The Deorhord: An Old English Bestiary

(Paperback, Main)

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'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!

Reviews

'Endlessly fascinating' - Spectator

'A dream! I learnt something new and fascinating on every page' - Lucy Mangan

'Wonderful' - Victoria Finlay, author

'If you love words, the weird and the wild, I guarantee you'll crouch over this book like a dragon over gold' - Meg Clothier

'A treasure trove.' - Caspar Henderson, author

Author Bio

Hana Videen has been hoarding Old English words since 2013, when she began tweeting one a day. Now over 28,000 people follow for these daily gems from her wordhord. Following her Old English doctorate at King's College London, she is a writer and blogger in Canada, translating curiosities of history into engaging narratives. Find her on Twitter at @OEWordhord