epic
a long narrative poem written in an elevated style; it presents characters of high position in a series of adventures important to a people or nation.
caesura
break in the middle of the line
alliteration
repetition of original sound. Found numerously throughout the epic.
kenning
A metaphoric compound employed in Anglo-Saxon literature in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities. e.g "word hoard"
Beowulf
protagonist, fights Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon
Hygelac
Beowulf's Uncle, ruler of Geatland
Wiglaf
Beowulf's one loyal soldier in the fight against the dragon also a relative of Beowulf and he is the successor to the throne
Hrothgar
King of the Danes
Unferth
a thane, advising King Hrothgar, he has a flyting with Beowulf.
Grendel
demon that terrorizes mead-hall
Grendel's mother
fought Beowulf in the mere (underwater lair)
Naegling
Beowulf's sword
Geats
Beowulf's kinsmen
Danes
Hrothgar's kinsmen
wyrd
old Anglo-Saxon term for fate
Hrunting
the sword given to Beowulf by Unferth that proves useless in the fight in the underwater lair
elegy
a poem that laments a death or loss
Mead-hall
a place of safety, warmth, and community in the Anglo-Saxon world
Mead
an alcoholic drink made from fermented honey
dragon
the last challenge faced by Beowulf, who dies fighting it. Guards a large treasure-hoard
swords
Beowulf has trouble with them as they always break, presumably because he is too strong
Heorot
The great mead-hall of the Danes
barrow
an Anglo-Saxon burial mound
Head of Grendel
takes four men to carry this
Hilt of sword
Beowulf brings this back from Grendel's lair
Mere
the lair of Grendel's mother
heroic narrative
the story of the deeds and actions of a courageous main character (like of Beowulf)
archetypal
characteristic of the original model or perfect example
oral tradition
stories passed down through generations by word of mouth
Heroic Code
The hero's moral rules of right and wrong
scop
storyteller and composer
Archetype
A detail, image, or character type that occurs frequently in literature and myth and is thought to appeal in a universal way to the unconscious and to evoke a response
Symbol
A thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.
shadow-stalker, bane of the race of men, and hell serf
kennings for Grendel
tarn-hag, monstrous hell-bride, hell-dam,
kennings fro Grendel's mother
sky-plague, fire-dragon, sky-borne foe, hoard-guard, sky-winger
kennings for the dragon