Old English Wordhord

Old English Word of the Day

Navigation

Skip to content
  • About
  • Linktree
  • Books
    • The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English
    • The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary
    • Book Illustrations
  • App
  • Events
  • Podcasts
  • Merch
  • More content on Patreon
  • Goldgifa Page
  • Pronunciation
  • Not “Anglo-Saxon”
  • Medieval Resources

Post navigation

← Older posts
Newer posts →

elpend

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Hana Videen

elpend, m.n: elephant. (EL-pend / ˈɛl-pɛnd)

A fairly realistic medieval drawing of the front of an elephant in profile; another trunk in a different position is sketched in the background.
Matthew Paris’s Liber Additamentorum; England, 1250-59; British Library, Cotton MS Nero D I, f. 169v. [bl.uk]
Posted in animals, deorhord book Leave a comment

dēor

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Hana Videen

dēor, n.n: animal. (DAY-or / ˈdeːɔr)

A red-haired, glasses-wearing, thirty-something woman with bird earrings and a big smile holds a green and gold book, "The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary" by Hana Videen; the background is a forest with autumn colours.
Today is publication day for The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary. The next week of words will include various animals from the hoard.

Posted in animals, deorhord book Leave a comment

heofon-būend

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Hana Videen

heofon-būend, m.n: dweller in heaven. (HEH-oh-von-BOO-end / ˈhɛɔ-vɔn-ˌbuː-ɛnd)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is on Azarias and fire-terror. Read it on Patreon.

Posted in people, religion Leave a comment

fold-ræst

Posted on October 31, 2023 by Hana Videen

fold-ræst, f.n: ‘earth-rest’, a resting-place in the earth, a grave. (FOLD-RAST / ˈfɔld-ˌræst)

Medieval manuscript image of three skulls and a pile of coffins, two of which are open and contain corpses.
James le Palmer’s Omne Bonum, England (London), c. 1360-75; British Library, Royal MS 6 E VI/1, f. 267v. [bl.uk]
Posted in places Leave a comment

bryne-brōga

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Hana Videen

bryne-brōga, m.n: fire-terror. (BRUE-nuh-BRO-ga / ˈbry-nə-ˌbroː-ga)

Medieval manuscript image of a dragon-like creature with enormous teeth protruding up and down from its jaws and long wavy horns, breathing fire as it stands in the water.
Liber Floridus, by Lambert, Canon of Saint-Omer; France, 1121; Ghent University Library, Ms. 92, f. 62v. [lib.ugent.be]
Posted in monsters Leave a comment

attor-cræft

Posted on October 29, 2023 by Hana Videen

attor-cræft, m.n: art of using poison or poisonous potions, witchcraft, sorcery. (AHT-tor-KRAFT / ˈat-tɔr-ˌkræft)

Posted in arts + crafts, deorhord book, magic + supernatural Leave a comment

hold

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Hana Videen

hold, n.n: a carcass, body. (HOLD / ˈhɔld)

Medieval manuscript image of a hyena biting into a man’s corpse lying in an open coffin.
Northumberland Bestiary; England, c. 1250-60; J. Paul Getty Museum, Ms. 100, f. 12v. [blogs.getty.edu]
Posted in body + health, deorhord book Leave a comment

leger-stōw

Posted on October 27, 2023 by Hana Videen

leger-stōw, f.n: burial place; graveyard, cemetery. (LEH-yer-STOH / ˈlɛ-jɛr-ˌstoːw)

Posted in places Leave a comment

a-wyrgda

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Hana Videen

a-wyrgda, m.n: the cursed, the Devil. (ah-WUERG-da / a-ˈwyrg-da)

Medieval manuscript image of St Peter, a tonsured man with a giant key, fending off a devil who wears a loincloth, has clawed feet and hands and holds an open book; the saint and the devil each grasp the arm of a man in between them.
New Minster Liber Vitae; England (Winchester), c. 1031; British Library, Stowe MS 944, f. 7r. [bl.uk]
Posted in etc Leave a comment

brēgan

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Hana Videen

brēgan, wk.v: to terrify, frighten (someone / something). (BRAY-gahn / ˈbreː-gan)

This week’s Wordhord Wednesday post is about a questionable riddle. Read it on Patreon.

Posted in etc Leave a comment

Post navigation

← Older posts
Newer posts →

Find Posts

Support

Become a Goldgifa to support my work and read additional content.

  • Patreon

Follow

  • Bluesky
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Mastodon
Download on the App Store

Website Powered by WordPress.com.
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Old English Wordhord
      • Join 689 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Old English Wordhord
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...