Historical Context
What language is Beowulf written in?
Old English
Name the term for the repetition of the same consonant sounds at the beginning of words.
alliteration
What kingdom / group of people does Grendel attack?
The Danes
What animal attacks Grendel while he is stuck in the tree?
Term for the relationship between a king and his warrior (warrior battles for king and king repays them with treasure)
comitatus
England experiences significant religious change in the first millennium (0-1000 A.D.). Name the three primary religions during this time period. (Must name all three).
Animism, Paganism, Christianity
Name the term for a usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun.
kenning
Beowulf is fatally injured during his battle with what creature?
The dragon
How long does Grendel's war with Hrothgar last?
12 years
Existentialism
During what century / range of centuries is Beowulf thought to have been written?
Sometime between the 8th and the 11th centuries
Name the term for a pause in the flow of sound in the middle of a line of verse
caesura
What ultimately happens to the jewels, gold, and other treasures found in the dragon's lair?
They are buried with Beowulf.
Name one of the two things the humans think Grendel could be when they find him stuck in the tree.
A fungus of some sort
OR
An evil spirit
Anglo-Saxon term for the word "fate."
wyrd
England experiences significant political change in the first millennium (0-1000 A.D.). Describe the major shift that occurs in how the government is structured.
Structure of the government shifts from several separate kingdoms (the "Heptarchy") to one united kingdom
Anglo-Saxon boasts are typically organized around a specific structure. How do these boasts typically end?
With discussion of future achievements to come
How many years pass between Beowulf fighting Grendel and fighting Grendel's mom?
50 years
The opening to Grendel's home is guarded by what animal?
Firesnakes
Term denoting the "man-price" an Anglo-Saxon would have to pay in exchange for killing someone from another tribe.
wergild
Several different groups of people / forces occupy England during the first millennium (0-1000 A.D.). Name three of these groups.
Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon boasts are typically organized around a specific structure. How do these boasts typically begin? (Two potential answers)
1. Self-identification (I am ______, daughter/son of ________)
AND/OR
2. Immediate ancestry and something about lineage
What weapon helps Beowulf in his battle against Grendel's mother?
The sword crafted by giants
From where does Grendel watch human civilization develop>
A mountaintop
Name at least two people credited with the creation of Existentialist philosophy (there are three or four, depending who you count).
Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir