Description

‘A dream! I learnt something new and fascinating on every page’ – Lucy Mangan

‘Invaluable – and hugely entertaining … It is an absolute romp and a must-have for history and fantasy enthusiasts alike’ – Eleanor Janega

‘Endlessly fascinating’ – the Spectator

Many of the animals we encounter in everyday life, from the creatures in our fields to those in our fantasies, have remained the same since medieval times – but the words we use, and the ways we describe them, have often changed beyond recognition…

Old English was spoken over a thousand years ago, when every animal was a deor. In this glittering Old English bestiary we find deors big and small, the ordinary and the extraordinary, the good, the bad and the downright baffling. From walker-weavers (spiders) and grey-cloaked ones (eagles) to moon-heads and teeth-tyrants (historians still don’t know!), we discover a world both familiar and strange: where ants could be monsters and panthers could be your friend, where dog-headed men were as real as elephants and where whales were as sneaky as wolves.

From the author of The Wordhord comes another delightful dive into the realm of Old English – words and creatures that will change the way you see the world.

Publisher Review

This beautiful, fascinating book casts a warm light on the rich and tangled roots of the English language, and the human fascination with animals in the natural world. Hana Videen's The Deorhord is a treasure trove. -- Caspar Henderson, author * The Book of Barely Imagined Beings * For amateur etymologists, armchair philologists and compulsive readers of histories, The Deorhord will set hearts fizzing with joy. -- John Wright, author * The Forager's Calendar, The Naming of the Shrew * A beautifully written reminder of the magical and the mystical - a glimpse back in time that uses extraordinary creatures to capture the reader's imagination. -- Rebecca Lee, author * How Words Get Good * Praise for The Wordhord : A marvelous book -- Neil Gaiman Wonderful -- Tom Holland A lovely, lovely read -- Lucy Mangan Splendid -- David Crystal Eminently giftable -- James Marriott * The Times * Entertaining and absolutely fascinating -- Paul Anthony Jones Delightful ... a classy gift to the commonly word-drunk -- Steven Poole * Guardian * A passionate medievalist and a relaxed, lucid writer; the pleasure she takes in her subject is infectious -- Henry Hitchings * Wall Street Journal * A treasure trove ... and beautifully designed -- Marshall Julius A lively linguistic history * BBC History Magazine *