Language
What term is used for the compound metaphorical expressions common in Old English poetry, such as “wave-steed” for a ship?
Kennings
What type of institution was primarily responsible for preserving manuscripts in Anglo-Saxon England?
Monasteries (monastic scriptoria)
Around which years did Germanic tribes begin settling in Britain, marking the start of Old English history?
Around 449–452 AD
Which two legendary leaders guided the Germanic mercenaries to Britain?
Hengist and Horsa
What manuscript is a major collection of Anglo-Saxon poetry, including riddles and elegies?
The Exeter Book
Which student have I taught the longest in this classroom?
Christian
Which Old English dialect was the most influential and became the basis for much surviving Old English literature?
West Saxon
What social system introduced after 1066 divided society into nobility, clergy, and peasantry?
The feudal system
Which Brittonic king invited Germanic mercenaries to defend Britain from the Picts and Scots?
King Vortigern
Which Norman duke defeated King Harold II at Hastings?
William the Conqueror
What Middle English work uses a frame narrative about pilgrims traveling to Canterbury?
The Canterbury Tales
Where am I from?
Which invading group introduced words like “sky,” “egg,” “they,” and “them” into Old English?
The Vikings (Old Norse speakers)
What was the name of the region of England controlled by Norse settlers following Viking invasions?
The Danelaw
What battle in 1066 marked the beginning of Norman rule in England?
The Battle of Hastings
Which Old English king is associated with resisting Viking control and strengthening English rule?
King Alfred the Great
What historical record chronicles events in England year by year during the Anglo-Saxon period?
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
What are the names of my budgies/parakeets?
Froepie and Smoepie
What major sound change beginning in the late Middle English period altered the pronunciation of long vowels?
The Great Vowel Shift
In which six areas of life was French spoken?
In government, law, food, cuisine, fashion, and culture
Which Anglo-Saxon king reconquered areas of the Danelaw from Viking control?
King Alfred the Great
Which Middle English author wrote The Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey Chaucer
What poetic meter used by Chaucer later became standard in English poetry and how does it work?
Iambic pentameter. You go from stressed to unstressed syllables, which is an iamb, and you do that five times, which is pentameter. 2 x 5 = 10 syllables #quick maths
Which movie did I watch at Ahoy before the holiday?
Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
What long-term historical consequence did the Norman Conquest have on the English language?
The fusion of Old English with Norman French, leading to Middle English
What form of social critique in The Canterbury Tales exposes corruption across all medieval estates?
Estate satire
When did the Great Vowel Shift occur?
At the end of the Middle English, continuing into the Early Modern English period
Who wrote Beowulf?
Unknown
What poetic structure relied on stressed syllables and repeated initial consonant sounds rather than rhyme?
Alliterative verse
What is my favorite band?
The Gorillaz