The Essay - Anglo-Saxons

[french frank]

This was evidenced at the end of the talk when Morris suddently switched to the conditional perfect: "what would (Cuthbert) have thought (at later historiography)".

'What will Cuthbert have thought ...? Listen in next ... '

I suppose there are occasions when rhetorical devices are effective - or aim to be - but this one does remind me of primary school composition when children haven't fully mastered the use of tenses. It becomes a stylistic cliché.

[Still haven't listened to the one on Penda - must do that today ...]

[french frank]

Slight exaggeration here. The Domesday Book from the 1040s suggests a population of 1.5-1.9 million, which was presumably 50% female (at least approximately), so a century or two earlier there could hardly have been "millions" of voiceless peasant-farmers. Not that this detracts one jot from the point, of course.

One million per generation would add up to millions, though

[Pabmusic]

One million per generation would add up to millions, though

Ha! You must be a lawyer at heart.

[french frank]

Ha! You must be a lawyer at heart.

[JFLL]

I've never heard the name [Vortigern] pronounced with a soft 'g' before ... The *tigernos element is also at the root of Kentigern. I shall continue to pronounce it with a hard, Celtic, g - as Cunliffe used for Gildas (and the Saxon Hengist).

There's a sort of justification (not much, I agree) for the 'soft g' in that his name was probably pronounced in his time (if he existed) something like Wortiyernos (hence Old English Wyrtgeorn). Wyrtgeorn ('plant-keen' in Old English – an early vegetarian?) instead of Uortigernos, 'over-king' or high prince', just seems to rub in his humiliation at the hands of the Anglo-Saxons, though the OE form is the 'natural' development within English of the late British name.

[french frank]

There's a sort of justification (not much, I agree) for the 'soft g' in that his name was probably pronounced in his time (if he existed) something like Wortiyernos (hence Old English Wyrtgeorn).

Yes, via a form like ti-g-yer-nos (cf Welsh teyrnas - kingdom). In fact, I looked it up in a biographical dictionary that I have and it gave it as Vortijern. But it also gives Gramsci as Gramskee (Anton Gramsky, of Russian descent, I presume) and I've found it frequently untrustworthy (online, a variety of pronunciations predominantly keep the hard g). Also, he was British rather than Anglo-Saxon. But it's of little importance

I thought the Penda episode by Michael Wood was very good, as close to being a 'portrait', I suppose, as possible. I don't know why the discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard in 2009 passed me by. Nice to think it might have been part of the Penda story.

[JFLL]

But it's of little importance

Quite agree, ff. Now what is important is whether one says 'Gerontius' with a hard or soft 'g'.

[french frank]

Now what is important is whether one says 'Gerontius' with a hard or soft 'g'.

Hard, of course. As in Geraint

[JFLL]

Hard, of course. As in Geraint

Actually, I'm a softist on this one -- just my upbringing, no doubt. (And perhaps authenticist -- as being the likely pronunciation used by Cardinal Newman?)

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Actually, I'm a softist on this one -- just my upbringing, no doubt. (And perhaps authenticist -- as being the likely pronunciation used by Cardinal Newman?)

Really? I used to pronounce the soft "g" (like "geriatric" or "Geronimo"!) until I was told in no uncertain terms by a librarian that both Newman and Elgar expected the hard! Even 35 years on, I'd love to be able to find him and say, "Well, actually ... "

[Frances_iom]

just a reminder that next 5 start tonight

[aeolium]

Thanks for the reminder. I've enjoyed some of these A-S essays, especially those by Rowan Williams and Michael Wood. My only very minor grumble is that the essays are in most cases portraits of characters rather than just generally on aspects of A-S language* and society, which could also include such portraits. There is very little known of some of the individuals, and some of my favourite Anglo-Saxons are anonymous - like the authors of Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, the chroniclers (to be fair, there is a programme on the Beowulf Bard tonight).

What about a 100-episode series of essays on "The Story of English"?

[BBMmk2]

This looks like a belter of a series! pity not on tv!

[french frank]

just a reminder that next 5 start tonight

Thanks.

[french frank]

Monday
22:45 - 23:00
The Essay Anglo-Saxon Portraits, The Beowulf Bard

11/30 Poet and playwright Seamus Heaney discusses the Beowulf bard.
Tuesday
22:45 - 23:00
The Essay Anglo-Saxon Portraits, Bede, the Father of English History

12/30 Scholar of the Anglo-Saxons Lilian Groves explores the life and times of St Bede.
Wednesday
22:45 - 23:00
The Essay Anglo-Saxon Portraits, Caedmon, the Oldest Surviving English Poet

13/30 Writer David Almond discusses Caedmon, the earliest English poet whose name is known.
Thursday
22:45 - 23:00
The Essay Anglo-Saxon Portraits, The Court of King Alfred

14/30 Jinty Nelson explains how the court of King Alfred was run and how he rewarded his thegns.

Friday
22:45 - 23:00
The Essay Anglo-Saxon Portraits, Offa, King of the Mercians

15/30 Professor Thomas Charles-Edwards discusses Offa, who was King of Mercia from 757 to 796 AD