Notes-British Lit

Honor support

________ the leader and the leader protects the people.

Celtic peoples

________ originally lived in Western Europe- ones in the British Isles were called Britons.

Fratricide

________ is the greatest taboo of all (Cain /Abel) because kinship is so important and you are breaking that bond.

Estates

________ satire- social critique of those not conforming to their social station, not acting the way they should.

871 899

________ CE King Alfred the Great of Wessex who ruled most of England overcame Vikings in most of England except north and northeast.

Southern Sweden

Beowulf takes place in ________ (Geats) and Denmark (Danes)- NOT actually in England.

Great Schism

________- two popes (Rome and Avignon) fighting over doctrinal problems, papacy discredited.

Fox

________- clever, under the radar, quick, agile- but still kill him.

couplets shift

Written in rhyming ________ in poetic form from accentual (alliteration) epics to syllabic (rhyme) romances.

Aphorism

________: a statement about the way the world is.

Christianity

________ has a heaven, happiness in an afterlife and eternity.

Black Death

________- bubonic plague- 1348- ⅓ to ½ of the population of Europe died within the first two years but was around until 1700.

Scops

________:= (shaper of stories) Germanic performers /minstrels who composed dramatic oral poetry out of established narrative and poetic elements and performed it at court (one they were usually attached to)

Alliteration

________: repetition of initial consonant sounds (very little rhyming in epics)

Cædmons

Heroic, Learned Femininity: Hild- founding abbess of Whitby and ________ superior- exemplifies the power of Anglo- Saxon women in families, politics and church.

Magic

________- makes wearer invincible.

Millenarianism

________- rumors about the end of the world- people would go around publicly whipping themselves to atone for their sins.

Caesura

________: gap between the first and second part of a line.

Cultural outsider

________- maybe shaman or priest of a Celtic tribe trying to interact with Germanic culture.

Gnomic verse

________: universal, proverbial statement about the way of the world.

Tacitus

________ writes of Germanic women:"The woman must not think that she is excluded from aspirations to manly virtues or exempt from the hazard of warfare.

Elegy

________: an ancient form of lyric verse referring to poetry centered on loss (of happiness, love, battle)

William

________ (the Conqueror) of Normandy defeated King Harold of England (other claims to the throne were King Harold of Norway and Edgar Ætheling)

Statutes

________ of 1363- regulated clothing based on social class.

Frame narrative main action

________ (pilgrims stories) is told through an enclosing frame story (pilgrimage)

Chivalry chivalric Norman culture

________ was warriors riding on horseback and heavily armed.

CE rechristianization

Around 600 ________ occurred, coming from Ireland, Scotland, and Rome.

Lanval

________ leaves competition and corruption of court and rides into nature.

Romance anything

________ translated out of Latin into the vernacular (usually a romance language- Spanish, French, Italian)

Urban growth

________- more people living in centralized cities- rapid economic growth.

Celts

________ spoke Celtic languages (aka vulgar languages- British, Welsh, Gaelic)

Finnburh digression

________- about the terrible cost of feuding- 1065- 1125.

Old French

________ (Norman French) was the language of __government and culture- __Normans were in charge.

Ritual of fertility

________- sacrifice for the good of humanity.

Arrival of Jewish people

________- associated with financials- money lending not allowed for Christisans so Jewish people had to supply money to the king.

Edwin of Northumbria

King ________- hesitant to convert to Christianity.

Paulinus (missionary) preached Christianity to him

Edwin wanted to discuss with his council first

Elegies

The Wanderer and The Wifes Lament

Elegy

 an ancient form of lyric verse referring to poetry centered on loss (of happiness, love, battle)

Ubi sunt

 latin for "where have they all gone

Ruin theme

wrecked buildings, world fallen apart, memory of lost happiness

Gnomic verse

 universal, proverbial statement about the way of the world

Aphorism

a statement about the way the world is

Caesura

 gap between the first and second part of a line

Alliteration

 repetition of initial consonant sounds (very little rhyming in epics)

Kenning

compound word-periphrastic or roundabout words of metaphoric quality

Specialized poetic vocab

 uses words different than everyday speech-grand style

Tacitus writes of Germanic women

 "The woman must not think that she is excluded from aspirations to manly virtues or exempt from the hazard of warfare

Heroic, Learned Femininity

Hild-founding abbess of Whitby and Cædmons superior-exemplifies the power of Anglo-Saxon women in families, politics and church

Scops

(=shaper of stories) Germanic performers/minstrels who composed dramatic oral poetry out of established narrative and poetic elements and performed it at court (one they were usually attached to)

Aeschere

old Spear-Dane warrior; Hrothgars good friend

Breca

Beowulfs childhood friend

Ecgtheow

Beowulfs father

Grendels Mother

enemy of the Spear-Danes

[Hildeburh

Danish princess; wife of Finn]

(contrast of nature in Beowulf vs Lanval-in Beowulf nature is bad, associated with Grendel and the uncultured wild

in Lanval it is an escape from court, where he finds his lover)

Important works

Book of the Duchess (1368), House of Fame (1377), Troilus and Criseyde (1385)