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“The Canticle of the Creatures” by Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) composed this song in the Umbrian dialect of Italian around the time that Italian began to distinguish itself from Latin. He wrote it while suffering intensely from illness near the end of his life. “Laudato si’, mi’ Signore, per sora luna e le stelle, in celu l’ài formate clarite et pretiose et belle.” “Praise be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven you formed them clear and precious and beautiful.” – from “The Canticle of the Creatures” CLICK HERE or on the pictures below to watch the video and hear the song in the original Italian. All of the forest scenes…
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Opening Lines of THE CANTERBURY TALES (Middle English Pronunciation)
Geoffrey Chaucer himself was kind enough to recite the first 18 lines of his famous Canterbury Tales in Middle English for Rooted Willow Homeschool. To watch the video, CLICK HERE or on the images below. Below are the first 18 lines in the East Midland dialect of Middle English, the English of Geoffrey Chaucer. “Middle English” is the stage of English lasting (roughly) from 1150-1500 A.D. It is not so different from modern English as the poem Beowulf, which comes from the Old English period (450-1150 A.D.), but, as you can see, it was quite different. (CLICK HERE for my recitation of “Caedmon’s Hymn,” a poem in Old English.) Interestingly,…
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CÆDMON’S HYMN
According to the Venerable Bede, in the late seventh century A.D. an angel appeared in a dream to Cædmon, a shy, uneducated man, and inspired him to compose the poem we know today as “Cædmon’s Hymn.” “Cædmon’s Hymn” is the oldest surviving poem in English. It is Old English, and the version I am speaking in this video is the West Saxon dialect of Old English. A Northumbrian version appears in the bottom margin of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People. You can see this addition in the manuscript photo at the end of the video. The hymn itself beautifully describes God’s creation of the universe. To watch the…
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The Adoration of the Magi
Although the magi visited Jesus when he was a toddler (not a newborn), it is my favorite Christmas story from the Bible. I suspect that the star they saw was a very close conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, as described in The Star That Astonished the World by Ernest L. Martin. Below is a poem that I wrote about the moment when they first saw such a meeting of the two brightest planets in the sky and were discussing what it might mean. The wise men, or magi, who came to worship little Jesus, seem to have undertaken their costly, long, and dangerous trip with no other motive than to…
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What did Charlotte Mason say about narration?
Narration is a skill that Charlotte Mason emphasized, and I think it is a very valuable skill, particularly these days when our ability to focus on a text deeply has been weakened by the hundreds of shiny promises of entertainment that flash around us constantly. In order to narrate , you must first read or listen to a reading closely. Here are a few quotations from Charlotte Mason herself that will help get the idea across. As soon as the child is able to read, he should start reading some of his books on his own. He can read history, legends, fairy tales and other appropriate books. He should be…
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Bring Plutarch to Life in Your Homeschool Curriculum: Who Was Plutarch?
Usually I love a book for its own sake. Something about its characters, plot, and setting captures my imagination and draws me in. But every once in a while, I love a book for the sake of its author as well. For instance, when I read a book by C.S. Lewis or George MacDonald, I feel like I am in the company of a friend and mentor, someone I could trust with my own children. I feel the same way about Plutarch, and I am not alone. People have loved Plutarch for nearly two thousand years. Indeed, he is one of the most beloved authors in the entire canon of…