Þæs Anhagas Siþ | Early Medieval Short Film

Þæs Anhagas Siþ | Early Medieval Short Film | 2023

Рет қаралды 31,686

Жыл бұрын

Bealdric has lost his house. Rather than live in an undignified situation, he has made the decision to live on the holt. From the beginning, he knows that he is out-of-place.
Here, while I will have made some mistakes in the aspects of this period I am less familiar with, I have tried to shed a bit of a unique light on part of what we think of as the Anglo-Saxon period - although 'Anglo-Saxon' is used to cover such a large broad cultural spectrum. Paul Kingsnorth said at one point that it is difficult to capture a time period without stepping into the language a little bit - this is my own little answer to that :)
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Thank you to Scott Burchell for all of his help with this film. Here is the link to the Lipmouth Studios KZfaq channel: www.youtube.com/ @lipmouth
Scott's personal channel with several of his short films (with more set to be released in the next few weeks): / @scott.burchell
And an album that he and his band, The Paperwaits, have released in the last few days: • The Paperwaits - 3 [Al...
________
Thank you as well to Butser Ancient Farm for inspiring this project, and to everybody who offered me advice. I haven't been there in a while and can't vouch for everybody on there, but the admins of this Discord are extremely helpful and it has a lot of helpful information for anybody who does want to pursue Old English: / discord

Пікірлер: 304

@mwflanagan1 Жыл бұрын

Simon, the most impressive thing to me about the language segments of all your videos is that your accent doesn’t seem stilted or labored. An excellent way to present the material. I’m nominating Bealdrac for the “Best Cinematography by an Early Medieval Man” award.

@PerksJ Жыл бұрын

Agreed! It’s so casual sounding! Very convincing!

@mattparker9726 Жыл бұрын

Ya agreed.

@jus_sanguinis Жыл бұрын

Archeologist, linguist, film director... What else? ))

@the_real_Kurt_Yarish Жыл бұрын

He seemed to make a conscious effort to undo this "natural accent" while playing the researcher at the end, to emulate their poor pronunciation of Old English. Sort of speaking with more modern phonology. Obviously, this is important narratively to drive home the comparative distinction between the two characters, but is a neat touch to add regardless of that reason to have it. He may not have necessarily needed to make that distinction to get the point across, but did so anyways. And that's pretty cool.

@lottelein5116 Жыл бұрын

I agree completely!

@Alfwin Жыл бұрын

I wasn't expecting this to make me feel emotions, but that ending definitely got to me. That was quite poetic. I love how... _quiet_ it is. Most filmmakers, I'm sure, would've put music over most of those shots to "evoke the proper mood". Letting the visuals, and the ambient sounds of the forest, speak for themselves is a whole lot more impactful, imo. This is some genuinely good art!

@notme437 Жыл бұрын

A perfect example of how omitting music can make a film so great! ^^

@moxiebombshell Жыл бұрын

Just watched it again and the silences really are just SO powerful... I'd be lying if I said I didn't tear up during several of them.

@MRuby-qb9bd Жыл бұрын

Feel like this should be in a film festival or screened at a museum. Very well done. Very humanizing too. The early medieval period is heavily romanticized and wrapped up with fantasy. Not often you see anyone depict a life like Bealdric's.

@jnielson1121 Жыл бұрын

Quite agree!

@zokraft Жыл бұрын

The early medieval short film festival that is

@modalmixture Жыл бұрын

This continues to be one of the most unique and fascinating channels on youtube. I’m having the experience of understanding the very realness of past humans, the connection to generations of humans who all understood what it is to stand in a river and fish, the familiar mundanity of their lives and the way their language was every bit as real and expressive and humorous as ours, while also feeling just how distant and foreign and unknowable Bealdric’s conception of the world is from mine.

@thomasgraham5840 Жыл бұрын

I think this is the closest we will ever get to time travel. e: At 10:33: Bealdric's musing -- "I am no man, I am an elf" -- reminds me of Simon's video about The Seafarer -- that dread and anxiety around being 'out of place' -- a land creature at sea, or a person outside society. That overlaid rendition of The Wanderer is going to sit with me for some time. So lived 'Peter.'

@whatgoesaroundcomesaround920 8 ай бұрын

And the elf comment and less than coordinated tree climbing could have been the effects of ergot (raw LSD).

