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The Wordhord
- Daily Life in Old English
- Narrated by: Sara Powell
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
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Publisher's summary
This audiobook narrated by Sara Powell takes listeners on an entertaining and illuminating tour of weird, wonderful, and downright baffling words from the origins of English
Old English is the language you think you know until you actually hear or see it. Unlike Shakespearean English or even Chaucer’s Middle English, Old English—the language of Beowulf—defies comprehension by untrained modern readers. Used throughout much of Britain more than a thousand years ago, it is rich with words that haven’t changed (like word), others that are unrecognizable (such as neorxnawang, or paradise), and some that are mystifying even in translation (gafol-fisc, or tax-fish). In this delightful book, Hana Videen gathers a glorious trove of these gems and uses them to illuminate the lives of the earliest English speakers. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friendship, and where you might grow up to be a laughter-smith.
The Wordhord takes listeners on a journey through Old English words and customs related to practical daily activities (eating, drinking, learning, working); relationships and entertainment; health and the body, mind, and soul; the natural world (animals, plants, and weather); locations and travel (the source of some of the most evocative words in Old English); mortality, religion, and fate; and the imagination and storytelling. Each chapter ends with its own “wordhord”—a list of its Old English terms, with definitions and pronunciations.
Entertaining and enlightening, The Wordhord reveals the magical roots of the language you’re reading right now: you’ll never look at—or speak—English in the same way again.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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The oldest long poem in Old English, written about AD 1,000, Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior of southern Scandinavia, in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorizes the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result, he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon.
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Beowulf lives again!
- By Andrew on 02-13-12
By: Anonymous
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Mythology: Folklore, Myths & Legends: The History of Gods, Men and the Mythologies of the World
- By: Michael J. Stewart
- Narrated by: William Bahl
- Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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When is a story more than just a story? When does it become a myth? When it holds a piece of truth about our history, our morality, and the cosmos. Throughout history, humankind has used stories to explain the unknown. From the cycle of the moon to the changing of the seasons, tales about supernatural beings and events have served to account for the purpose of the cosmos. But mythology isn’t entirely fiction. These stories have been passed down for generations for a reason.
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Very useful
- By Angela on 02-10-21
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Why Homer Matters
- By: Adam Nicolson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Adam Nicolson sees the Iliad and the Odyssey as the foundation myths of Greek - and our - consciousness, collapsing the passage of 4,000 years and making the distant past of the Mediterranean world as immediate to us as the events of our own time.
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Fascinating
- By Jean on 05-04-15
By: Adam Nicolson
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Essential Ásatrú
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- By: Diana L. Paxson, Isaac Bonewits - foreword
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In Essential Asatru, renowned author and priestess Diana Paxson demystifies an ancient, rich, and often misunderstood religion, and offers a practical guide for its modern followers. Filled with clear, concise instructions on living Asatru every day, this truly accessible guide takes you on a journey from Asatru's origins in Scandinavian and German paganism to its recognition as an official religion in the 1970s and its widespread acceptance today.
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A most excellent introduction
- By Steven Kok on 04-22-21
By: Diana L. Paxson, and others
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Norse Mythology
- Captivating Stories of the Gods, Sagas and Heroes
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: JD Kelly
- Length: 1 hr and 29 mins
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Though the world came to know of the Norse and their legends through Roman interaction at about the time of Christ, most of what we came to know were handed-down from folk tales gathered by native writers like Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179 - 1241). This was from a time when the Norse had already been converted to Christianity.
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Very interesting
- By E. Allison on 04-30-18
By: Matt Clayton
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Japanese Mythology
- A Captivating Guide to Japanese Folklore, Myths, Fairy Tales, Yokai, Heroes and Heroines
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Dryw McArthur
- Length: 1 hr and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Japan is a single nation, but its origins are so old, and often, so fragmented, that unified mythology and folklore can be difficult to point to. Still, there are some key texts, tales, and characters we can focus on which will give us a pretty good sense of Japanese mythology. In this audiobook, you'll discover stories of mystery, horror, and romance while simultaneously learning about the Japanese culture.
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Please get a native speaker to read.
