It’s not everyday you come across a book written in a made up language.

Each time I pick up ‘The Wake’ for a fresh look, I’m amazed again by all the layers of genius within.

Paul Kingsnorth created a ‘shadow tongue’ for his novel to reflect the feeling of Old English.

This book expects the reader to put in some genuine effort. No hand holding, no spoon feeding, and certainly no training wheels. There is only a partial glossary included, leaving many of the words for the reader to figure out as they go.

From the very first page you’re immersed in the strange, dark world of Anglo-Saxon England.

Once you sink into the language, you realise that the vocabulary itself is quite simple. But it is delivered with the weight of complex character development and dramatic tension.

i can feoht if i moste saes this cilde feoht the frenc lic thu does

feoht with what i saes

heorte saes this yonge cilde

The research and expert storytelling that has gone in to ‘The Wake’ make it an absolute masterpiece.

This is a book I can’t stop thinking about. I wish it would receive more recognition, but the challenge of overcoming the language puts many people off. I used an audiobook to help me get going.

I’ve put together these extra glossary terms. These are words I had to take a second look at while reading to figure out, hopefully it will help other readers.

Glossary

BAN	The novel mentions ‘under the ban of wicce craft’. I’m unsure what ban was specifically intended to mean here. It could be bone, ban (prohibition), or banner. In Old English ban could mean a curse or a public proclamation. Buccmaster is trying to summon a goddess, and may be saying ‘come to me in spite of the ban on witchcraft’, or ‘witchcraft is part of your power (you’re under the banner of witch craft)’.
BAN	Bone (‘thu cuts all the ban in it and thu pulls up the ban and pulls his lungs out’)
CADDIS	Caddisfly larvae (The novel is referring to the wriggling, wormy life stage of a caddisfly insect.)
COOT	Coot, a type of bird
DABCIC	Little grebe, also called Dabchick, a type of bird
DICC	Ditch
DUN	Hill
EALU	Ale
FARAN	Faring, traveling
SCOC	Shook
STAN	Stone
ULE	Owl
WAEGN	Wagon
WATER WULF	Probably an otter

What is a coot and a dabcic? Birds!

Thanks for reading, I hope you found this glossary helpful!

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List of places in The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

Quick Guide to the World of The Wake by Paul Kingsnorth

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