Kennings
What is a "whale-road"?
The sea
What time period lasted from approximately 450-1150 AD?
The Old English period
Who is the hero of Beowulf?
Beowulf
Who was the Venerable Bede?
A "Doctor" of the Church; wrote many religious texts, including the history of Britain between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms
What is the name for an Old English storyteller or bard?
Scop
What is a "bone-house"?
Human body
Who controlled Danelaw until the late 900s?
The Vikings
Who is the first monster, and why does it attack?
Grendel; He hates the sound of happiness
What was the name of the Venerable Bede's most famous work?
The Ecclesiastical History of the English People
What was the large hall where the lord and warriors slept, ate, and held ceremonies?
Mead-hall
What is a "wave-floater"?
A boat
Beowulf was written by an unknown author during which centuries?
7th or 8th century
Who is the second monster, and why does it attack?
Grendel's mother; She takes revenge for her son by killing the king's best friend
Who was Caedmon?
An Old English man who never sang with the group, but one day was given a vision to sing and presented us with our first extant Old English poetry
What is the concept of wyrd?
Fate, a pagan idea that chance and predestination dictates what happens to people
What is a "ring-giver"?
A good king
What was important about the year 835 in reference to Beowulf?
The widespread occurrence of Danish raids meant that the Danes were no longer considered heroes.
Who was the third monster, and why did it attack?
The dragon; A slave stole a cup from his hoard
What is the importance of "Caedmon's Hymn"?
It blends together the idea of Christianity with pagan ideas; It is also the oldest surviving Old English poem
What is the universal language of religion and scholarship?
Latin
What is a "valley trout"?
A snake
Whose real world death is referenced in Beowulf in 521 AD?
Hygelac
What was the name of the king that Beowulf fought the monsters for?
King Hrothgar
What are the differences between pagan culture and Christianity?
Pagan culture values glory, desire for recognition, blood feuds, and eagerness for fame
Christianity values forgiveness, dying to the world, praising the Lord, don't boast except of Christ
Explain one feature of Anglo-Saxon poetry.
Chant-like beat of the four-beat line; alliteration; Caesura (pause in the line); Kennings; Epithets (names given to characterize something); Hyperbole