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Language Sector > Module > Iteration
Welcome to the Readings in Prose page for the Advanced Old English Series in which students explore, in alternating months, a work of prose and then a work of poetry to introduce students to the breadth and depth of Old English texts available for study. Each month Dr. Swain surveys the group to see what they want to tackle next from month to month.

Required Texts


For this month's module we will return to an exploration of Boethius’ On the Consolation of Philosophy which Alfred the Great had translated into Old English. This module will translate and comment on this translation and how it adapts the late Roman text to the early medieval context.

Texts & Lexical tools: If you have the Mitchell and Robinson edition, that glossary should be very useful to you, or other similar text introducing Old English. Beyond the basic glossary there is Clark-Hall's A Concise Anglo-Saxon Dictionary available in print from online purveyors of books for about 15 US plus shipping. It is also available online through Project Gutenberg or for use online via the Germanic Lexicon Project, and Archive.org. Bosowrth-Toller's An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary has been the standard for over a century and many libraries have a copy to consult or even check out, or sometimes available for sale at used book sellers. It is available to search online via bosworthtoller.com, ebeowulf, Germanic Lexicon Project, etc. A pdf version of the 1898 edition is available via Google Books. The Dictionary of Old English Project at the University of Toronto allows 20 free lookups a year but you have to create an account. And then there is always us: There is great camaraderie in saying "hey, what did you get for this word?" or line, or paragraph. We're all working on this together.
Check out Current and Upcoming offerings from:

Days and Times

Meeting Mondays & Thursdays at 7:00 PM Eastern for eight 1-hour sessions on January 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 22, 25, 29

Discord Details

#old-english-advanced
If you have any questions about the SPACE program, please reach out to [email protected].