Beowulf Test

Epic

A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation

Epic Hero

A larger-than-life character with two traditional virtues

Quest

A long, dangerous journey taken by the hero; the hero’s opportunity to prove his heroism and win honor and undying renown

Kenning

A compound poetic renaming of people, places, or things (nouns)

Alliteration

The repetition of sounds in a sequence of words (often consonant sounds)

Assonance

The repetition of identical or similar vowel sounds

Caesura

A pause in a line of poetry, dictated by natural speaking rhythm (as opposed to meter)

Invocation of the muse

inspiration

Epithet

adjective that is joined to name mighty king ex

Allusion

a brief, indirect, and unexplained reference to a person, place, thing, historical event, or another work of literature

Hyperbole

an intentional, extreme exaggeration used in literature and speech for emphasis, humor, drama, or to convey intense subjective feelings

Litotes

Double negative to emphasize positive ex; non of the wise ones regretted his going (its encouraging)

Alliteration

a literary device where two or more words in a phrase or line of poetry share the same beginning consonant sound

Patronym

calling a son by his fathers name

Ring giver

title giving to kings who gives rings to subjects as proof of protection

Heroic Boast

a formal, public speech in which a warrior or epic hero proclaims their past achievements, noble lineage, and upcoming intentions before a battle or trial

Meadhall

a large, single-room timber building that serves as the heart of royal and communal life

Wergild

the Anglo-Saxon legal and cultural concept of setting a specific monetary value on a person’s life, paid as compensation by a killer (or their family) to the family of a victim to settle a crime and prevent a blood feud

Wyrd

an Old English concept meaning fate, destiny, or the course of events that has been set in motion