@workaholica Жыл бұрын

The thing that got to me the most is the sound. When I perceived wind, rain and even insects as "loud", I suddenly realized how much more noisy today's world has become.

@user-yx4lm5dm5n Жыл бұрын

This is what I've been wanting to see for many years - a nice representation of medieval life without an epic music, scandinavian gods that look like amerian movie stars and so on. I'd like to emphasize that the nature around you (which is ordinary at first glance) was so well-captured that it looks astonishing and even hypnotizing sometimes. Thank you, Simon Roper and team, for this movie!

@moxiebombshell Жыл бұрын

I don't think I moved at all watching the entire thing... just stared, completely taken over by the film. The completely natural-sounding dialogue combined with the use of silence and the superbly subtle visual effects just absolutely transported me.... I'm still not back in this world, I don't think. This was SO good, Simon. My god.

@mollyk3768 Жыл бұрын

Exactly what I did as well. Captivated!

@Leofwine Жыл бұрын

Behold, the glorious return of Baldric!

@maureenhallahan9336 Жыл бұрын

As usual, a beautifully original and sensitive film Simon. Most unusual. Your work is SO fascinating. Thank you.

@innsj6369 10 ай бұрын

It is no exaggeration to say this channel is among the top on this website. Few creators have such passion for the past and dedication to thoughtful and accurate portrayals thereof. Authenticity is so precious nowadays. If more people were watching works of art like this, the world would probably be a better place.

@keighlancoe5933 Жыл бұрын

This is honestly amazing for me. I've had a love and fascination of all things Anglo-Saxon since I was a child. To see you bring their world to life like this, in such a lifelike and relatable way is beautiful. Its as if you've created a portal into the past and handed this Baldric fellow a camera, then came back a few days later to retrieve it and now you've uploaded the footage.

@englishdogs Жыл бұрын

Should have filmed in black and white. They didn't have colour film in those days.

@Youssii Жыл бұрын

Shoulda filmed it on woodblocks

@gabbytriestomakethings Жыл бұрын

As a costumer but also an actress and filmmaker (under a different name) I’ve always wanted to do a short film project like this, but with myself and another performer. Not sure if you would have any interest in a thing like that collaboration wise but figured I’d throw it out there since I think your channel is so cool. I have a Shakespeare piece coming out soon of Cymbeline set in 1st century roman Britain but unfortunately we didn’t have the knowledge in how to translate something that far back. Still we tried to get the costumes very close. Love your channel and all the knowledge you share!

@lilgnomey Жыл бұрын

I vote for more Bealdric! This video is amazing! Giving context and humanity to the language truly does being it to life. Thank you, and please keep doing what you’re doing! ❤️

@wojtdid4700 Жыл бұрын

9:11 i 11:32 najlepsze sceny A tak w ogóle to dziękuję za doedukowanie w temacie sporyszu i oddanie klimatu średniowiecznej Anglii! Pan szymon powróźnik jak zwykle nas nie zawiódł

@neeleneeleambarpar2151 Жыл бұрын

On an artistic note, I love how 'earth' itself is a character that holds the film together.

@spacelemur7955 Жыл бұрын

The language's common roots with German and the nordic languages stands out. Quite a few words in common, as well grammar. It's quite a tingling feeling to understand some of it. I feel I could speak with these people if only I could live a while with them. The language feels accessible. Wow.

@onecertainesquire486 Жыл бұрын

This is going to maybe sound a bit harsh, but the whole rough and ready feel it has really adds to it. This was very, genuinely, beautiful. Well done

@TOBAPNW_ Жыл бұрын

Anglo Saxon found footage? (the original interview was certainly Anglo-Saxon Gonzo journalism)

@Nea1wood Жыл бұрын

Beautiful, otherworldly, like snatching wisps of ancestral memory.

@margaretmacdonald1662 Жыл бұрын

I'm limping due to a recent leg operation, and found this so deeply caring.

@martineager9448 Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful film that really draws you into bealdric's plight. I love how you handled the reveal about the 'elves' and the consequences of being ostracized in Anglo Saxon society. I also love how you managed to translate your channel's video style into this story format, with lots of unusual camera angles and use of ambient sounds. This is such a refreshing style in these times when everything is always so frenetic, noisy and in your face. And the real beauty of it all was that your use of old Anglo-Saxon dialect felt totally natural, part familiar to modern ears and part alien. More please!

