If you need to use IE8, you can try this JavaScript library for vector graphics. It is like solving the "canvas" and "SVG" incompatibilities of IE8 at the same time.
I have just try it in a fast example and it works correctly. I don't know how legible is the source code but I hope it helps you. As they said in its site, the library is compatible with very old explorers.
Raphaël currently supports Firefox 3.0+, Safari 3.0+, Chrome 5.0+, Opera 9.5+ and Internet Explorer 6.0+.