“It’s common in Old English to count time by ‘winters’ – to speak, for instance, of someone having lived a certain number of ‘winters in the world’ – and we’ll see that winter is a season which looms large in Anglo-Saxon poetry.” –Winters in the World, by Eleanor Parker
I’ve been reading a wonderful book, “Winters in the World,” by Eleanor Parker, in which she takes readers through the medieval Anglo-Saxon calendar. A really enjoyable read, and she is so adept at making Old English, and some pretty arcane subjects, accessible to non specialists, which is a rare gift in academic writing.
Winter for us is a time that might be rather irritating or difficult, especially if you live in an area that gets lots of snow and cold weather. To ancient peoples, it could mean death. In a modern context, George RR Martin did a wonderful job of using winter as an oppressive force to be feared. Parker takes the reader through Anglo Saxon poetry that spoke of winter and its hardships–it’s a journey well worth taking. I highly recommend this book.
I’m just up to the section on Candlemas, which was celebrated February 2, when the Christmas season came to an end. I propose we go back to having the entire month of January off and starting up work again after Candlemas. It’s the right thing to do!
Christopher Tuthill 