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Perhaps the first great Arthurian romance to be written in England, Marie de France's "The Lay of Sir Lanval" is full of love, lies, secrets, and betrayals.  With a bit of faery thrown in.

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
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Today we start our discussion of what has been called "The Matter of Britain": the tales of King Arthur and his knights.  This episode focuses on the earliest writings about Arthur in English: Geoffrey of Monmouth's The History of the Kings of Britain and Layamon's Brut.

Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel perf.  Advent Chamber Orchestra
"Running Fanfare" by Kevin Macleod

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
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This episode is a brief overview of the changes to English language and literature wrought by the Norman Conquest in 1066.

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Music: "Rejoice" (GF Handel) perf.  Advent Chamber Orchestra; "Medieval Flute" (Carlos Carty)

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Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you!

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If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the Show" button. So grateful!

Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
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In this short Subcast episode, I wish to engage your help!  The Anglo-Saxons loved riddles and nearly a hundred survive.  Here are four.  I'd love to hear your answers!


Often I war with waves, battle the winds,

strive against both at once, meaning to find

the ground wave-covered.

Home is estranged from me—

I am strong of struggle, if stilled.

If I fail, they are stronger than me,

and, tearing me, immediately rout,

wishing to whisk away what I must ward.

I may withstand them, if my tail is tough

and the stones allow me to hold fast

against unrelenting force. Ask what I am called. 

 __________________________________________________________

A moth ate words. It seemed to me

a strange occasion, when I inquired about that wonder,

that the worm swallowed the riddle of certain men,

a thief in the darkness, the glorious pronouncement

and its strong foundation. The stealing guest was not

one whit the wiser, for all those words he swallowed.  

 ____________________________________________________________

I saw four wondrous creatures

travelling together; dark were their tracks,

their footprints very black. Swift was their journey,

faster than birds, flying through the breeze,

diving under the waves. Restless it wrought,

a struggling warrior who points out their ways

over decorated gold, all four of them. 

__________________________________________________________ 

I am a wonderful thing, a pleasure

to women, useful to the neighbors—

I am harmless to the villagers,

except to my slayer alone.

My shaft is lofty, I stand over the bed,

shaggy below someplace or other.

Sometimes a churl’s daughter,

proud-minded woman, quite sexy,

dares to grapple me,

molesting me by the redness,

ravishing my head,

affixing me in her fastness.

She feels my forcing

right away, she who

approaches me,

a woman with braided locks.

Her eye will be wet— 

____________________________________________________________

Music: "Rejoice" (G.F. Handel) perf. Advent Chamber Orchestra
Text: Muir, Bernard James, ed. The Exeter Anthology of Old English Poetry, 1994.

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
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They say that not all those who wander are lost.  Well, two of the most famous poems of the Anglo-Saxon era are about wandering and seeking.  We'll discuss "The Wanderer" and "The Seafarer" from the Exeter Book, which not only take us into the minds of the seekers, but also show us evidence of the tremendous changes afoot as England begins to embrace the Christian religion.

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
Sound effects and incidental music: Freesounds.org
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In this episode, we talk about the first major text in English: the epic Beowulf.  In addition to summarizing the tale, we'll also ask why a Christian monk would feel the need to preserve an oral pagan legend by transcribing it: why does Beowulf even exist?

Music: "Rejoice" (G.F. Handel) perf. Advent Chamber Orchestra, "Dies Irae" perf. Dee Yan Key; "Mournful Violin" perf. Cottager

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
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Our first Subcast episode!  I know it seems early, but I thought it important to put this out there as soon as possible: sort of justify the podcast's existence. . . .

Students often ask me: "Why do we have to learn this stuff?"  It's a fair question.  To many, it seems useless: reading novels and poetry won't help you be a better engineer or physician's assistant, won't keep you fit -- in fact, one can lead a beautiful life and never have read a sonnet.  So why study it?

Oscar Wilde said that a "work of art is useless as a flower is useless."  I love that: something may be useless without being worthless.  This episode is my reply to students who look for a connection between literature and life.

Music: "Rejoice" (G.F. Handel) perf.  Advent Chamber Orchestra

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
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In this episode, we get a little history about how Germanic peoples from northern Europe came to settle what is now Britain over 1500 years ago.  One of these tribes, the Angles, gave their name to this land (Anglelonde = England) and to the language (Anglisch = English).  We'll meet the first English historian, the first English poet, and we'll learn about some of the main characteristics of Old English language and poetry!

Music: "Rejoice" performed by The Advent Chamber Orchestra; "Dies Irae" by Dee-Yan-Key; "Sunday Morning in the Great Hall" by Fool Boy Media

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Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
Sound effects and incidental music: Freesounds.org
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This introductory episode outlines my vision for a podcast that takes a historical perspective on English literature to show how it can give meaning to our everyday lives!

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Please like, subscribe, and rate the podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube Music, or wherever you listen. Thank you!

Email: [email protected]

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If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting it with a small donation. Click the "Support the Show" button. So grateful!

Podcast Theme Music: "Rejoice" by G.F. Handel, perf. The Advent Chamber Orchestra
Subcast Theme Music: "Sons of the Brave" by Thomas Bidgood, perf. The Band of the Irish Guards
Sound effects and incidental music: Freesounds.org
My thanks and appreciation to all the generous providers!