- By Anthony on 08-03-18
By: Matt Clayton
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The Road to Eleusis
- Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries
- By: R. Gordon Wasson, Albert Hofmann
- Narrated by: David Bendena
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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The secretive Mysteries conducted at Eleusis in Greece for nearly two millennia have long puzzled scholars with strange accounts of initiates experiencing otherworldly journeys. In this groundbreaking work, three experts - a mycologist, a chemist, and a historian - argue persuasively that the sacred potion given to participants in the course of the ritual contained a psychoactive entheogen. The authors then expand the discussion to show that natural psychedelic agents have been used in spiritual rituals across history and cultures.
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really?
- By Anonymous User on 09-19-23
By: R. Gordon Wasson, and others
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The Tempest
- By: William Shakespeare
- Narrated by: Sir Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox, Scott Handy, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play. The wronged duke raises a tempest to shipwreck his old opponents on his island so that he can ensure justice is done. With Emilia Fox as Miranda, Scott Handy in the pivotal role of the sprite Ariel, and Ben Owukwe as Caliban.
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Gandalf is great
- By Justin on 11-10-15
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The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross
- A Study of the Nature and Origins of Christianity Within the Fertility Cults of the Ancient Near East
- By: John M. Allegro
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Where did God come from? What do the bible stories really tell us? Who or what was Jesus Christ? This audiobook challenges everything we think we know about the nature of religion.
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Hated it,
- By Troy Sunde on 12-22-22
By: John M. Allegro
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Nostalgia
- Going Home in a Homeless World
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Alone among the creatures of the world, man suffers a pang both bitter and sweet. It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia. Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart.
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Deep and thought provoking.
- By Holly Stockley on 04-24-19
By: Anthony Esolen
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Born to Kvetch
- Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods
- By: Michael Wex
- Narrated by: Michael Wex
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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As the main spoken language of the Jews for more than a thousand years, Yiddish has had plenty to lament, plenty to conceal. Its phrases and expressions paint a comprehensive picture of the mind-set that enabled the Jews of Europe to survive persecution: they never stopped kvetching about God, gentiles, children, and everything else.
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Fascinating, but...
- By Christopher B. on 04-05-16
By: Michael Wex
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What listeners say about The Wordhord
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Andy Turkington
- 08-25-23
Brilliant!
Such a pleasure to listen to. Funny, enlightening and inspiring. I learned not only about the language, but the life and outlook of the Old English. Marvelously narrated.
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- Christopher Torgersen
- 02-23-24
Great book, great performance, poorly recorded
First, before I give any negative criticism, the bottom line is that this is a really great intro to Old English, and the performance of Sara Powell is extremely good. I would certainly not hesitate to recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and appreciated the PDF that came with it and listed many of the words used.
The reason I took off a star for the overall rating is that the recording is somewhat bafflingly poor in quality. It's not beyond the pale, but it's bad enough that it made me wonder what kind of quality control they had for the sound. It sounds like it was recorded with a cheap microphone. Very often, "s" sounds are somewhat distorted so that they sound more like "th" sounds. When listening to a book with new and interesting words, this can be a problem. There also just seemed to be a high level of noise that was dealt with by a filter, which is probably related to the problem. It was enough of an issue that it occasionally distracted me from enjoying an otherwise superb book and performance.
Still, as I said, the bad sound is not severe enough to dissuade me from recommending the book to anyone interested in the topic.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Danielle
- 05-27-22
So Great! More please.
So Great! More please. A fascinating walk through words and histories of the Old English world.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Emma
- 09-19-23
enjoyable and enlightening
What a joy for a lover of the English language. the narration was superb and the content informative and anything but dry!
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1 person found this helpful
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- gaminette
- 09-05-22
wundrung!
Full disclosure: I have a BA in medieval studies and I adore Middle English. This book was an utter delight: fascinating facts and hilarious asides.
I don’t usually write reviews but wanted to give a shout-out to Susan Powell, who did phenomenal work narrating and nailing the prononciations.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jonathan L.
- 08-10-23
excellent book!
Her wit and erudition made this a fantastic book for listening. I looked forward to it every day!
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- Rose Hallett
- 04-23-24
Unique information
I loved this book. I’m fairly new to Anglo-Saxon history, so no expert, but the unique angle was very engrossing and there was so much fun new information. The tone of the book is also slightly casual with a few jokes and modern references thrown in which I enjoyed.
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- Karen
- 03-07-23
Lisp!
Who chose a narrator with a lisp to read a book about the English language? Wish I could return it!
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1 person found this helpful