Re: Short, sweet, and to the point

Heill Haraldr,

I understand your sentiment entirely. It is indeed hard to please everyone,
and we need to be able to accommodate all skill levels. I, fortunately, am
somewhere in the middle. I have been studying Old Norse formally for about
three years (and alongside learning Danish and German, as well - whew!), but
I still feel like a beginner at times. On the other hand, I have enough
language training to understand and appreciate the vast majority of what
Konrad posts, even if there's little I feel I can contribute to it. I can
understand the intimidation of newbies, but I must say that it is important
to persevere - eventually it will make sense. No one can learn a language in
a month, or normally even a year, it takes a commitment to ongoing learning
for many years, but as the learning curve steepens, the rewards become
apparent. I can appreciate the discussion on vowels, since one of the
problems I've been running into is learning to anticipate the vowel changes,
so I can look up the right word. That being said, I, for one, would like to
see the translation exercises (ie. Færeyinga Saga) start up again. We were
making good progress with that, and that sort of "hands on" work is the best
way to learn and improve as we go. I would also suggest maybe doing similar
exercises with some Eddic poetry (not Skaldic - that stuff gives me
nightmares! ;) ), wherein we can look at shorter pieces, which require paying
more attention to grammar. This, I think, would also give the 'mythologists'
(which includes me) something to discuss, especially in relation to the
language. Since Loki has been mentioned, Lokasenna wouldn't be a bad place to
start - and that text would be a bit of fun, too! Of course, that would also
depend on how much time and effort Haukur (or others) can commit to this, but
I think we'd all be happy to give him (them) whatever time is necessary, in
order to keep the ball rolling.

Kveðja,

Dan

haraldr_eikinskjaldi wrote:

> Hi everybody, I have already posted two or three "neewbie" question
> about the Old Norse. I understand very well the sentiment
> of "ignorance" that beginenrs like me can have. When I read posts
> like Konrad's one, I just wish one day I will know the quarter of
> what he knows. Now I have just finished the lesson 5, and I'm
> ready to do the 6th. I Think I began this course 1 month ago, and
> considering the fact that I'm not anglophone, but francophone,
> learning Old Norse in English was particuliary hard. But I think
> that the lesson couldn't be more great than the one that Haukur and
> Óskar did. Even if I'm fare to be able to read a real Saga in Old
> Norse, i think that I made a good learning of this language. As I
> know that the lesson will probably never be finished, I searched new
> ways to increase my skills in ON. So I came to this group, and
> eventually, I will buy books.
> Since the post of Teja, it seems there is like a trying
> of "revolution" in this groupe, and I think it could be a good idea
> to say what is my thinking about this. First, I have already said,
> I understant the feeling of beginners who are a litle bit afraid of
> posting here, and asking "stupid" question as I did. So I think
> that this is a good thing that beginners ask their questions here.
> But this is not a reason to prevent "intelligent" peoples from
> posting more "complicated" things here. Quite the opposite, if
> there are only beginners here, the group won't go very far, as Arlie
> Stephens said. But if there is no "intelligent" people who answer
> to beginners' questions, the group won't go very far as well!!
> So this is just my comment, take it if you want.
>
> Haraldr
>
> --- In norse_course@yahoogroups.com, Teja Johnson-Lewis
> <celestialmoon2light@...> wrote:
> >
> > I'm very humiliated about my last e-mail, which I realize was more
> than a bit off-topic (as Arlie so graciously pointed out) HOWEVER,
> that doesn't stop the truth.
> >
> > THE TRUTH: the truth is that norse course is overrun by smart
> people! As a beginner who hasn't even made it to the eighth lesson
> yet, I myself feel a bit intimidated by brilliant Konrad and the
> rest of his linguistic pals. They are very familiar with old norse
> and it's messing with a lot of people's response to the course.
> People need to write more often to the course even if you're
> embarassed or feel silly. I feel silly as I type, but oh, well. I
> think that there are a lot of members of the course who haven't
> spoken up because they're afraid. I wish e-mails could express how
> much I am stressing this concept!!
> >
> > THE PROOF: a few other people have written back, agreeing. Then,
> there's the e-mail that first made me realize that I'm not alone.
> >
> > 1.) Erin Steacy said that she was in lurkdom for most of the time.
> >
> > 2.) Raymond J. Lewis's hogwash comment was very off-topic, but
> helpful nonetheless.
> >
> > 3.) Glessner Robin had the same feeling.
> >
> > 4.) Jennifer L. Culver was on this course for months and didn't
> speak up since a little while ago because she thought that she'd
> appear ignorant of the language because everything looked so high-
> level.
> >
> > Some people also had the advantage of knowing other languages.
> Raymond and myself only know English and the ON concepts are very
> new to us.
> >
> > If you haven't written, please write! I'm willing to listen and
> I'm sure others are, too. It would be easier and more helpful to
> read old norse and questions and answers of our own level, rather
> than reading Konrad-type things. (I only say Konrad because he
> writes the most. Others write too, and they know who they are.)
> Please, please, write!!!
> >
> > Sincerely and desperately, Teja
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------------
> > Do you Yahoo!?
> > Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more
>
>
> Sumir hafa kvæði...
> ...aðrir spakmæli.
>
> - Keth
>
> Homepage: http://www.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/
>
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>
>
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--
Daniel Bray
dbray@...
School of Studies in Religion A20
University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and
catastrophe." H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946)