Old English is the name of the earliest attested form of English spoken in large parts of England and Scotland during the early Middle Ages from the 5th century (Anglo-Saxon settlements) until the end of the 11th century (Norman conquest). Especially due to its complex inflectional morphology, this language shows marked differences from Modern English, making it probably more easily accessible to speakers of Modern German than to those of Modern English. Regarding volume and variety of texts transmitted it is second only to Old Norse within the Germanic language family. The most famous text is the heroic poem Beowulf, where the legendary Gaetish hero Beowulf fights against various monsters. This poem, besides telling a thrilling story, is also preeminent for giving invaluable insights into the Germanic heroic ethos. In this lecture, an introduction to Old English phonology and morphology will be accompanied by reading excerpts from Beowulf and other Old English texts.