Boing Boing Staging

Beowulf sock pattern

Sanguine Gryphon’s selling this wicked knitting pattern to make a pair of socks bearing a reproduction of the introductory text in the oldest surviving manuscript of Beowulf. The design is by Gryphon Perkins, and costs $5. Needless to say, ZOMG WANT.

Hwaet! Listen! Thus begins the immortal tale of the hero Beowulf, the bard summoning the attention of his audience. And so begin these socks, which give the text of the first page of the surviving manuscript, a copy dating to around 1000 CE. The writing flows from one sock to the other, so that you may read it uninterrupted. Wondering what it sounds like? Check out Benjamin Bagby’s amazing performance. (On a goofy side note, while I was working on these socks my four year old daughter picked up the word and now, whenever she wants to get my attention, she says, “Hwaet, Mommy, hwaet!”)

Hwaet!

(via Neatorama)

Exit mobile version