ok a bit odd, but can anyone read late medieval english?

[TheArmadillo]

Am reading through document. Can read most of it but cannot understand what 'stoonis' is or 'schulen'

talking about heathen men worshipping 'stoonis' as a god? adn the phrase 'stoonis schulen crie'?

COuld schulen be children?

Anyone know?

I just had a look at Beowulf on the net - couldn't read any of it now

I think I could manage some Chaucer though

Can't remember much of my medieval English (OE and ME language at St Andrews) apart from the rude words...

And of course I-mutation and the Great Vowel Shift

When I was in top year Junior school (probably year 6 now) our Friday afternoon 'treat' was to be read a bit of Beowolf. Oddly enough we loved it!

I like Chaucer too. Reading it, not seeing it performed though.

I've come a bit late to this thread but I have a Medieval English degree too. Didn't know there were so many kindred spirits about. It is 20 years but the pale yellow cover of Sweet's Anglo-Saxon primer is ever before my eyes. Chaucer was my best bit though.

Still enjoy reading ME lyrics, but have nightmares about having to read that bloody Piers Ploughman again

Ooh, I've still got my Sweet's too! Eadward se eadiga, and all that.

My fave was Sir Gawain, though.

right now all together:

Svmer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweþ sed and bloweþ med
And springþ þe wde nu,
Sing cuccu!

Awe bleteþ after lomb,
Lhouþ after calue cu.
Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ,
Murie sing cuccu!

Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þu, cuccu;
Ne swik þu nauer nu.

Pes:

Sing cuccu nu. Sing cuccu.
Sing cuccu. Sing cuccu nu!

What about Pearl? Still keen on it for a girl's name cos I loved the poem so much.

Or what about
An hendy hap ichave y-hent
Ichot from hevene it is me sent
From alle women me love is lent
And light on Allysoun

I betcha didn't do that from memory, Iota!

Pearl, yes, I'd forgotten all about Pearl! One of my RL friends has a dd called Pearl - which really suits her as she is half-Irish and half-Malaysian, and is very pearly indeed!

Piers Plowman was deathly, Swizzler but for me the worst abomination of all was Spenser's blasted Faerie Queen. And it wasn't even as if the language was that difficult compared to Beowulf for instance, it was just such ghastly rotten stuff. Still shudder when I catch sight of my copy lurking in the top corner of my deepest darkest bookcase.

Westron wind when wilt thou blow
The small rain down both rayne
Crist if me love were in min armys
And I in me bed ayayne

Of course not Mrs PG - I don't have a Medieval keyboard.

I can remember the tune though

Iota, what's that letter that looks like a 'p' ?

Never had to do Spencer thank God . I felt so cheated cos I'd specialised in medieval English partly cos the texts were nice and short - then they sprung PP on me

LOL at the idea of a medieval keyboard!

Thorn - 'th' as is 'the'.

it's a thorn Mercy - a th sound

Well, anyone at usi with me will never forget the lecture on i-mutation as a way of scrounging money from elderly aunts

UNI that is...

Actually I think the title of my degree was Medieval and Renaissance English, Swizzler because we also got to do Shakespeare, Revenge tragedy and fun stuff like that which made up for any amount of Spenser and Peirs Plowman. Also there is only so much a girl can take of those sodding mystery plays if you ask me.

I remember having to draw in all the thorns and eths and all the rest of them in my essays - v tedious

I second your opinion on the Faerie Queen, RosaL. It was the most stultifying thing i had to sit through.

I loved The Wanderer.