Overview

'Invaluable - and hugely entertaining ... It is an absolute romp and a must-have for history and fantasy enthusiasts alike' - Eleanor Janega'Endlessly fascinating'- the SpectatorOld English was spoken over a thousand years ago, when every animal was a deor. In this glittering collection of words and animals we find deors big and small, ordinary, extraordinary and delightfully baffling. From walker-weavers (spiders) and grey-cloaked ones (eagles) to moon-heads and teeth-tyrants (historians still don't know!), we discover a world both familiar and strange: where ants could be monsters and panthers could be your friend, where dog-headed men were as real as elephants and where whales were as sneaky as wolves. From the author of The Wordhord comes another delightful dive into the realm of Old English: words and creatures that will change the way you see the world, and the strangest creatures of all - us!

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9781800815803

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Reviews

Endlessly fascinating * Spectator * A dream! I learnt something new and fascinating on every page -- Lucy Mangan Wonderful -- Victoria Finlay, author * Colour * If you love words, the weird and the wild, I guarantee you'll crouch over this book like a dragon over gold -- Meg Clothier A treasure trove. -- Caspar Henderson, author * The Book of Barely Imagined Beings * Will set hearts fizzing with joy. -- John Wright, author * The Forager's Calendar * A beautifully written reminder of the magical and the mystical -- Rebecca Lee, author * How Words Get Good * A treasure trove that the lexicographer Susie Dent might be tempted to plunder * Country Life * A wonderful way into Old English, opening windows on a lost world that shaped ours and still lives within it. -- Ronald Wright, author * A Short History of Progress * Praise for The Wordhord : A marvelous book -- Neil Gaiman Wonderful -- Tom Holland A lovely, lovely read -- Lucy Mangan Splendid -- David Crystal Eminently giftable -- James Marriott * The Times * Entertaining and absolutely fascinating -- Paul Anthony Jones Delightful ... a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk -- Steven Poole * Guardian * A passionate medievalist and a relaxed, lucid writer; the pleasure she takes in her subject is infectious -- Henry Hitchings * Wall Street Journal * A treasure trove ... and beautifully designed -- Marshall Julius A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *

Author Information

Hana Videen has been hoarding Old English words since 2013, when she began tweeting one a day. Now over 28,000 people follow for these daily gems from her wordhord. Following her Old English doctorate at King's College London, she is a writer and blogger in Canada, translating curiosities of history into engaging narratives. Find her on Twitter at @OEWordhord

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