouns:
person, case, number, gender
adjectives;
case, number, gender, and whether weak or strong
verbs:
person, number, tense, mood; and gve the infintive
d) Answer the questions.
1.
Ǽrest mín hláford gewát
heonan of léodum
ofer ýþa gelác; hæfde ic úhtceare
hwǽr mín léodfruma londes wǽre.
Ðá ic mé féran gewát folgað sécan,
wineléas wræcca, for mínre wéaþearfe
ongunnon þæt þæs monnes mágas hycgan
þurh dyrne geþóht þæt hý tódǽlden unc,
þæt wit gewídost in woruldríce
lifdon láðlicost, ond mec longade.
5
9

Is there any grammatical indication in this pasage of the sex of the speaker?
2.
5
10

Þǽr ic þá ne dorste ofer Dryhtnes word
búgan oððe berstan, þá ic bifian geseah
eorðan scéatas. Ealle ic mihte
féondas gefyllan, hwæðre ic fæste stód.
Ongyrede hine þá geong hæleð — þæt wæs God ælmihtig—
strang ond stíðmód. Gestáh hé on gealgan héanne,
módig on manigra gesyhðe, þá hé wolde mancyn lýsan.
Bifode ic þá mé se beorn ymbclypte. Ne dorste ic hwæðre búgan tó eorðan,
feallan tó foldan scéatum, ac ic sceolde fæste standan.
Ród wæs ic árǽred. Áhóf ic rícne Cyning,
heofona Hláford, hyldan mé ne dorste.
What can you say about the metre of lines 5-9 ?
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3.
Wé geascodan Earmanríces
wylfenne geþóht;
áhte wíde folc
Gotena ríces. Þæt wæs grim cyning
Sæt secg monig sorgum gebunden
wéan on wénan, wýscte geneahhe
þæt þæs cyneríces ofercumen wǽre.
Þæs oferéode; þisses swá mæg.
4
7

To what does þisses refer in line 7? What is the poet’s misfortune?
4.
15
Ongietan sceal gléaw hæle hú gǽstlic bið,
þonne ealre þisse worulde wela wéste stondeð,
swá nú missenlíce geond þisne middangeard
winde biwáune weallas stondaþ,
hríme bihrorene, hrýðge þá ederas.
Wóriað þá wínsalo, waldend licgað
dréame bidrorene, duguþ eal gecrong,
wlonc bi wealle. Sume wíg fornom,
ferede in forðwege: sumne fugel oþbær
ofer héanne holm, sumne se hára wulf
déaðe gedǽlde, sumne dréorighléor
in eorðscræfe eorl gehýdde.
Ýþde swá þisne eardgeard ælda Scyppend
oþ þæt burgwara breahtma léase
eald enta geweorc ídlu stódon.

What are eald enta geweaorc in line 15?
5
10
5.
Þá hé þæt þá sumre tíde dyde, þæt hé forlét þæt hús þæs gebéorscipes ond út wæs
gongende tó néata scipene, þára heord him wæs þǽre neahte beboden, þá hé ðá þǽr in
gelimplice tíde his leomu on reste gesette ond onslépte, þá stód him sum mon æt þurh
swefn ond hine hálette ond grétte ond hine be his noman nemnde: "Cædmon, sing mé
hwæthwugu." Þá ondswarede hé ond cwæð: "Ne con ic nóht singan; ond ic for þon of
þeossum gebéorscipe út éode ond hider gewát, for þon ic náht singan ne cúðe." Eft hé
cwæð, se ðe wið hine sprecende wæs: "Hwæðre þú meaht singan." Þá cwæð hé:
"Hwæt sceal ic singan?" Cwæð hé: "Sing mé frumsceaft."
4
8



