Starting Your Norse Studies (with Book Recs)

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  • Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
  • What you need to learn if you're getting serious about this subject, where to start, and a lot of book recommendations.
    Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit jacksonwcrawfo... (includes bio and linked list of all videos).
    Jackson Crawford’s Patreon page: / norsebysw
    Visit Grimfrost at glnk.io/6q1z/j...
    Latest FAQs: vimeo.com/3751... (updated Nov. 2019).
    Jackson Crawford’s translation of Hávamál, with complete Old Norse text: www.hackettpub... or www.amazon.com...
    Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: www.hackettpub... or www.amazon.com...
    Audiobook: www.audible.co...
    Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: www.hackettpub... or www.amazon.com...
    Audiobook: www.audible.co...
    Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit www.iseehawks.com/
    Logos and channel artwork by Justin Baird. See more of his work at: justinbairddesign.com

КОМЕНТАРІ • 77

  • @JacksonCrawford
    @JacksonCrawford  Рік тому +12

    I also have a separate video with book recommendations about runes: ua-cam.com/video/6k7a4wHmSXI/v-deo.html

  • @janetrobinson1864
    @janetrobinson1864 Рік тому +32

    I never thought I would sit on a rainy (London UK) Christmas Day with my 14 year old grandson and listen to him talk me through old Norse grammar and hear him talk about the difference between ON and Latin! After a few days he has a grasp of the basics. Thank you Jackson. We love you. I am not a linguist.

    • @koenigcochran
      @koenigcochran Рік тому +2

      Very endearing story! What a great grandma

    • @janetrobinson1864
      @janetrobinson1864 Рік тому +2

      @@koenigcochran thanks. I heard him speak some Swedish with a young man studying in Sweden last week. All thanks to PIE enthusiasts and Jackson Crawford

  • @SolarDragon1000
    @SolarDragon1000 Рік тому +64

    Dr. Crawford: "I'm going to tell you how you can study Old Norse without having to pay a penny to academia."
    Angry Academic Wind: "No."

  • @fartsofdoom6491
    @fartsofdoom6491 Рік тому +10

    This makes me really grateful to be a native German speaker. Can't imagine how much harder it must be to try and learn Old Norse when all you know is modern English. Hell, grammar-wise German probably even gives you an advantage over continental Scandinavians.

  • @simonemaio9054
    @simonemaio9054 Рік тому +55

    Professor I have been learning Old Norse when I saw your previous video where you talked about which books to buy if we wanted to learn Old Norse. I bought "A New Introduction to Old Norse", that are 3 books, and I can say that now I am translating texts without any difficulties. I really bless the first day when I saw your videos

    • @Scareth
      @Scareth Рік тому +2

      Wow, that is incredible. How long you've been practicing?

    • @jackthomas9979
      @jackthomas9979 Рік тому

      Amazing!

    • @yannhaettel1115
      @yannhaettel1115 Рік тому +1

      @simonemaio9054 where do you find your books in Old Norse, not translated but in original language ?

  • @JacksonCrawford
    @JacksonCrawford  Рік тому +36

    By the way (as my assistant Stella points out), if you're looking to buy any of the books I recommend, December is a great time to do it because many presses have sales. Hackett (who publishes my books) is having a sale right now through January 8th; 25% off all *regular* books (not the signed boxed set) with code YE2022. The University of Pennsylvania press, which publishes Mitchell's "Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages" and several other good titles in this field (www.pennpress.org/search-result/?keyword=norse) is having a sale through December 31st; 40% off all books and free US shipping with code HOLIDAY22-FM.

  • @BoardroomBuddha
    @BoardroomBuddha Рік тому +5

    I was on a PhD track in Scandinavian history at UW Wisconsin after having taken grad course at Stockholms Universitet. This was in 1989. At the time, other PhD students had been there for > 15 years still working as adjuncts on a semester to semester contract basis. They scared me away from continuing beyond my Master degree. It's one of my biggest regrets in life because I really loved the topic of Swedish history. LIttle did I know that Scandinavian history and language would become "cool" again 30 years later...

  • @Reginmund
    @Reginmund Рік тому +5

    That career advice is sad but true. I did a master's degree in medieval studies and I was lucky enough to land a job in a historical institute almost immediately, but it was just an endless series of short term contracts and paid little more than working retail. Once I ran out of contracts I started watching job listings and if I was lucky there might be a relevant listing every other month or so, usually temporary. If it was one of those rare permanent positions you could be sure there would be hundreds of applicants with many heavy hitters with years of experience applying, in other words a relative newcomer might as well not apply. At this point I was nearing 30 and still hadn't had a job contract longer than 6 months, and still depended on my family for support.
    Obviously this arrangement couldn't last and I ended up taking an internship at a completely unrelated government department where I finally got a permanent position and significantly higher pay. Not least this enabled me to get an apartment and start travelling to those places I'd been reading about but never could afford to visit. I've still kept a strong interest in history as a hobby, but if there's one thing I'm going to regret is that I was never able to get proper employment in what I'm most qualified to do.
    I'd highly recommend people keep their interest in this type of field as a hobby unless they're 100% convinced they're willing to sacrifice everything else to work in it. I know people 40+ who're still going from contract to contract, never knowing if they'll have an income a few months from now.

  • @theodwyn4491
    @theodwyn4491 Рік тому +7

    Your point about knowing the basics off cold is really important, and has been a considerable aid to me in my studies of Old English.

  • @grettirasmundarson9980
    @grettirasmundarson9980 Рік тому

    E. V. Gordon’s book was a great resource for me. I did study Ancient Greek for years before I took up Old Norse, and after studying modern Swedish for some years, so Old Norse wasn’t a big jump. Gordon gives a good overview of the grammar and great texts with notes. I can back learning Swedish, too.

  • @jackjohnson2309
    @jackjohnson2309 Рік тому +1

    On the note of Viking history resources, I found Kenneth Harl’s “Great Courses” course to be very well done.

  • @phoenixknight8837
    @phoenixknight8837 Місяць тому

    Amazing video recommendation! Thank you and much appreciated!

  • @katepalmer747
    @katepalmer747 Рік тому +7

    Thank you for the helpful tips. You have already done so much to help me learn Old Norse. I eagerly await the publication of your textbook 🌷

  • @Stormpriest
    @Stormpriest Рік тому +3

    You asked why someone would look into this, for me personally? The same reason why I looked into Old English / Anglo-Saxon.
    My mother was a couple years shy of her dissertation in this latter topic.
    Hilariously, I asked her the same question you just answered about old norse, if I should study it on my own or if I should go to university
    She only pause for about 2 seconds before answering, do it on your own LOL

  • @baecere2
    @baecere2 Рік тому +1

    as of now I am trying to learn Orkney Norn which is a dialect of Old Norse yes I could learn Old Norse... I might but as of now Orkney Norn is very interesting!

  • @ADHDlanguages
    @ADHDlanguages Рік тому +1

    I think you have great advice re:career stuff. I'm keeping language/history stuff as purely a hobby until my kids are older and maybe I can go back to school for it.

  • @Loki_Dokie
    @Loki_Dokie Рік тому +3

    Perfect video thank you sir! I've always delved into this subject but never had a good idea of where to truly start.

  • @creatureinthedeep
    @creatureinthedeep Рік тому

    Thanks for your continued interest & dedication to this.

  • @Lucy-qr9ks
    @Lucy-qr9ks Рік тому +2

    That was extremely well done and very coherent, thank you very much for making this video!

  • @CorvidLloyd
    @CorvidLloyd Рік тому

    Thank you for this, Dr. Crawford! Very helpful.

  • @gurugoat8298
    @gurugoat8298 Рік тому +4

    I always come for the folklore and mythology, and love learning about the language as well. Before this video, I had all three of the Icelandic sagas you mentioned (exact translations too; what are the odds?). I also have the Penguin's Sagas of Warrior-Poets and Grettir the Strong. Are those translations good as well? Thanks for all you do!

  • @Scareth
    @Scareth Рік тому +3

    I have a beautiful book by Oxford, "The Syntax of Old Norse". Interesting om the grammar of old norse!

  • @melissahdawn
    @melissahdawn Рік тому +1

    Thank you.
    Incredibly helpful as always!!!
    (If you are new to this language, this being 'Old Norse' START HERE)

  • @delicatethunders
    @delicatethunders Рік тому +1

    wow, i was searching around where and how i could learn old norse on the internet just a couple days ago, and now i stumbled across this video. thanks for the awesome content doc!

  • @red_da_viking
    @red_da_viking Рік тому +1

    Always looking for good recommendations. Have a few already and had a few more on wishlist but added others after watching this. Thank you for all the info you share on here.

  • @trashkidd
    @trashkidd Рік тому +2

    hyped for the new old norse text you're working on! love watching your videos on the grammar, and would be really nice to have it codified in text form

  • @MichaelLoda
    @MichaelLoda Рік тому +1

    Oh an introduction video, that's awesome, thank you

  • @KC-vq2ot
    @KC-vq2ot 4 місяці тому

    Thanks for all the good work that you do
    Is it possible to make a list about resources available that are not in English? A Scandinavian language or German, perhaps?

  • @arkmstick3495
    @arkmstick3495 Рік тому

    Love that you din edit the vid, duder. Keeps it real 🖖

  • @goblinwizard735
    @goblinwizard735 Рік тому

    It’s really cool you made this.
    Commenting to up it in the algorithms.

  • @OldSchoolHippieFood
    @OldSchoolHippieFood Рік тому +1

    ……and I was * literally * just looking for this information.

  • @acaciabaker5935
    @acaciabaker5935 Рік тому

    Hands down already the most comprehensive approach, makes books list complete for the coming season and for years to come.
    So so so many good titles and links, thanks

  • @HeatherRenee2017
    @HeatherRenee2017 Рік тому

    Thank you this was very informative

  • @Paul-ki8dg
    @Paul-ki8dg Рік тому

    Thanks, I'm in the room of the laziest bunch to be found looking for the lowest hanging fruit to pick. What to pick is about what will work and why. Should someone ask, "How long did it take you to do that? The answer often is about two hours with ten years of looking at it in between the minutes.

  • @cannonballbob6949
    @cannonballbob6949 Рік тому +2

    I wish there was a book that taught Old Norse the way my German book from high school did 😂

  • @adirasantics3664
    @adirasantics3664 Рік тому +1

    Making an in depth and helpful video about where to start when learning old Norse :D
    Wind: *n o*

  • @matteodelenda8481
    @matteodelenda8481 Рік тому

    Thank you for the recommandations Doc, helps a ton

  • @ssechres
    @ssechres Рік тому

    I have a BA in History from IU Bloomington. I took a course in Viking/Norse culture from a Professor Blaisdell in the 1980s. He was kind of an old man at that time. I was wondering if you had heard of him.

  • @HeatherRenee2017
    @HeatherRenee2017 Рік тому

    I am interested because I want to go into archeology.
    I have both introduction to old Norse plus their mp3s in introduction to reading and how to pronounce.
    Plus three linguists books.

  • @hrafnagu9243
    @hrafnagu9243 Рік тому

    It's getting down right windy lately here in Colorado innit?

  • @BrainInAJarStudio
    @BrainInAJarStudio Рік тому +1

    The wond is so harsh cause DocCraw got the gods excited.

  • @TheDragonsleeve
    @TheDragonsleeve Рік тому

    This was really helpful. Thanks.

  • @LukeRanieri
    @LukeRanieri Рік тому

    Ah this shall be an excellent resource.

  • @lilamusicproduction
    @lilamusicproduction Рік тому

    Thx friend!

  • @eldsveg_s
    @eldsveg_s Рік тому

    Thank you so much for this video. I was considering writing to you somehow to ask how and where to start with the study of Old Norse, especially since it is almost an impossible hope for me to learn from you directly in-person.

  • @Adrian13rams
    @Adrian13rams Рік тому

    If you need a book idea to write, I would love to see a comparison book for modern scandavian languages (at least between norweign, Swedish, Danish and modern Icelandic) with a dash of old norse for references. There's one for romance languages by mikhail petrunin that I thought was fun to read and compare to as a long term Spanish learner.
    Norweign is one of my baby languages I'm learning so I might be biased/greedy here, but I think you would be a great author for such a project 😊

  • @justinchadwick1034
    @justinchadwick1034 Рік тому

    Just started my steps

  • @mac3madmax
    @mac3madmax Рік тому +1

    Got some Mullein in the back ground

  • @LeviathansSpirit
    @LeviathansSpirit Рік тому +1

    If there are any, what are the best translators/dictionaries for norse whether they be a website or book?

  • @TrimbakkiFonElsass
    @TrimbakkiFonElsass Рік тому

    Thank you for all your work as always, your videos were a great start for me!
    And am about one year into self learning, currently I am able to read prose at a low level.
    I recently bought "The syntax of old norse" I feel it's useful for wrapping your head around phrasing. Similar to the short passages in "A new into. to ON"
    Do any discord servers exist which are meant for learning?

  • @LundyHolbrook
    @LundyHolbrook Рік тому +2

    So, I’m a nutshell, just learn every Germanic language and then you’re good. 😂

  • @clauderichards6239
    @clauderichards6239 11 місяців тому +1

    Recommendations for Old English?

  • @jhah1812
    @jhah1812 Рік тому +1

    Does anyone have a link for the 3 books set mentioned at the beginning of the video?

  • @panjacek2273
    @panjacek2273 Рік тому

    Do you guys know if there is any answer key to "graded readings and exercises in old icelandic"?

  • @jmoore5716
    @jmoore5716 Рік тому

    @3:11 what?! .. what?! Immediately pauses video to switch on computer to download a free copy of a new introduction to old norse

  • @yaseinbrat94
    @yaseinbrat94 Рік тому

    My studies are rather superficial and are for character development for Ren Faires and Festivals. I like the whole fantasy stigma, to a point, but it would be nice to get a basic knowledge of a conversational dialect in old Norse to impress and confuse folks at the festivals,LOL. I just finished a book by Neil Price titled “ The Children of Ash and Elm”. Im fairly good at parroting the language, but would like to dive a little deeper.

  • @thomaswillard6267
    @thomaswillard6267 Рік тому

    Guy, I'm gonna be honest, you're the only person I've heard even acknowledge the distinction between Old East Norse and Old West Norse.
    Did someone corner you in a coffeeshop about this or something?

  • @rebekahshantz3565
    @rebekahshantz3565 Рік тому +1

    Regarding old east Norse vs old west Norse it sounds like a take on high German vs low German. I'm told low German is lower class.

    • @samjon4
      @samjon4 Рік тому +1

      It’s nice to be a Preuß, but it’s higher to be a Bayer.

  • @ChocolatKrysia
    @ChocolatKrysia Рік тому

    Craig Van Every

  • @beepboop204
    @beepboop204 Рік тому

    🙂🙂

  • @eb282
    @eb282 Рік тому

    Sssssssick ring

  • @sogoma7797
    @sogoma7797 Рік тому

    Is Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman a good source?

    • @helios6379
      @helios6379 Рік тому

      Yes, it is. You can easily find it and it's quite cheap, but offers good value.

  • @bagthebird7610
    @bagthebird7610 Рік тому

    can i get a list on the recommends, i kinda just put this on without thinking

  • @Akheloios
    @Akheloios Рік тому

    Hey dude, you still have a responsibility. Someone teaching you to drive a car should at the very minimum point out that driving a car into someone will cause them harm.

  • @gnarzikans
    @gnarzikans Рік тому +1

    the spanish/catalan comparison for old west/east norse seems like a poor one--the more apt comparison would probably be catalan vs occitan

  • @Explorer273
    @Explorer273 Рік тому +1

    I agree with skipping the runes because there is almost nothing to read. Unless you happen to be Swedish, which I am. Then there is a good chance you will learn runes first. The reason for that is of course rune stones and we had some lessons in school as kids, I mean, it does make sense if you think about it? It's easy because rune stones basically all say the same thing. 16 runes but FRKISTBL - ᚠᚱᚴᛁᛋᛏᛒᛚ looks almost the same as the normal alphabet meaning there are only eight runes to learn. Trick is to connect them to sounds not letters because that's how they were written. Most texts are simple and close enough to modern Swedish that many stones can be read and understood by anyone. Almost all rune stones are post Viking age and often clearly christian. Modern Swedish will say "His father", older, dialectal and poetic Swedish would be "Father his" and that is what rune stones say. To further remove all mystery the majority just say this and this raised the stone after his father or built a bridge. Quite often followed by something like may god save his soul. The interesting thing is their names. The tradition seems to have been that you were given a temporary name as a child because it's hard to know who you are going to become as an adult. Then you earned your name one way or the other. Which means there are some interesting and entertaining names carved on rune stones but that is more culture than langauge.