Anglo-Saxon Poetry
Beowulf is the oldest surviving example of this language.
What is English?
The modern day location where the story of Beowulf is assumed to have taken place.
What is Denmark?
A monster lurking in the moor who hates the Danes for their noisy celebration and seeks to destroy them all. He attacks King Hrothgar's mead-hall.
Who is Grendel?
The King of the Danes.
Who is Hrothgar?
The Norman invasion of 1066 caused a major change to this language.
What is Old English?
The type of English Beowulf is written in.
What is Old English?
Sometime between 450 - 550AD.
What is the time period is Beowulf set in?
Beowulf defeats Grendel by ripping this body part off.
What is his arm?
This individual chose to fight Grendel with no weapons but his hands.
Who is Beowulf?
We didn't read this part, but we talked about this in class: The two other boss battles Beowulf fights in the full poem.
What are Grendel's mom and a dragon?
A cultural group of Germanic tribes, indigenous Britons, and later Scandinavian invaders who inhabited and ruled territories in Great Britain from the 5th century until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Famous for a specific style of poetry, which Beowulf is an example of.
Who were the Anglo-Saxons?
This happened between 700 - 1000AD.
The person, people, or concept Grendel is meant to represent - someone or something that Germanic tribes like the Danes were constantly under threat of.
Who are invaders?
The King of the Geats.
Who is Higlac?
This type of person was the first to translate and write down the story of Beowulf.
What is a medieval Christian monk?
These two-word metaphors are an iconic part of the Anglo-Saxon poetic tradition.
What are kennings?
This type of environment or ecosystem is what the story of Beowulf takes place in.
Two acceptable answers:
What is a marsh?
What is a moor?
This famous biblical murderer is named as the father of all monsters in the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf.
Who is Cain?
The tribe of people being attacked and stalked by the monster Grendel.
Who are the Danes?
Beowulf's father - a famous warrior in his own right.
Who is Edgetho?
This job was an essential part of Anglo-Saxon culture - it was their role to stand and recite poetry entirely from memory for entertainment, history-keeping, and cultural purposes.
What is a scop?
The name of the famous mead-hall from the story of Beowulf.
What is Herot?
The two types of monster Beowulf brags about defeating already in his Boast to King Hrothgar.
What are giants and sea monsters?
These warriors attempted to help Beowulf fight Grendel, but their weapons had no effect on him.
Who are the Geats?
The real-life person who actually overthrew King Hrothgar in recorded history.
Who is King Hrothgar's step-son?