Old English (sometimes referred to as Anglo-Saxon) is the earliest recorded stage of English, spoken in Britain during the early Middle Ages. A wealth of literature and poetry is written in the language, including justly famous works such as The Battle of Maldon, The Wanderer, and above all Beowulf. Old English is also the starting point for the study of the history of the English language, and a gateway to Germanic philology. This course begins with an introduction to Old English grammar, aiming to provide students with a working reading competency in the language. Students will have the chance to put this knowledge into practice in the second part of the course by reading several of the best shorter poems preserved in the language, culminating with a short excerpt from Beowulf.