Deconstructed History

The Difference Between Old and Middle English

Listen Later

There’s a common misconception out there about what Old English actually is. Whenever I ask someone what they think about Shakespeare (because I’m a nerd), they always go off on a rant about how Old English is totally incomprehensible and why couldn’t I have asked about something else?


For full show notes, head to https://georgeelmer.co.uk/old-middle-english/


Resources and Links

  • “Beowulf” Translated by John Porter (2022). A side-by-side literal translation of the poem. Great if you love a challenge.
  • “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” by Simon Armitage (2008). A beautiful translation in easy-to-understand plain old English. (Tolkien is rather fanciful in his translation.)
    • ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Deconstructed HistoryBy George Elmer