… and a merrie blog it be.

Yes, that Geoffrey Chaucer, whose werekes hath served to well confound many a High School English Literature student.

Perhaps you thought good Geoffrey shuffled-off his mortal coil at the turn of the 15th century. In fact, he’s been busy over at Blogspot. His online journal, cleverly titled Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog, isn’t much different from the fare you’ll find on other personal blogs. Chaucer gossips about friends, tries his hand at a few LOLCATS, and sounds off about current events.

Except, of course, that Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog is written entirely in Middle English. There are stray Ys floating around everywhere; words change their spelling from sentence to sentence, and the occasional Ich instead of the personal pronoun I serves to remind that that while William the Conqueror rid Britain of its Saxon kings, there remained for centuries a stubborn Germanic insurgency in the English lexicon.

Even the commenters catch the spirit of things. Take, for example, this familiar business come-on:

Gode sirre, ye do shew me muchel honour withen yowre kinde reponse. Ich shal bidde mine pippel to y-call thine pippel, that we may luncheon togethyr anon.

Lost? Start with a basic Chaucer glossary. If that’s not enough, jump feet first into Notes on translatynge Middel Englysshe. Bring extra vowels.

Link: Geoffrey Chaucer Hath a Blog