@WalkingCWild Жыл бұрын

I just finished my archaeology degree (like, literally, last week, thank you Cardiff) and it's this kind of stuff that makes me just absolutely love the community.

@user-km3fn2oc9r Жыл бұрын

Hi, Simon. That was fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and your rendition of this ancient language made me feel wholly absorbed into a different time and place. Thank you for giving us all such an extraordinary experience. And on the trans thing; you are spot on. This is how all good people think; how can we behave otherwise? Keep it up!

@Nea1wood Жыл бұрын

When most people speak another language, they tense up and you can hear this in their voice, which sounds constricted and distinctly lacking in resonance. They also tend to speak in a higher register. But you, Simon, somehow avoid this. And it takes you sound so convincingly and uniquely native.

@johanneswerner1140 Жыл бұрын

And it sounds like I should understand him. (ok, I know a couple of languages, all modern ones - so...)

@MildlyRabid Жыл бұрын

This was very moving. Even after you find things you don’t like in it, please keep it listed. I have never seen something that so thoroughly humanizes an outcast from this period.

@IosefDzhugashvili Жыл бұрын

This is just a masterpiece unlike anything I've seen. The acting, the editing, the cinematography, the script, the ending, the setting. All enthralling.

@willowbilly3092 Жыл бұрын

BEAUTIFUL, HAUNTINGLY EVOCATIVE FILM! The fade-in of the song over the end really got to me, as does archeology as a window into past people’s lives (and Bealdric here's specifically!); the smoothness of the dialog atop the nature scenes is just exquisite. This entire work is a delight, and I know I'll be coming back to it over and again!!!

@superpixiewoo Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your scholarship, creativity, and hard work! I consider myself fortunate when I found your channel.

@Christina_Paz Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this, Simon. Its so lovely to see the dichotomy of how we scientifically recall someones death - and in so doing, their life - paralleled with seeing them living, breathing and being.

@Discotekh_Dynasty Жыл бұрын

“Local man accidentally does worst drugs ever”

@the_real_Kurt_Yarish Жыл бұрын

"Local man eats grass and fuggin dies lmao"

@robinpayne125 Жыл бұрын

A beautiful short film. At the start I thought it was great to have our fan favourite Baldric back. I found the ending really emotional, especially the voice-over coming in, and giving him some unrelated name. The realisation that a person with a real identity, story, family and life could have all of that lost to the passage of time. Brought a final sense of pathos to the character. I don't have the language skills to critique the language as such, but the sense of fluency of speech, the way it sounded like a natural language being spoken by real people really cemented the time, the place and the people. Excellent work.

@phonaesthem Жыл бұрын

This is so immersive and beautiful, I know this is one of those films that I will return to on cozy nights. The naturalistic spoken Old English is just the icing on the cake of the beautiful cinematography and the inspiring, sparse but touching story arc. Thank you, Simon!

@ianwalker5842 Жыл бұрын

Astonishly beautiful and brilliantly executed in every way. I was transported to another time and place.

@PermianExtinction Жыл бұрын

Love the filmmaking, the slow ambiguous in tone buildup from the shots of nature, like early medieval Tarkovsky. Genuinely felt like Stalker at times.

@mattparker9726 Жыл бұрын

LOVE Simon's work! He's so great!

@brentonjarvis6620 Жыл бұрын

Simon, thank you for continuing to make such fascinating videos. I have been feeling very depressed and void of meaning over the past year, but your videos always reawaken a spark of interest and appreciation in me. It’s inspiring to me to see your humble dedication to sharing something you are interested in with others.

@user-td4do3op2d Жыл бұрын

I absolutely love the song at 11:03. The melody actually sounds like Russian or Ukrainian folk music. I know music isn’t your area of expertise but I'd say that was a believable Anglo Saxon folk song (as someone with an interest in ethnomusicology). I would be interested in the process behind that. Did you write the melody?

