Made a site where you can practise Old English scansion. You get given a half-line and have to select which of Sievers's five types it belongs to. Just Beowulf for now, but that's 6364 half-lines to be getting on with: dgplacenames.github.io/scansion/ [Data: clasp.ell.ox.ac.uk/]

So I was walking around a cemetery this morning with my kids (as one does), and my 6 y.o. suddenly starts giggling and points at this 19th c tombstone

Telling my kids the new Dogman movie is based on the life of St. Christopher from the Nowell codex

Can't wait to give this talk in Bloomington next month!

A haunted house but it's just grading

Move over Donkey Kong and Pokemon ZA. Ready to call "Best game of 2025" right now!

I haven't been on socials much lately...but *delighted* to find out about @dannybate.bsky.social 's new book! I know what I'll be reading for the next week! Also, this will go so well with future versions of my "what is a word?" class

compacting is for trash

Bae, new ROEP dropped 💅 roep.web.ox.ac.uk/article/the-...

PSA for new parents

People say they don't teach real world skills in college anymore. People are wrong. We tried writing in cuneiform yesterday in my "What is a word?" class

🚨THIS BOOK IS ALMOST REAL!!!🚨 @manchesterup.bsky.social out here making dreams come true!

se cyning hylles

okay but do we *need* a gen z Jeeves fanfic

real ones recognize the original sussy baka

Worried my 3 year old is showing symptoms of being proto-Brythonic. His sister is obsessed with kpop demon hunters, yet he keeps calling it "p-pop demon hunter"

Compiling a slang dictionary with students is *always* a good time

Watching a classic with the kids this weekend

Do you ever make a slide and think "the hell is wrong with me?"

BIG DICTIONARY ENERGY Carried some 33lbs of lexicography a half mile to class this morning so students could partake of an ancient activity known as "looking up words" This scholarly body is sore 💪😅

for mixed feelings, I had a blast writing about medieval fan culture! feat. interviews with a couple of my fav colleagues Maggie Solberg and @phil-lol-ogist.bsky.social snag a print issue if you can the entire zine is glorious!! www.mixedfeelings.earth/p/the-mediev...

they *did* promise PhD level performance...

I was showing my class some manuscript leaves today, including one I have from a missal. They asked, "what's a missal?" I explained it and then summarized: "in short, missals are weapons of mass instruction". They actually laughed. This class is a special one.

Harsh but fair

Good Humour popsicles, recommended by Galen, loved by serfs everywhere

I'm in an impossible situation here... I just realized my students were born the year I graduated highschool... and yet at dinner last night, I had to explain to colleagues what the PBS show "Wishbone" was. Am I too old or too young? Which is it? 👶💀 #mementomoripoasting

Student: I used your joke from class the other day in my open mic stand up routine! Me (flattered): really? How'd it go? Student: some of the people in the audience laughed. I guess it needs more work-shopping. Me: wow (dies a little inside)

Had students memorize 5 stanzas each of Völuspá Today we circled around this silly little stage prop "fire", turned out the lights, and played a storm in the background on YouTube while reciting the whole poem. IT WAS FREAKING MAGICAL

Why yes, my pedagogy does consist of doling candy out of a Viking helmet

One last sight before the long journey home. Walked to/from Kirkstall Abbey (~7 miles). It was genuinely impressive! Why are people saying "Leeds has nothing medieval"? It's simply not true! I motion we move IMC to Kirkstall next year

Durham blew my mind. Thinking of relocating to Yorkshire...

Y'all: the Yorkshire Museum Viking North exhibit is a MUST SEE. Several silver hoards, THE Coppergate helmet, and a bunch of other great items! Also, a refreshingly thoughtful acknowledgement of the Vikings as enslavers and attempt to give voice to the enslaved people they exploited.

Feeling like @oldenoughtosay.bsky.social , climbing churches for fun 😅

Minsters and madness 💀

York is just showing off today 🤩

How I feel after 12 days of nonstop conferencing 🫠

Went and did a little pilgrimage to the far side of Leeds!

when you trip over a cobblestone at Leeds

Monk 1: good work on that image of the vernicle! Monk 2: thanks mate M1: hold up. What's this? M2: ??? M1: this better not be another one of your stupid puns M2: and why should our Lord not have been...cross eyed? M1: (sharpens excommunication stick)

Okay, yes, I'm at my first @imc-leeds.bsky.social . Come listen to me enthuse about: 1) the Franks Casket (Tuesday night) & 2) King Solomon and some demons team up on Old Norse apocrypha (Wed 1115a)

Apocrypha scholars know that Ethiopic is always an excellent choice 😎

Nobody expects to see the manuscript of the Spanish Inquisition at the British Library! Treasures indeed ❤️❤️❤️😅

Nothing like seeing an old friend!

Like a pevensey child, I do believe that British rail will be the end of me. (Booking all of the coming week's UK trips is making me miss Germany's transit system!)

St. Denis: (tips head) "m'lady"

Christmas in July: the updated Echoe project is magnificent! And an updated DoE corpus? (Swoon)

Amazing opening keynote from @rorynaismith.bsky.social I learned so much about early medieval English communities (especially gilds). Intrigued at the idea of building community around the prevention and/pursuit of "knifing" blokes 😅

Another good day: this time in Aachen, the Disneyworld of Charlemagne!

I think this means I'm getting a promotion?

Anyone else got a switch 2? the new Mario kart has some wild rides