Introduction

This guide is intended as a starting place for student research in Old English language and literature. It aims to help students find print, database and web resources through Mullen Library related to the study of Old English at the Catholic University of America.

The Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, Period covers c. 449 (the date given by Bede as the first landing of the Saxons in Britain) to 1100 (following the Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings in 1066). These dates are approximate, as language changes over periods of time, not at one specific date. There are four principle dialects of Old Engish: Kentish, West Saxon, Mercian and Northumbrian (Mercian and Northumbrian are sometimes grouped together as Anglian).

The Old English Period includes such works as Beowulf, Caedmon's Hymn and the Dream of the Rood, as well as the works of Bede, King Alfred, and Aelfric.

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The Franks Casket

Early 8th Century

Carved whalebone

Left Side: Scene from Weland the Smith

Right Side: Adoration of the Magi

The runic inscription on the front of the casket is an Old English riddle that explains the origin of the casket. The translation reads: "The fish beat up the seas on to the mountainous cliff; the King of terror became sad when he swam onto the shingle." Click on the picture for the answer!

Translation of inscription taken from "The Franks Casket," British Museum Website

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Library of Congress Call Numbers

The Library of Congress call numbers for English Language are in the range PE1-3729 :

PE 101-458 Anglo-Saxon. Old English

The subclass for Literature is PN. Particularly of interest to Anglo-Saxonists might be:

PN 661-694 Literary History-By Period-Medieval (to 1500)

PN 683-697 Legends

PN 688-691 Poetry

PN 692-693 Prose. Prose Fiction

The subclass for English Literature is PR. See:

PR 171-236 English Literature-By Period-Anglo-Saxon

PR 1490-1799 Anglo-Saxon Literature

Some other helpful and related subjects can also be found in subclass PD - Germanic Languages, and PT - Germanic Literature. For more information, see the Library of Congress Classification Outline.

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General Old English Web Resources

The Labyrinth: Sources for Medieval Studies

Sponsored by Georgetown University
Old English at the University of Virginia
Old English Newsletter Online

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History of the English Language

Language changes over time, and in the course of your research you may want to learn how Old English fits in the larger history of the English language. Here are a few helpful places to start: