The Deorhord: an Old English Bestiary.

342 pp, 8 3/4" H. B&w illustrations. "Many of the animals we encounter in everyday life, from pets and farm animals to the wild creatures of field and forest, have remained the same since medieval times. But the words used to name and describe them have often changed beyond recognition, starting with the Old English word for 'animal' itself, 'deor' (pronounced DAY-or). In 'The Deorhord', Hana Videen presents a glittering Old English bestiary of animals real and imaginary - the good, the bad, and the downright baffling. From 'gange-waefran' or walker-weavers (spiders) and 'hasu-padan' or grey-cloaked ones (eagles) to 'heafdu swelce mona' or moon-heads (historians still don't know!), 'The Deorhord' introduces a world both familiar and strange: where ants could be monsters and panthers could be your friends, where dog-headed men were as real as elephants, and where whales were as sneaky as wolves. The curious stories behind these words provide vivid insights into the language, literature, and lives of those who spoke Old English - the language of 'Beowulf' - more than a thousand years ago." Light wrinkling at the top/bottom of the spine, two small corner bumps on the boards along with three small finger marks. Dust jacket has light wrinkling at the bottom of the spine and at the top edge of the front flap.