I get a lot of questions about Ōsweald Bera and studying Old English, so I thought I’d put together a little FAQ to help answer some of the most common ones.
What is Ōsweald Bera?
Ōsweald Bera is two things in one: a language textbook that teaches you Old English and a story about a very curious bear and his friends and adventures in medieval England. I like to think of it as the Old English novel that never was.
The story is written entirely in Old English, starting very simply at first and gradually increasing in the complexity of its grammatical structures and the breadth of vocabulary until, by the end, you can move smoothly into authentic Old English prose texts, such as the works of King Alfred or the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
Ōsweald Bera is suitable for complete beginners of the language but is also (I hope) a charming addition to the collection of more experienced students of Old English.
What is the best way to use Ōsweald Bera to learn Old English?
The video above goes into detail about how I recommend using Ōsweald Bera to learn Old English. If you’d prefer a non-video version, I have written a free guide for subscribers of The Dead Language Society. Just click on the subscribe button below, and you’ll get a PDF link straight to your inbox.
When will the audiobook of Ōsweald Bera be released?
We don’t have a date just yet, but it will be coming out sometime in 2025. Probably closer to the middle of the year. The audiobook will be narrated by some all-star voice actors from the Old English world, so it’s definitely worth the wait!
Will there be an eBook of Ōsweald Bera?
There are currently no plans to release an eBook of Ōsweald Bera. But if you email my publisher, Vergil Press, and let them know you’d like one, they may change their minds!
I want to learn Old English from scratch - can you help me with a curriculum?
I can, indeed. In fact, I’ve written a whole suggested curriculum for you that will take you from zero knowledge of the language, all the way to reading Beowulf in the original.
How do I pronounce Old English?
If you’re after a relatively concise guide to Old English pronunciation, I’ve made just the video for you.
And for a more in-depth look at Old English pronunciation, I highly recommend this great video from Simon Roper.