noahandhisdragons asked:
Just started following your blog here, truly wonderfully packed full kernels of knowledge. I am interested in learning old Norse as well as Old English. Any suggestions on best approaches (books, etc) to learn it on my own?
I welcome you to my blog then! I am glad to know that you are satisfied by it, and I do hope it proves to be a helpful resource for you, if you so wish it to be. I post often about Old Norse, although I am still early on this road myself. I too am teaching myself the language and do plan to move onward to Old English one day. So, on that note, I think I can provide you with some helpful information, at least on the way that I have begun this same journey.
Regarding Old Norse / Old Icelandic:
I recommend you start off with Jesse L. Byock’s The Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas. It was referred to me by my professor of Viking History, Dr. Knight, at the University of South Florida.
These books may seem overwhelming at first, especially if you do not take it slowly, so do not rush to learn the vocabulary. Byock uses primary sources for examples from the very beginning, not modern, made-up examples. So in chapter one of the first book, you are already reading original Old Norse material! Each book is around $35 and can easily be found on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. There is also a great deal of history and cultural background in these books, which enriches the language as you learn it.
As for Byock’s background, he is a professor at UCLA – University of California, Los Angles. He focuses in Old Norse and Medieval Scandinavian Studies. You can read more at this link or this link if you are curious about him and his other works. He has a book about the history of Viking Age Iceland as well as translations of the Prose Edda (although not a complete edition) and Hrolf Kraki’s Saga (Which you translate some of this saga near the end of book 1 and more in book 2).
I personally recommend taking time to make some kind of flashcards or tables of the vocabulary and grammatical concepts as they are introduced. You can find a few on my blog under the ‘Learn Old Norse’ tab, along with certain words and their meanings. I myself have been making a digital file of the vocabulary as I go so that I may search it when I need to find a word’s meaning. (It is faster, but there can be value in taking the time to look up the full dictionary entry in the back). I also use this for digital flashcards that I put on my phone to study on the go.
Also, try to find material to read that is in Old Norse, I know of a site that you can test your knowledge (or at the very least test your familiarity). It is a database of sagas and it features some in original Old Norse spelling. You can check that out at this link. I do suggest to also read aloud at times to help with pronunciation. Definitely try to engage with the written material that is available (and that goes for Old English as well). Feel free to play around with what you learn as well, such as formulating your own sentences or sayings.
If you are interested in learning modern Icelandic, this is also a good way to introduce yourself to that language, by learning Old Norse/ Old Icelandic beforehand (like a bridge).
Regarding Old English:
For this, I cannot be of as much help, since I have yet to get around to learning Old English, however, I can provide you the books that I would consider.
If you want a more scholarly approach to the language (more for reading and translating), I would suggest this book by Mark Atherton:
He is a professor at the University of Oxford and focuses in Old English there. You can learn more about him and his other works at this link. This book seems to be a little more difficult to obtain, but it is available through third party sellers on Amazon. Most of the reviews are positive for the book, and those reviews have said that it uses real Old English sources in its examples as well.
If you want something more casual, perhaps this book by Matt Love would be more suitable (if not in companionship with the other book I mentioned):
It does not seem that he is a professor, but he approaches the language as if it were still a living one. Still, the book has many positive reviews and many do praise it for its more easily understandable and casual approach. You can find it here on Amazon.
I hope that this helps your efforts in learning these beautiful languages. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to ask or send me a message any time. Overall, I recommend starting off with a book and engaging yourself in the material the best that you can. Often it is hard to find someone to have a conversation with, so reading and making resources for yourself (like digital files and flashcards) can be very helpful. In other words, take it slow and enjoy the journey!
If anyone else has anything that they found particularity helpful in learning these languages (or any language on their own for that matter), feel free to add onto this! I am by no means an expert, so I am sure there are other methods and resources out there that I am not yet aware of.
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