tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1885320105550742793.post4713440909073066546..comments2024-03-28T05:28:46.610-04:00Comments on NEW ENGLAND FOLKLORE: A Weed That Cures Witchcraft and Elf-SicknessPeter Muisehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939949561996555115noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1885320105550742793.post-49745518513061426932017-09-27T09:38:04.236-04:002017-09-27T09:38:04.236-04:00Old English in its alliterative poetry is a wonder...Old English in its alliterative poetry is a wonderful thing. It is an inflected language (fluid word-order because the word endings tell you if the world is noun or object, etc.: you can I say "Momma Bill threw from the train," in Old English such that the endings clarify who threw whom :-) ). The vocabulary will sometimes remind you of modern English words, which is why many English departments do not let students count it toward a foreign language requirement -- which is plumb crazy -- it is a foreign language, period, with as much mystery as German and French. I commend you to its study; I have some audio recordings of my professor, the late Robert Creed, among the the top in the field in Old English prosody, if you want to hear the language performed. I have a hard time with languages, so I beat my head against the wall to get basic translation ability, but your mileage may differ (Old Irish is much harder, like Chinese. I had concussions from that....)Wade Tarziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02876387351164907807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1885320105550742793.post-36235307722254058732017-09-23T09:20:52.647-04:002017-09-23T09:20:52.647-04:00Wade, I am jealous! I never got to study Old Engli...Wade, I am jealous! I never got to study Old English or elf-lore. Maybe when I retire...<br />Peter Muisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05939949561996555115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1885320105550742793.post-84355451572065880502017-09-21T10:45:26.062-04:002017-09-21T10:45:26.062-04:00Brings back good memories from 40 years back! When...Brings back good memories from 40 years back! When I was studying Old English, the professor started with short texts that included the charms, such as "With Faersticce" (against sudden side-stitch), wherein the arrows shot by the elves were to be charmed-out in powerful alliterative verses. It was a great introduction to the language, culture, and European folk tradition in general. Wade Tarziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02876387351164907807noreply@blogger.com