Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Old English Heroic Poetry

For Students 9th - 10th
This article introduces some of the key texts of Old English heroic poetry, including Beowulf, The Battle of Maldon, The Dream of the Rood, and Judith.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Old English

For Students 9th - 10th
This article charts the evolution of Old English through the 700 years during which it was written and spoken.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Middle English

For Students 9th - 10th
This article explains how Middle English developed from Old English, changing its grammar, pronunciation, and spelling, and borrowing words from French and Latin.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: Beowulf

For Students 9th - 10th
Read an overview of the Old English poem "Beowulf" and view additional resources such as articles and collection items.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: The Earliest World History in English

For Students 9th - 10th
This article considers what we can learn from the Old English Orosius about the Anglo-Saxons and their relationship to the wider world.
Article
British Library

British Library: Discovering Literature: The Elegies of the Exeter Book

For Students 9th - 10th
The poems in the Exeter Book known as the 'Old English elegies' focus on loss, separation, and the transience of earthly things. This article explores these poems, which include The Wanderer and The Wife's Lament, and highlights the...
Article
Other

Editor Eric:commentary on Translations: Beowulf:the Monster and Its Interpreters

For Students 9th - 10th
This article by Eric McMillan focuses on comparing the translations of Beowulf with passages from the original Old English translation and four other translations. He discusses translations in poetry and in prose, with alliteration and...
Article
Bartleby

Bartleby.com: The Battle of Maldon, or Byrhtnoth?s Death

For Students 9th - 10th
This article, from the Cambridge History of English and American Literature, provides an overview of the patriotic poem, the Battle of Maldon.
Article
Global Catholic Network

Global Catholic Network: Saint Bede Confessor, Doctor of the Church

For Students 9th - 10th
Biography of St. Bede, followed by the preface to the "Ecclesiastical History of England" and another excerpt in modern English.
Article
BBC

Bbc: Legacy of the Vikings

For Students 9th - 10th
The author explores the rich legacy the Vikings gave to England. For example, many words in the English language have their roots in Viking language and usage. This can also include use of certain English dialects.