E. V. Gordon
Encyclopedia
Eric Valentine Gordon was a philologist who is known for his compiling of many Germanic
texts in their original language into book format. He was born on Valentine's Day, 1896, in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
.
He was educated at Victoria College
and McGill University
.
He was also one of the eight Rhodes Scholars
of Canada, and attended University College
at Oxford University (1920), and later taught at Leeds University (1922–1931) and Manchester University (1932–1938). One of his prime works, published first in 1927 and then frequently reprinted over the years, was "An Introduction to Old Norse
." Gordon worked with J. R. R. Tolkien
several times on various scholastic works and published books, including A Middle English Vocabulary and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
, while Tolkien was teaching at Leeds University. After Gordon came to Leeds, Tolkien wrote is his diary "Eric Valentine Gordon has come and got firmly established and is my devoted friend and pal."
with J. R. R. Tolkien
. In this club they would read Old Icelandic sagas
(and drink beer) with students and faculty, and invent original Anglo-Saxon songs. A collection of these was privately published as the book Songs for the Philologists
. Most of the printed editions were destroyed in a fire and only 14 or so books are said to exist.
In 1930 Gordon married Ida Pickles, and together they had four children. After Gordon died in 1938 it was Ida, who was a philologist as well, that revised and completed the Pearl
edition for publication.
In 1938 Gordon had joined George Leslie Brook (1910–1987) for an edition of Layamon
's Brut
for the Early English Text Society
, but Gordon died that year.
Germanic languages
The Germanic languages constitute a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. The common ancestor of all of the languages in this branch is called Proto-Germanic , which was spoken in approximately the mid-1st millennium BC in Iron Age northern Europe...
texts in their original language into book format. He was born on Valentine's Day, 1896, in Salmon Arm, British Columbia
Salmon Arm, British Columbia
-Climate:- Education :Public schools in Salmon Arm are part of School District 83 North Okanagan-Shuswap; within the city limits, there are currently five elementary schools , one middle school , and a secondary school with two campuses...
.
He was educated at Victoria College
Victoria College, British Columbia
Victoria College was a two-year college in Victoria, British Columbia founded in 1903 with sponsorship from McGill University. It was one of the first post-secondary institutions in British Columbia...
and McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
He was also one of the eight Rhodes Scholars
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
of Canada, and attended University College
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
at Oxford University (1920), and later taught at Leeds University (1922–1931) and Manchester University (1932–1938). One of his prime works, published first in 1927 and then frequently reprinted over the years, was "An Introduction to Old Norse
An Introduction to Old Norse
An Introduction to Old Norse is an English textbook written by E.V. Gordon and first published in 1927 in Oxford at the Clarendon Press. It has been reprinted several times since. The Second Edition was revised by A.R. Taylor. The book is commonly accepted as a standard text for anyone studying...
." Gordon worked with J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
several times on various scholastic works and published books, including A Middle English Vocabulary and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. In the poem, Sir Gawain accepts a challenge from a mysterious warrior who is completely green, from his clothes and hair to his...
, while Tolkien was teaching at Leeds University. After Gordon came to Leeds, Tolkien wrote is his diary "Eric Valentine Gordon has come and got firmly established and is my devoted friend and pal."
The Viking Club and other things
Gordon also began the Viking ClubViking Club
The Viking Club was a club for philologists and historians specializing in Germanic and Scandinavian studies. It was founded by E.V. Gordon and J. R. R. Tolkien when the two were professors at Leeds University in the 1920's. At meetings of the club students and faculty would gather to read Old...
with J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. In this club they would read Old Icelandic sagas
Sagàs
Sagàs is a small town and municipality located in Catalonia, in the comarca of Berguedà. It is located in the geographical area of the pre-Pyrenees.-Population:...
(and drink beer) with students and faculty, and invent original Anglo-Saxon songs. A collection of these was privately published as the book Songs for the Philologists
Songs for the Philologists
Songs for the Philologists is a collection of poems by E.V. Gordon and J. R. R. Tolkien as well as traditional songs. It is the rarest and most difficult to find Tolkien-related book. Originally a collection of typescripts compiled by Gordon in 1921–1926 for the students of the University of Leeds,...
. Most of the printed editions were destroyed in a fire and only 14 or so books are said to exist.
In 1930 Gordon married Ida Pickles, and together they had four children. After Gordon died in 1938 it was Ida, who was a philologist as well, that revised and completed the Pearl
Pearl (poem)
Pearl is a Middle English alliterative poem written in the late 14th century. Its unknown author, designated the "Pearl poet" or "Gawain poet", is generally assumed, on the basis of dialect and stylistic evidence, to be the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Patience, and Cleanness or...
edition for publication.
In 1938 Gordon had joined George Leslie Brook (1910–1987) for an edition of Layamon
Layamon
Layamon or Laghamon (ˈlaɣamon; in American English often modernised as ; ), occasionally written Lawman, was a poet of the early 13th century and author of the Brut, a notable English poem of the 12th century that was the first English language work to discuss the legends of Arthur and the...
's Brut
Brut (Layamon)
Layamon's Brut , also known as The Chronicle of Britain, is a Middle English poem compiled and recast by the English priest Layamon. The Brut is 16,095 lines long and narrates the history of Britain: it is the first historiography written in English since the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle...
for the Early English Text Society
Early English Text Society
The Early English Text Society is an organization to reprint early English texts, especially those only available in manuscript. Most of its volumes are in Middle English and Old English...
, but Gordon died that year.
See also
- Songs for the PhilologistsSongs for the PhilologistsSongs for the Philologists is a collection of poems by E.V. Gordon and J. R. R. Tolkien as well as traditional songs. It is the rarest and most difficult to find Tolkien-related book. Originally a collection of typescripts compiled by Gordon in 1921–1926 for the students of the University of Leeds,...
- Sir Gawain and the Green KnightSir Gawain and the Green KnightSir Gawain and the Green Knight is a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance outlining an adventure of Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table. In the poem, Sir Gawain accepts a challenge from a mysterious warrior who is completely green, from his clothes and hair to his...
- PhilologyPhilologyPhilology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
- J.R.R. Tolkien
- An Introduction to Old NorseAn Introduction to Old NorseAn Introduction to Old Norse is an English textbook written by E.V. Gordon and first published in 1927 in Oxford at the Clarendon Press. It has been reprinted several times since. The Second Edition was revised by A.R. Taylor. The book is commonly accepted as a standard text for anyone studying...