Hana Videen
@hanavideen.bsky.social
Writer, medievalist and hoarder of words, author of THE WORDHORD: DAILY LIFE IN OLD ENGLISH and THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY. (she/her) linktr.ee/hanavideen
I had the lovely opportunity to chat with the Old English Club at Brunswick High School. (Am I envious that my high school lacked such a club? Maybe a little.) Visit my Patreon to read my free post about it and access the Spotify link. Be sure to check out their other episodes too. #OldEnglish
Hwæt! Exploring Old English | Old English Wordhord
Earlier this year I had the opportunity to chat with Marco and Nat from Brunswick High School on their podcast "Hwæt! Exploring Old English"
patreon.com
'I’m currently enthralled by a small but exquisite book called The Wordhord ... The words on offer are a joy ... Dipping into this wordhord makes me feel happy' @sirtonyrobinson.bsky.social is loving @hanavideen.bsky.social's brilliant journey through Old English #TheWordhord!
‘I laughed out loud dozens of times’: authors choose books to make you fall back in love with reading
From a darkly comic new novel to a gripping 1950s memoir – Katherine Rundell, Malala Yousafzai, Matt Haig and others appearing at Hay festival pick titles to tempt you
theguardian.com
Does anyone have access to Rosamond McKitterick's "Books, Scribes and Learning in the Frankish Kingdoms, 6th-9th Centuries"? It's not available at my library. (I'm trying to read one chapter: "Women and Literacy in the Early Middle Ages".)
What a wundor-gifu (wondrous gift) to receive praise from @sirtonyrobinson.bsky.social! He recommends reading THE WORDHORD: ‘The words on offer are a joy … Dipping into this wordhord makes me feel happy.’ See @theguardian.com article to discover some of his Old English favourites. buff.ly/JGvCB0E
‘I laughed out loud dozens of times’: authors choose books to make you fall back in love with reading
From a darkly comic new novel to a gripping 1950s memoir – Katherine Rundell, Malala Yousafzai, Matt Haig and others appearing at Hay festival pick titles to tempt you
theguardian.com
Anyone going to the Old English conference at @utoronto.ca next week? I’m looking forward to it. #medieval #oldenglish
Just wanted to say, I have an aversion to going onto social media these days but when I do finally get around to it and read kind and generous comments it really makes my day. Thank you and apologies if I do miss your post or respond 3 weeks later.
Ic ēow þancung, everyone who shared their favourite Old English word(s) for Old English Wordhord’s 12th birthday. May your hoards of words grow ever more wondrous. For my personal favourites, see the "hord highlights" category on oldenglishwordhord.com or on the Old English Wordhord App.
twelf, n/numeral/adj: twelve (12). (TWELF / ˈtwɛlf) Today marks 12 years of the Old English Wordhord! What’s your favourite Old English word? #OldEnglish #WOTD
"The Deorhord" is as entertaining as it is informative. @hanavideen.bsky.social brings life to the stories behind the words in a way that is a true delight to read. I very much recommend it to all philologists, etymologists, "word nerds," and of course, natural history enthusiasts. #Booksky
Princeton University Press@princetonupress.bsky.social · 12mo agoA delightful journey through the weird & wonderful world of #OldEnglish, The Deorhord by @hanavideen.bsky.social is a magical menagerie of new creatures & new words for the modern "englisc" reader to discover. Now available in #paperback. Explore a free sample: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
@bookshop.org are you ever coming to Canada because I would love to do this…
No idea why this is the first AI follow-up question that comes up for this post. My book contains no toucans. If you want to read THE DEORHORD (which does discuss other ornithological wonders like phoenixes and flaming chickens), you can find it here: oldenglishwordhord.com/deorhord-book/
