Introduction to Beowulf

Why did the Anglo Saxons move from Scandinavia to the island of Britian

They put pressure on the Roman Empire which caused it to fall

How did the Anglo-Saxon era end?

The Normans invaded and expeled vikings and danes to conquer the Anglo-Saxons

Rhetoric

language that is used to persuade the audience and understand their argument or point of view

Why Beowulfs rhetoric is important to his status as a hero

- what makes him heroic is that he us able to use his use his words effectively. While he is using his sword

-physical and verbal go hand in hand

Formal boasting

a way that a warrior asserts his superiority (by bragging)

Flyting

competitive form of verbal fighting with insults

-type of boasting battle

Litote

a humble brag about yourself

-uses a negative form of a statement to play down the torn of the brag

-makes you sound better because you are being modest

Assonance

the repetition of vowel sounds(aeiou) anywhere whithin the neighboring words of a poem

Caesura

a gap in the line of poetry that indicates a rythmic phase

The Anglo Saxon Period Date w context

450-1006CE

-the time period spans from ancient roman times through part of the Medieval area

Describe the Anglo Saxon Society

-a Germanic warrior society that emphasized certain values

bravery,honor,glory

What did the Patriarchal society emphasize?

Kinship: about connection with tribe and patriarchs of the family

King/Thane(knight) relationship: between the King and the Knights, giving gifts for protection and absolute loyalty.

Fraternity: social bonds between the men of the tribe.

Anglo Saxon Motivations

1.Glory for ones King

2.Glory for ones ancestors

3.Glory for ones self

4.Glory for ones tribe

The Anglo saxon Mead Hall

1 A large central room where the king and thanes feast,drink,play games

2.Symbol of the kingspower because he spent lots of time there

3.Safest Place in the Kingdom

Anglo saxon religious belief

1.Pagan(Norse, Thor, fertiltiy)

2. Belief in wyrd : Fate/Destiny

3. One of the earliest groups to convert to Christianity when the Roman Empire

What do the Angles,Saxons, and Jutes rename the land

Angle-lond

What did King- Alfred do?

He unified the kingdoms to fight off the invaders of the island and unites anglo saxons

What is the setting of Beowulf?

Scandinavia in the 5th century CE.

Where did the Angles migrate from before settling in England?

Scandinavia.

What story did the Angles tell after migrating to England?

The story of Beowulf.(warrior's warrior)

Pre anglo saxon era beowulf connection

The warrior named Beowulf who is he like?

What is Beowulf about?

A Christ-like figure, he is still a man

It is a story about the power of language and storytelling

What is oral tradition?

It is a method of storytelling where poems and stories are told by memory and passed down through generations.

How does oral tradition affect the content of stories?

The stories can change over time since they are not written down.

What was the role of the Scop in Anglo-Saxon culture?

The Scop was an entertainer and historian for each tribe.

How did the Scop contribute to storytelling in Anglo-Saxon society?

The Scop recited stories from memory and told stories of the past.

What was one purpose of the stories told by the Scop?

The Scop taught stories to encourage people to do the right thing.

What is a characteristic of good Scops?

They were good storytellers.

How did the story of Beowulf change over time?

Beowulf evolved over time as different versions were being said.

Roman Emperor Constantine

Edict of Milan: legalized christianity

Roman monk Augustine of Canterbury(597)

in 597 started missionary to Great Britian

-converted pagan anglo saxons to Christianity

Who was the Anglo-Saxon king that introduced Christianity to Britain?

Aethelbert

What significant action did Aethelbert take regarding religion in Britain?

He converted to Christianity.

How did Aethelbert's conversion to Christianity influence others?

Many people followed him to convert to Christianity.

How long did it take for Christianity to become dominant in Britain after Aethelbert's conversion?

It took 4 centuries.

what religion did anglo saxon paganism exist with and for how long?

Christianity and for 400 years

As the story of Beowuld (which started as a pagan story) was told and retold, it began to take on elements of......

Christianity

The oral version of Beowuld is finally written down by paper by?

And in what century?

By 2 Christian monks in the early 11th century

in Anglo saxon english what alphabet was used?

The runic alphabet

As Anglo Saxons became more Christianized what alphabet did they adopt?

The latin alphabet

What is alliteration?

The repetition of an initial sound in neighboring words of a poem.

Give an example of alliteration.

And sings a solitary song.

Give another example of alliteration.

That whistles in the wind.

Consonance

The repition of a constant sound anywhere within the neighboring words of a poem

is anglo saxon one of the earliest form of english language? True or False

True

What is metonymy?

A metaphor that substitutes one word for another word closely associated with it.

How is metonymy different from synecdoche?

Metonymy is more broad than synecdoche.

What does the phrase 'The crown decided' represent?

The king or queen.

What does the phrase 'The pen is mightier than the sword' imply?

Writing is more powerful than fighting.

What does the phrase 'The White House refused to comment on the scandal' imply?

The White House is not a person; it represents the U.S. government.

What is synecdoche?

A form of metonymy that represents a part from the whole.

How does synecdoche differ from metonymy?

In synecdoche, the whole is used to represent a part.

Give an example of synecdoche.

"All hands on deck!" (hands = sailors)

Give another example of synecdoche.

"Nice wheels!" (wheels = whole car)

What is a kenning?

A poetic phrase (usually two words) that replaces a simple noun.

What does 'whale-road' refer to?

The sea.

What does 'sky-candle' refer to?

The sun.

What does 'battle-sweat' refer to?

Blood.

What does 'word-hoard' refer to?

Someone's speech or words.

What does 'bone-house' refer to?

The human body.

What does the name 'Beowulf' mean as a kenning?

Bee hunter (means bear)

What does the name 'Hrothgar' mean as a kenning?

Glory spear

What does the name 'Wealtheow' mean as a kenning?

Peace servant

What does the name 'Ecgtheow' mean as a kenning?

Sword servant

What literary device is used in the names Beowulf, Hrothgar, Wealtheow, and Ecgtheow?

Kenning

Still learning (43)

You've started learning these terms. Keep it up!