EP03｜Crosses and Battle Axes: How Two Cultures Shaped Old English

Imagine an island ruled by Germanic tribes, where missionaries carrying crosses arrive alongside Viking raiders wielding battle axes.
This isn’t fiction — it’s the crucial historical scene during the formation of Old English.
In the late 6th century, Christianity came alongside Roman culture, bringing Latin influence that shaped religion, scholarship, and writing systems.
Then, centuries later, Vikings from Scandinavia launched invasions. Their Norse language shared roots with the West Germanic dialects of the Anglo-Saxons and was mutually understandable. Through settlement and interaction, Norse heavily mixed into Old English.
In this episode, we’ll dive deep into these two seemingly opposing forces: one representing introspection and learning, the other conquest and expansion.
We’ll explore how both shaped and ultimately blended into the lifeblood of Old English — telling the story of a language reborn under the “Cross and the Battle Axe.”

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