The ancient Germanic language which is easiest for modern speakers to learn is Old English (OE), which used to be referred to as Anglo-Saxon. This was the form of English spoken by the Anglo-Saxon invaders of Britain until the coming of the French-speaking Normans in the Eleventh Century. Only a fraction of the complex literature of the Anglo-Saxons survives, but it includes the epic masterpiece Beowulf and other pieces and fragments which give an indication of the richness of both the pagan heroic traditions of the Anglo-Saxons and the vibrancy of their Christian poetry after their conversion. Many of the heroic poems preserve ancient Germanic story traditions and Continental heroes and historical figures such as Theodoric the Great (Theodric in the OE tradition), Attila the Hun (Aetla in OE) and Ermanaric the Goth (Ermanric in OE) are mentioned in these works.

There are several elementary online courses and lessons in OE, including one by soc.history.medieval stalwart Tony Jebson - Learning Old English. Cathy Ball's Hwaet!: Old English in Context is another online course for absolute beginners. The Anglo-Saxon culture group Ða Engliscan Gesiþas offer a correspondance course in OE, an online introduction to the language and publish a newsletter in the language. But the most full OE online course is the Uni of Virginia Old English Aerobics site.

An Old English/Modern English dictionary called Wendere can be downloaded as a searchable Access database, and used to create your own OE creative writing. The Englisc mailing list is a group devoted to composition of poetry and prose in Old English.

Once you are fluent you could perhaps become a correspondent for the New Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Here is this months entry in the Chronicle, which should be able to be deciphered by modern English readers fairly easily:

Anno MMIII Weodmonað - i d: Her æt Baggy Point nea Wiellacumbe1) in Norðdefnum in Englalande sum seah þone miclan egesfisc Carcharodon carcharias þe eac hatte se greata hwita selachus. Ond swylce fiscas hæfdon acwelled oððe geeten manige menn in manigum sæm. - v d: Her sum Al-Qaedisc macode utberstunge æt gasthuse in Jakarta þe is Indonesiae heafodceaster, ond acwellede .xiv., ond mæste hira wæron Indonesisce and ne wæron in Al-Qaedan geflite. - Ond her man segde þæt mæg beon þæt man sceal forbeodan þurh sume gearu ealle fiscunge in þære sæ Europae þe hatte seo Norþsæ oððe seo Germanisca Sæ to nerianne hire cynn fiscas swa þone fisc þe hatte in Niwenglisce cod. - vii d: Her in Denpasar on Bali iege eode fore deman Amrozi bin Nurhasyim for þæm þe he one oþre macode þa utberstunga on Bali þe acwelledon .ccii., ond se dema lagode þæt sceotunghloð ofslea hine. - Her sum macode utberstunge æt Jordanlandes ambahthuse in Baghdâde ond ofsloh twelf ond wundode fyftig oþþe maran. Ond in Baghdâd is micel ierre þæt Jordanland wearð hleo for Saddâmes twæm dohtrum ond for hira nigon culdrum. - x d: In þissum wuce wæs swiðe hát weder in Englalande ond Europam ond æt Gráfesende2) in Cente hætu wearþ 38.1°C þe is 100.6°F ond wearmora þonne Al-Qâhira þe we hataþ Cairo, ond in Englalande næfre wæs swylc hætu siððan man ongann wederwritunga ymb gear .mdccclxx. ond næfre sunnes hætu cwom to hundteontig stapum Fahrenheitiscum. Ond in Norþymbrum wæron hearde þunorstormas ond flod. Ond mannes blódes hætu is 98.4°F. Ond in Portugale wæron greate wealdfyr. Ond se papa bæd þæt menn sceoldon gebiddan to Gode þæt regen cume to macianne cyle ond to endianne þa wealdfyr. - Her Charles Taylor foresittend Liberiae foredrifen þurh guðe alætte his ric ond fleag to Nigeriam, ond Moses Blah his underforesittend feng to his rice. Ond is wen friðes, for þæm þe þe Liberisce sind werige æt guðe ond .ccc. þusenda hira aswulton in þære langan gúðe.
1)Wollacombe (in north Devon).
2)Gravesend (= the end of the grove). .

Wes thu hael,
Thiudareiks/Ðeodric