A Language I Love Is... Old Norse and Jackson Crawford
Nov 22, 2025
Dr. Jackson Crawford, an Old Norse specialist and engaging educator, shares insights on the fascinating Viking language and its evolution. He explains the differences between West Norse and East Norse dialects, alongside the historical connections to Old English. Jackson delves into Proto-Norse runes and their origins, discussing how discoveries are reshaping our understanding. He highlights the unique nature of Old Norse literature, primarily from medieval Iceland, and reflects on his own passion for the language, emphasizing its impact on cultural perspective.
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Old Norse Covers Viking And Medieval Eras
- Old Norse spans roughly 600s to the Black Death and was the language of the Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia.
- The Old Norse we teach is often later medieval Icelandic, slightly different from Viking-age speech.
West Norse And East Norse Divide
- Early inscriptions show a West Norse vs East Norse split that became Norwegian/Icelandic/Faroese vs Swedish/Danish.
- Geographic borders don't map cleanly to modern nations and feature mixes occur across regions.
Why ‘Proto‑Norse’ Is Still Useful
- 'Proto-Norse' names runic inscriptions are abundant but limited, making full reconstruction partial.
- We still call it Proto-Norse despite debates because the corpus is heavily name-based and fragmentary.