dēoren, adj: of or like a wild animal. (DAY-o-ren / ˈdeːɔ-rɛn) It’s #WorldAnimalDay (Dēores Dæg…sounds better in Old English). Learn about medieval animals in THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY: buff.ly/l4Lbsip #OldEnglish #WOTD #TheDeorhord @profilebooks.bsky.social @princetonupress.bsky.social
Also now available for 70% off from @princetonupress.bsky.social are @hanavideen.bsky.social's books Word Hord and Deor Hord
An entertaining tour of Old English words for animals, from the author of The Wordhord: Daily Life in Old English. @hanavideen.bsky.social's The Deorhord is now available in #paperback in the United States and Canada! Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb... #English #OldEnglish #Language
lēof-spell, n.n: a pleasant message. (LAY-off-SPELL / ˈleːɔf-ˌspɛl) The US/Canada paperback DEORHORD is out today! (The UK edition is already out in the rest of the world.) See where to get it here: buff.ly/l4Lbsip #OldEnglish #WOTD #TheDeorhord @princetonupress.bsky.social
Thank you to @hanavideen.bsky.social of ‘The Deor Hord’ and @oewordhord.bsky.social fame for reviewing my next book, LITTLE KINGDOMS (releasing 30/11/25) ‘Dispels the myth of [easy] ethnicity or nationality [terms]. Instead, Harvey breathes life into a sweeping miscellany of little kingdoms.‘
Very excited to have an advance copy of @princetonupress.bsky.social's paperback THE DEORHORD: AN OLD ENGLISH BESTIARY on my shelf! Available September 16: preorder the US/Canada publication from PUP: buff.ly/OJUqlpB #TheDeorhord #OldEnglish #MedievalBeasties
Whoever came up with the word podiatrist really missed a trick by not going with doctopus.
And I would be a fool to not mention @hanavideen.bsky.social’s ‘The Deor Hord’ (+ ‘The Word Hord’). A different subject to mine, sure, but the structure and playful attitude taught me much on how to approach complex subjects for the general reader - visually, the art of this book was a huge inspo
www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Little-Kingd... LITTLE KINGDOMS: AN A-Z OF EARLY MEDIEVAL BRITAIN, my next book, releases on the 30th of November 2025 As of today it is now available for preorder, at a discounted early price of £20 (RRP £25) Why should you pick up this book...? 🧵
Little Kingdoms
Before England, Wales, and Scotland were created, before Alfred the Great and the Great Viking Army, before even a raid on Lindisfarne, the kingdoms that…
pen-and-sword.co.uk
We're in the Apps We Love list on the App Store in Europe this week! This is the first time Wordhord has been in any list on the App Store. I feel honoured to be alongside other amazing indie apps like @mercuryweather.app and @lookup-app.bsky.social
I launched Wordhord v2.0 today and noticed this review while I was in App Store Connect. If you want an app to cheer you up, check it out (it's free). Learn an Old English word every day in an app with a unique medieval style. apps.apple.com/ca/app/old-e... #iOSDev #OldEnglish #MedievalSky
The Old English Wordhord version 2.0 is available today on the App Store! New features include: - Share Old English words - Old English date widgets - Dark mode icon As always the app is free so check it out! apps.apple.com/ca/app/old-e... #OldEnglish #Medieval #MedievalSky
dēop, adj: deep, extending downwards; describing the extreme of range (of understanding, thought, doctrine, oaths, etc.), profound, complete. (DAY-op / ˈdeːɔp) Image: Bestiaire of Guillaume le Clerc; France, late 13th century; @labnf.bsky.social fr. 14964, f. 150v. #OldEnglish #WOTD
fȳrene, adj: fiery, flaming with fire, fireproducing. (FUE-reh-nuh / ˈfyː-rɛ-nə) Image: Livre des propriétés des choses; France (Toulouse), c. 1350; Paris, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Ms. 1029, f. 248r. #OldEnglish #WOTD
for-swelgan, str.v: to swallow (something/someone) entirely, devour (something/someone) utterly. (for-SWELL-gahn / fɔr-ˈswɛl-gan) Image: Ormesby Psalter; England (East Anglia), 1250-1330; @bodleianlibraries.bsky.social MS. Douce 366, f. 71v. #OldEnglish #WOTD
lox, m.n: lynx. (LOCKS / ˈlɔks) Image: Lynx in a bestiary; England, c. 1170; @britishlibrary.bsky.social Add MS 11283, f. 3v. #OldEnglish #WOTD
