Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.

Language Sector > Module > Iteration
Old Saxon, the continental cousin to Old English, was the language spoken in Northern Germany from the ninth to the twelfth century. It is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Anglo-Saxon, so Old English students will easily be able to read and understand it. The language boasts a number of smaller texts, but the Hêliand, an epic poem of nearly 6,000 lines, remains its most prestigious literary monument. It tells the story of Jesus Christ (the “Hêliand,” meaning “Savior”) reimagined as a Saxon lord with a retinue of twelve thanes, and it is comparable to the Old English Beowulf. In this module, we will read and discuss selections of this poem. Some familiarity with Old English is required.

Required Texts

Our textbook is the James E. Cathey’s Hêliand: Text and Commentary (ISBN: 0937058645). It does not contain the entire poem, but instead a number of excerpts, an introduction to Old Saxon grammar, and a glossary. Necessary materials will be provided.
Check out Current and Upcoming offerings from:

Days and Times

Meeting Mondays & Wednesdays 7:00 PM (Eastern Time), with classes scheduled for Nov 30, then Dec 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, and 26.

If you have any questions about the SPACE program, please reach out to [email protected].