The Beginning of English Literature: The Old English Period (Beowulf)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the Old English period, Beowulf, and related concepts, including historical context and sensory imagery from the notes.

Old English period

The early stage of English literature, roughly 5th–11th centuries, when works like Beowulf were composed in Old English.

Beowulf

A long epic poem about a Geat hero who battles Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon.

Grendel

The monstrous creature who terrorizes the Danes in Beowulf.

Hygelac

King of the Geats; Beowulf’s lord and ruler.

Geats

A tribe from Geatland (southern Scandinavia); Beowulf’s people.

Sea-road (swan-road)

The sea voyage route referenced for Beowulf’s journeys across the ocean.

Jutes

One of the Germanic tribes that invaded Britain after 449 AD.

Angles

One of the Germanic tribes that invaded Britain after 449 AD.

Saxons

One of the Germanic tribes that invaded Britain after 449 AD.

Celts

The pre-Roman, agricultural inhabitants of Britain; described in the context of early Britain.

Earl

The ruling or noble class in Anglo-Saxon society.

Churl

A commoner or peasant; often bound to the earl by service.

Blood money (wergild)

Monetary compensation for killing or harming someone, used to temper vengeance.

Warrior code

The social code of warriors emphasizing pride, loyalty, and courage to the king.

Christianity in Britain

The establishment of Christianity in Britain before AD 400; sustained by missionaries, notably Augustine.

Augustine

St. Augustine of Canterbury, sent by Pope Gregory the Great in 597 to convert England.

Pope Gregory the Great

The pope who sent Augustine to England to spread Christianity.

Epic

A long narrative poem about heroic deeds, often derived from ancient oral tradition.

Five senses

Sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch—the faculties by which humans perceive the world.

Sensory imagery

A literary device that uses descriptions appealing to the senses to engage readers.

Sense of sight

The ability to perceive visual details through the eyes.

Sense of hearing

The ability to perceive sounds through the ears.

Sense of taste

The ability to perceive flavors through the tongue.

Sense of smell

The ability to perceive odors through the nose.

Sense of touch

The ability to perceive physical contact and texture through the skin.