You’re probably wondering why this site is called “hwaet.” Now I could try to define it myself, but Dr. Kathryn Powell (Cambridge) covers the topic quite nicely:

Hwaet is a word that is frequently found at the beginning of Old English poems, and it was used to get the attention of audiences listening to an oral performance. While it has no precise equivalent in modern English and has been translated in many different ways, it seems to mean something like, “listen up!”

Kathy and I have known each other for a very long time and we jointly created this site many years ago. Today as was the case back then, Hwaet seems like a logical name for a website.

For those interested in Anglo-Saxon, I’ve compiled a number of links (at left) of pages, resources, and programs related to Anglo-Saxon history and culture along with references to programs and pop culture tidbits. This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor should it be construed as academic in any way. I’ve added these items as merely guides and signposts for you to explore.

Turning to the photo, although these ruins at York, England, aren’t Anglo-Saxon they are among a number of medieval and Roman structures scattered throughout the city. Just north on the East Coast Mainline lies Durham where its incredible Norman cathedral and castle sit within the University of Durham campus. Inside the castle is a wonderfully preserved Anglo-Saxon chapel that once served as a bicycle storage room. Sometimes it pays to look behind all of that stuff piled up in the basement.