sumre tíde in line 1 is usually glossed as dative. What other case could it be?
Why did Cædmon leave the party?
How did the Abbess test Cædmon?
6.
3
Þá cwǽdon híe þæt híe híe þæs ne onmunden "þon má þe éowre geféran þe mid þám
cyninge ofslægene wǽrun." Ond híe þá ymb þá gatu feohtende wǽron oþ þæt híe
þǽrinne fulgon ond þone æþeling ofslógon ond þá men þe him mid wǽrun, alle bútan
ánum, se wæs þæs aldormonnes godsunu, ond* hé his feorh generede, ond þéah hé
wæs oft gewundad. Ond se Cynewulf rícsode .xxxi. wintra, ond his líc líþ æt
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6
Wintanceastre ond þæs æþelinges æt Ascanmynster, ond hiera ryhtfæderencyn gǽþ tó
Cerdice.
*In this passage, beware of translating ond as “and” or (if you are translating into
Icelandic) “og”. At least, not always.
7.
5
10
14
Ðá se eorl ongeat
þæt hé in níðsele
náthwylcum* wæs,
þǽr him nǽnig wæter
wihte ne sceþede,
né him for hrófsele
hrínan ne mehte
fǽrgripe flódes;
fýrléoht geseah,
blácne léoman,
beorhte scínan.
Ongeat þá se góda
grundwyrgenne,
merewíf mihtig;
mægenrǽs forgeaf
hildebille, hond sweng ne ofteah,
þæt hire on hafelan
hringmǽl ágól
grǽdig gúðléoð.
Ðá se gist onfand
þæt se beadoléoma bítan nolde,
aldre sceþðan,
ac séo ecg geswác
ðéodne æt þearfe.
*nát < ic ne wát; cf. nokkur < nakkvar < ne veit ek hver
b. Unseen text.
Þá ic þá gemunde hú séo lár lædengeþéodes ǽr þissum* oðfeallen wæs geond Angelcynn, ond
ðéah monige cúðon Englisc gewrit árǽdan, þá ongan ic ongemang óðrum mislícum ond
manigfealdum bisgum þisses cyneríces þá bóc wendan on englisc þe is genemned on læden
Pastoralis,** ond on englisc Hirdebóc, hwílum word be worde, hwílum andgit of andgite,***
swá swá ic híe geleornode æt Plegmunde mínum ærcebiscepe ond æt Assere mínum biscepe
ond æt Grimbolde mínum mæssepréoste ond æt Íóhanne mínum mæssepréoste. Siððan ic híe
þá geleornod hæfde, swá swá ic híe forstód, ond swá ic híe andgitfullícost áreccean meahte,
ic híe on englisc áwende: ond tó ælcum biscepstóle on mínum ríce wille áne onsendan.
*ǽr þissum, before this; the writer has been describing the ruinous state of learning in
England after the first wave of Viking invasions
**Pope Gregory’s Cura Pastoralis, ‘Pastoral Care’
*** This concept was common in classical Latin ideas of translation, probably stemming from
Cicero. Thw writer may be thinking of Jerome´s wording (the translator of the Vulgate New
Testament): non verbum e verbo sed sensum de sensu.
læden, Latin.
oðfeallen, fallen off, declined
ongemang, among
bisgu business, duty
andgit, sense.
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c Metrical exercise
Write out the following text in long lines, each with a cæsura, and underline the alliteration. In
this passage you will find evidence of rhyme, but you should not allow this to affect your
judgements regarding the alliterative metre.
Wrætlic is þes wealstan, wyrde gebræcon; burgstede burston, brosnað
enta geweorc. Hrofas sind gehrorene, hreorge torras, hrungeat berofen,
hrim on lime, scearde scurbeorge scorene, gedrorene, ældo undereotone.
Eorðgrap hafað waldend wyrhtan forweorone, geleorene, heardgripe
hrusan, oþ hund cnea werþeoda gewitan. Oft þæs wag gebad ræghar ond
readfah rice æfter oþrum, ofstonden under stormum; steap geap gedreas.
Splendid is this wall-stone, the fates destroyed it; the strong building collapsed, the work of
giants decays. Roofs are fallen, ruined towers, the barred gate broken, frost on the lime, the
shattered roofs shattered, decayed, eaten away by age. The clutch of the grave, the strong grip
of the earth, holds the master-buieldrs, who have lain rotting until a hundred generations of
people have passed. Often has this wall, grey with lichen and mottled with read, endured one
kingdom after another, and stood firm under storms; though high and broad it has fallen.
(Translation half-stolen from W.S. Mackie’s)
Part I, 40%
Individual project.
For example::
 Translation and commentary of an OE text (preferably not glossed by Baker). Possibly
translation into Icelandic with a view to publication.
 Linguistic topic in connection with OE:
o syntax
o comparative study with Icelandic
 Commentary on published English or Icelandic translation (for example Heaney,
Björnsson) of OE text.
 Commentary on Icelandic material in medieval Icelandic (Hauksbók and Ælfric,
Arnold Taylor)
 Further ideas?
- end of paper -
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