@moxiebombshell Жыл бұрын

I've always so enjoyed his speaking voice as well as his particularly measured and thoughtful *way* of speaking, yet somehow I didn't expect him to sing as movingly as he did here... I was so affected by the film that I'm honestly still rather out of sorts (in a good way if that makes sense?), so apologies if I wasn't as clear as I could be

@RowanAckerman Жыл бұрын

I am also very curious about this. I’ve transcribed the melody and want to know who to attribute it to.

@mus0u Жыл бұрын

i loved every evocative, atmospheric second of this. i feel so inspired! thank you for putting this beautiful art out there for our free enjoyment.

@WorldTongueLearner Жыл бұрын

Great work as always, Simon. Seeing Old English in a less bookish way on the web leaves me feeling renewed.

@timeformore Жыл бұрын

I’ve been watching your videos for a while and enjoying them. They almost always fascinate me. This one made me wonder if you’ve done one before on differences between a typical “workday” for someone in medieval times vs today. The amount of hours we work today in comparison is a lot I think. I find that topic interesting and I’d enjoy hearing your perspective on it.

@terrycunningham8118 Жыл бұрын

This reminds me so much of Navajo tales where separation from Dineh can cause one to enter a disorienting world of trickster and malevolent spirits.

@KonradHjalmar 11 ай бұрын

Also, it's just fascinating how many words which are no longer in use in English I can easily recognize thanks to being a modern Swedish speaker! Like the words for song- låt, without- utan, a lot- mycket, exact- riktig, animals- djur, singer- sångare, others- andra, catch- fånga, now- nu, brown- brun, hair- hår, I saw- Jag såg, time- tid, shall- skall, knife- kniv (still pronounced as it is spelled!), back- rygg, cow- ko (pronounced as ''coo''), stole- stål, then- då, strange- främmad, people- folk, oats- havre, black- svart, heath- hed. Truly amazing!

@fallowfieldoutwest Жыл бұрын

What an artsy film this was, Simon! The part that struck me the most was the first trip, I love how unburdened it was from modern commonplaces regarding mediaeval imagery in that sort of sense, which truly must have been harrowing for a lonely wanderer in the woods. I didn't quite get whom he was talking to when he reflecting about his trips, maybe that was part of the jinx... But truly the crux of the film seems to me to have been the encounter with Brad in the woods: who was the pov? Was Baldric so transmogrified when his brother ran into him that he didn't recognize him? And if so, had Baldric gone so mad as to dissociate himself from his past entirely?

@colingregory1667 Жыл бұрын

A beautifully poetic work, Simon, thank you. (And for all your thoughtful and insightful videos.)

@bustavonnutz Жыл бұрын

Bealdric was completely overcome by ergot poisoning, bro was completely out of his mind towards the end, hence why he jumped out of that tree for seemingly no reason.

@MareBartleet Жыл бұрын

I am amazed that with a limited budget, a choice location and storyline, and your unique acting abilities, you have transported me back several realistic centuries. More than any multi $$$ Holywood movie can do.

@TomLWaters Жыл бұрын

Among the most moving, engaging things I've watched in decades. Felt like a real bridge across the centuries. Been following this channel for a long time because of the linguistic content, but this is worthy on a whole different plane. Thank you so much.

@cyrusposting 18 күн бұрын

Finally watched this until the end. What a gorgeous experience. This is going to stay with me.

@tracyajones Жыл бұрын

Beautifully made, Simon. I love this!

@margaretmacdonald1662 Жыл бұрын

I watched again with more attention and I see that the bird decomposing parallels the man's descent. Homelessness has changed little. Cut off from people, he moves into the elves' realm. Today we find wild nature beautiful and compelling, but in this former time it's dangerous, far from the human habitation with food, fire, shelter and care. We can't live alone.

@lutecia4398 Жыл бұрын

I loved this. Would be great to see a prequel showing Bealdric's life before everything went wrong.

@mattalleman4415 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing Peters story. Beautiful.

@nyckolaus Жыл бұрын

Poor Bealdric! 😞

@YorkistRaven Жыл бұрын

Gripping and evocative! Great work and I loved hearing the Anglo-Saxon!

@rudetuesday Жыл бұрын

I liked how this was filmed. Everything and everyone felt so close, like I could open a window right now and see and hear this happening nearby.

