Anglo-Saxon Law
The sacred, reciprocal bond of loyalty between an Anglo-Saxon lord and his warriors.
What is Comitatus?
The biblical outcast from whom Grendel’s monstrous lineage descends.
Who is Cain?
The Danish sentry who confronts Beowulf's armed troop on the cliffs of Denmark.
Who is the Danish Coastguard?
A formal, public mead-hall boast that functions as a binding social contract.
What is a "Gylp"?
The orphan-king whose legendary rise and death establish the ideal of a "good king."
Who is Scyld Scefing?
The legal "man-price" paid to a victim's family to settle a blood-feud.
What is Wergild?
Hrothgar’s grand, horn-crested mead-hall that serves as the cultural center of the Danes.
What is Heorot?
The famous warning phrase delivered by the Coastguard on the beach regarding promises versus actions.
What is "Words vs. Works"?
The opening structural phase of a "gylp", where a warrior declares their family lineage and mentors.
What is Ancestral Pedigree?
The traditional funeral ceremony used to send Scyld Scefing out to sea with armor and treasure.
What is a Ship-burial (or "Viking Funeral")?
The Anglo-Saxon concept of predetermined, inescapable fate.
What is Wyrd?
The sacred seat in Heorot that Grendel is forbidden from touching because he is cursed by God.
What is Hrothgar's Throne (The Gift-Throne)?
The ceremonial Anglo-Saxon verbal duel or "rap battle" of insults exchanged in the mead-hall.
What is Flyting?
The self-imposed handicap or condition Beowulf declares in his vow to fight Grendel.
What is unarmed combat? (fighting Grendel bare-handed)
The Danish ancestor in Chapter I whose name causes students to confuse him with the epic's hero.
Who is Beowulf the Dane (or Beowulf I)?
The heinous crime of killing one's own brother (kinsman), committed by Unferth, which cannot be settled with gold.
What is fratricide?
The grotesque trophy Beowulf hangs under Heorot's roof after his battle with Grendel.
What is Grendel's arm?
Hrothgar's jealous spokesman who publicly taunts Beowulf about his swimming match with Breca.
Who is Unferth? (Uncouth, Untrue!)
A metaphorical, hyphenated compound word used in poetry to replace a common noun (e.g., "whale-road").
What is a Kenning?
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” removes this element of Odysseus run-in with the Cyclops, having Odysseus call him _________.
What is Nobody?
The diplomatic role of noble women who distribute mead cups and unite feuding tribes.
What is a Peace-Weaver (Or Peace-Keeper)?
The legendary dragon-slayer sung about by the Scop (Bard) as a heroic parallel to Beowulf.
Who is Sigemund?
Beowulf's father, whose ancient blood-feud with the Wilfings was settled by King Hrothgar.
Who is Ecgtheow?
The poetic device using matching initial consonant sounds to create line rhythm instead of end-rhyme.
What is Alliteration?
The reciprocal lord-thane agreement that also forms the primary historical focus of our course syllabus.
What is the Comitatus Code?