Videen, Hana – The Bell Bookshop

The deorhord

Emma — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

‘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!

The deorhord

Emma — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

‘A dream! I learnt something new and fascinating on every page’ Lucy Mangan’If you love words, the weird and the wild, I guarantee you’ll crouch over this book like a dragon over gold’ Meg Clothier ‘Endlessly fascinating’ – the SpectatorMany of the animals we encounter in everyday life, from the creatures in our fields to those in our fantasies, have remained the same since medieval times – but the words we use, and the ways we describe them, have often changed beyond recognition…Old English was spoken over a thousand years ago, when every animal was a deor. In this glittering Old English bestiary we find deors big and small, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the good, the bad and the downright 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.

The Wordhord

Emma — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

An entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors.’A marvelous book’ Neil Gaiman’Wonderful’ – Tom Holland’A lovely, lovely read’ – Lucy Mangan’Splendid’ – David Crystal’Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.’ Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard HawksIn this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered gems of words together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you’ll never see English in the same way again.

The Wordhord

Emma — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

An entertaining collection of strange, delightful and unexpectedly apt words from the origins of English, which illuminates the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors.’A wonderful book heaving with linguistic treasure … joyfully clever’ – Edward Brooke-Hitching author of The Madman’s Library’Wonderful’ – Tom Holland’A lovely, lovely read’ – Lucy Mangan’Splendid’ – David Crystal’A rich meditation on words, a thoughtful cultural history and a delicious box of delights’ – Nicola Griffith, author of Hild’Thorough, entertaining, and absolutely fascinating.’ Paul Anthony Jones, Haggard Hawks In this beautiful little book, Hana Videen has gathered these gems together to create a glorious trove and illuminate the lives, beliefs and habits of our linguistic ancestors. We discover a world where choking on a bit of bread might prove your guilt, where fiend-ship was as likely as friend-ship, and you might grow up to be a laughter-smith. These are the magical roots of our own language: you’ll never see English in the same way again.