@zicada7661 Жыл бұрын

I can tell Terrence Malick is a big influence

@ericgaudette4309 9 ай бұрын

I love this. I have wanted so much for a film to be made or a book written that does a pretty honest job at depicting medieval life for peasants, especially in England. I think the simplicity of the story is key. And the dialogue felt very natural, not trying to shoehorn every medieval stereotype into a brief exchange. And how you tied it in with an actual archaeological find was brilliant. We will never know who this real life “Peter” is but you provided a very real context and very plausible circumstances to this man’s life.

@bobriquardo5317 Жыл бұрын

I know this is a BIG ask but is it possible to get Early Medieval English subtitles alongside the Modern English subtitles? (maybe in a future video?) I think it would be really cool to follow along. I study Chinese and one of my favorite ways to study is to watch movies that have pinyin subtitles in addition to the Mandarin characters. It helps me understand the sounds being spoken and I find it to be a great learning tool. Anyway I absolutely love what you do. Keep up the good work!

@Katarina-jj5rt Ай бұрын

Wonderful moving images and sounds in the film

@mariewoods2508 Жыл бұрын

This was phenomenal. Hands down my favourite channel on KZfaq. Truly beautiful stuff, Simon

@bustavonnutz Жыл бұрын

This is why you don't gamble kids, fantastic work; I don't think I've ever seen a period piece that was able to be as evokative without being overly dramatized or sacrificing authenticity. Seriously impressive work, RIP Bealdric.

@clippedwings225 Жыл бұрын

It always gives me chills when you sing in Old English! It's just so immersive.

@GraemeMarkNI Жыл бұрын

Simon literally killed Bealdric so that people would stop asking about him 😅

@LadyValkyri Жыл бұрын

May I echo the best of these comments? I loved how the archaeologist speculates, but we know the truth (well, mostly). I loved the song, (THE SONG!!!!!) the poem, the cinematography, the dialogue, the location, the storyline, everything. And for some reason this has a vaguely Samuel Beckett feel, a bit black and tragic with slight comic hints here and there, and sometimes a touch of the absurd. WONDERFUL. Bravos, all around. Encore, gents! Hugs.

@watermelonmanied 23 күн бұрын

You really manage to summon forth something believable as an Anglo-Saxon sensibility here. Your attention to animals and the natural world, and an elusive melancholy deep in the heart & mind somehow brings the worldview within reach. I'm reminded of Ted Hughes' poem "Wodwo".

@alexanderrogalla1011 Ай бұрын

This pretty much made me cry but I’ve also been thinking about TROGDOR ever since we were first informed of the loss of baldric’s cottage.

@JMRolf1 Жыл бұрын

This was breathtaking. Well done Simon.

@gertrudlehmann4869 Жыл бұрын

Good to see that Baeldric's brother cares. Thank you so much.

@HugACreeper88 Жыл бұрын

Oh wow what a treat. What a long way you’ve come. Thank you for making this!

@kylecurkan2825 Жыл бұрын

It’s not often you see something that really seems truly original, truly creative and tells such an interesting story, very well done Simon. Thanks for making this.

@dracodistortion9447 Жыл бұрын

wow, Bealdric can afford bright blue!? he must have been rich or had rich friends

@muwuny Жыл бұрын

woad

@dracodistortion9447 Жыл бұрын

@@muwuny isn't that rare and have a short growing period?

@muwuny Жыл бұрын

@@dracodistortion9447 Not really, it was cultivated

@weavehole Жыл бұрын

I didn't think I would watch this all the way through. But I did .

@abraxasjinx5207 Жыл бұрын

This is a truly immersive project; excellent work. I especially love your singing at 11:00. That is not a simple melody to memorize, and hearing you sing I feel transported.

@rolandwfleming 15 күн бұрын

St Anthony's fire, Tarkovsky and eald Ænglisc ... love the ending, especially....

@michaelessig6376 Жыл бұрын

Bealdric's wedding - that would be interesting

@difficultar Жыл бұрын

Finally, the Anglo Saxon Short film that was made along the way.

