Old English brought to life

“ic min brægen crammige mid lar”

"I cram my brain with learning!”

For the last few years I have been learning Old English - in part to form part of my touring show Kith and Kin, in part from a real interest in "The Dark Ages." Old English was spoken in different dialects across what became England from the 5th century CE til some time after the Norman conquest, when it began to morph into Middle English. Learning Old English has been like a portal for me into a distant time - a time that is both very different and very familiar. It has helped me to understand better how the English we speak today developed - the words, the sounds, the grammar, the intonation, the humour and wordplay. 

Aside from the known texts - the poems, epics, chronicles, riddles, charms, legal documents and prayers, I have been particularly interested in "conversational" Old English - how everyday people may have spoken to each other.