> Whenever I look at Old English, I keep trying to read it as something else ('þence'=think in French, 'ic be' like 'ich bin' in German) and it doesn't help that OE spelling was randomly inconsistent or nonexistent! How about this particular verse, which I know must be interesting because I copied it into a notebook a while ago?
>
> bitre breostceare / / / / / / gebiden hæbbe,
> gecunnad in ceole / / / / / cearselda fela,
> atol yþa gewealc, / / / / / / þær mec oft bigeat
> nearo nihtwaco / / / / / / / / æt nacan stefnan
> þonne he be clifum cnossað. / / / / / Calde geþrungen
> wæron mine fet, / / / / / / / forste gebunden
> caldum clommum. / / / / / Þær þa ceare seofedun
> hat ymb heortan, / / / / / / hungor innan slat
> merewerges mod.
>
> Wolf "So what's the word for 'spirit' in OE, and is the same word used for 'courage' and/or 'psyche'?" spirit


Oh no. *Gets out the dictionary* Well, I know that's from "The Seafarer". Hmmmm...easy questions first, "mod" is the word for spirit, and my dictionary also translates it as courage, mind, thought, and heart. Probably "mood" also, I imagine. Right, here goes.

"experienced bitter grief of heart,
have come to know many a place of care in the ship,
terrible tossing waves, where the anxious
night-watch often held me at the ship's prow,
when it was dashed near the cliffs. Oppressed by cold
were my feet, bound by frost,
fettered by cold. The hot sorrow sighed
in my heart, hunger tore
the sea-weary spirit from within."

Aaaghh. That is *so* not right, but it's the best I can do. Nasty. No cliff-dashing allowed on *my* boat, no way. I carry spare socks too. ;-)