@z.l.burington1183 Жыл бұрын

Ic dō þē þanc, for þissum fægeran geweorce. Hū mæg ic reccan ealle þā styrunga þe mid þȳ cumaþ? Ne mæg mann lang wunian āna on holte; sīe þæt gewuna þǣm ādlingum, þǣm þe hæfþ sēocnesse ǣgðer gē tō līchaman gē tō mōde. And Bealdric gehæfde þāra bā. Him þyncþ hīe gē hē gē eardsteppa sind gelīcan; gīet sōhte se eardsteppa hine gefrēond, þēah þe hē ne funde, cūðe hē wel wīsdōm, ne wæs hē wōd. Ac Bealdric hē mē þyncþ lȳt wōd, nā þæt ān þæt of þǣm þe hē iteþ, ac ēac swilce hæfþ sumne ēacenne sāwles wanan. Sōþlīce his broðer wolde him fultum dōn, findan hine and hām bringan; ac, flīehþ Bealdric hine? Forhwȳ? Wēn is þæt hē gesecgan ne meahte. Ēalā hwæt mann dēþ oft þæt þe him ne tōhelpe, and āweraþ þā þe him mǣst fultumian mæge, gē lǣce gē frēond gē fērscipe. Swā hit wæs þonne, and nū is.

@loriannepresnell7951 2 ай бұрын

I deeply appreciate the frequent perspective of the ground. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing but it also invokes an additional character...the Earth.🌎🌬🔥💦

@samhaine6804 10 ай бұрын

truly, truly excellent. id love to see more films like this, portraying ancient languages and people in casual setting. also - id love to hear you sing more!

@sherrybirchall8677 Жыл бұрын

What a moving, beautiful, evocative story. I nominate it for a short story film award of some sort. ❤

@chrisball3778 Жыл бұрын

It's a wonderful short film. Melancholy but beautiful. The way that that Baeldric's lonely life and death are interwoven with the sights and sounds of nature is extremely evocative. Looking forward to hearing about how it was made and the inspirations for it.

@michaelleblanc7283 Жыл бұрын

Thank you sincerely for helping us all 'Time travel' Ain't it odd? Big Tech Machines are not necessary ? All ya need is serious personality and genuine curiosity ?

@agnesarellano6033 Жыл бұрын

and a degree in anthropology

@michaelleblanc7283 Жыл бұрын

@@agnesarellano6033 Certainly lends credence to the 'Time Machine' theory.

@yes_head Жыл бұрын

Well done, Simon and Scott. I'm sure these films are a ton of work, and I hope they help grow interest in the channel and your other film work. Cheers!

@PhoebeMostafa Жыл бұрын

A beautiful film, beautifully made.

@the_will_bl Жыл бұрын

Beautiful work Simon. This builds upon the earlier Bealdric videos wonderfully.

@lunarmagpie619 Жыл бұрын

Þæt wæs god scopende :)

@LaggingGames Жыл бұрын

Sickest shit ive seen holy damn. Jack the dump go medieval. Amazing work simon, I truly mean it,.

@Mark.James. Жыл бұрын

I’m not clever enough to follow most of Simon’s videos - but I absolutely love the unique style of his updates. He may claim to not be a professional linguistic - but he is surely an artist

@daniellekiey-thomas1327 Жыл бұрын

Fabulous work Simon. Thank you. ❤️

@collapsiblechair9112 Жыл бұрын

It obvious you put a lot of care and thought into this film, it feels very genuine and transportive.

@ruthp2545 Жыл бұрын

This was so evocative and so moving...Beautiful film! Thank you so much!

@LimpBizkit999 Жыл бұрын

Bravo Simon 👏🏼

@katepalmer747 Жыл бұрын

Excellent work, Simon. Thank you for sharing your creativity 🌷

@danielj.8876 Жыл бұрын

I really enjoyed watching this video, like I did with every of your videos so far. They always widen my perspective on the past and never fail to shorten the gap in time I percieve when thinking about it. I'm looking forward to see and hear more from you. Thank you for your work, Simon. And thanks to your friends who help and work along with you.

@gadpivs Жыл бұрын

I'd much rather watch something like this than the Northman. Sure, people tended to not go off alone like this very much back then, but it's still a lot more realistic than guys with huge muscles constantly running around screaming and cutting people's heads off. Of course that stuff happened back then too, but when it comes to a random Wednesday among common people having to wake up in the morning and tend to matters of daily life, I imagine this wouldn't be too far off from that. Whether you prefer one depiction or the other probably says something about what makes these early periods of our history of interest to you.