Medieval Era POK Study Guide

Stonehedge

• stone gallows or hanging stones

• ancient monument Anglo-Saxons considered sacred, also used for executions/burials

• most likely built by the Celts

Celts

• collection of tribes from central Europe, original people of Britain (Britons)

• encountered Anglo-Saxons in Britain (invaded)

Druids

• those belonging to ancient Celtic priesthood who acted as priests, teachers, judges, advisors

• had traditions relating to nature and healing, which contributed to Anglo-Saxon beliefs

Julius Caesar

• Roman general, statesman, dictator

• account of Caesar’s Britain invasion is in “Bede’s Ecclesiastical History” (Bede was an Anglo-Saxon cleric)

Hadrian’s Wall

• marked the northwestern frontier of Roman Empire and defended Britannia province against northern tribes

  • called “end of civilized world” by Romans

• Anglo-Saxons reused its stone and built churches within forts part of the wall

Angles, Saxons, Jutes

• Germanic tribes that migrated to Britain from Denmark and Germany (northern Europe) in 449 CE after Romans ordered to not protect Britannia province anymore

• descendants are the Anglo-Saxons 

King Arthur

• based on general Artorius who led Romans and Celtic inhabitants against Anglo-Saxons in Britain

• Arthurian knighthood was popular literary theme in medieval romance of High Middle Ages

Witan

• “wise man”

• the council that advised the Anglo-Saxon king

Scop

• bards

• resident poet and chronicler (scribe) for Anglo-Saxon king and his tribe

• told stories of brave heroes during mead hall celebrations

Thane

• man who holds land granted by the King or other superior in return for military service

• part of King’s inner circle, above ordinary people but below nobility

King Alfred

• King of Anglo-Saxons from 886-899 CE

• translated books from Latin to Old English/Anglo-Saxon so more could read them (start new age of literacy)

• prevented Britain from falling to Danes

Sutton Hoo

6th-7th century Anglo-Saxon royal burial mound and ship burial filled with treasure

Epic

long narrative poem presented in elevated style (eloquent + complex), relating heroic deeds of noble/semi-divine people

• Characteristics: characters of noble birth or supernatural beings from past, action on immense-scale involving many’s fate, divine aid

• Literary elements: in media res, noble + majestic style, long speeches by characters, literary inventories (listings + descriptions of characters or objects)

Danes, Vikings

• members of Scandinavian tribe + Scandinavian raiders/traders (job)

• invaded + settled in England (9th-11th century), fought with previously residing Anglo-Saxons

Five Major Invasions Of Britain

• 55 BCE Caesar’s invasion + failed conquest

• 43 CE Roman Conquest (Emperor Claudius)

• 449 CE Anglo-Saxon settlement

• 865 CE Danish invasion (Great Heathen army v King Alfred)

• 1066 CE Norman conquest (Duke William of Normandy, Battle of Hastings)

Alliterative Verse (characteristics)

• caesura in the middle (metrical unit is half-line)

• each half-line has 2 stressed syllables (w/ irregular number of unstressed syllables)

• 1-2 stressed syllables of first half-line alliterate w/ 1 stressed syllable of second half-line

  • alliteration: same consonant or any vowel

Kenning

figurative compound expression with metaphorical meaning

Danes (Beowulf)

Danish people terrorized by Grendal

Geats (Beowulf)

North Germanic tribes; seafaring warriors

Hrothgar

Danish king who built Heorot and accepts help from Beowulf against Grendal

Grendal

monstrous descendant of Cain who eats people in Heorot

• arm teared off + head cut off corpse by Beowulf

Beowulf

Geatish king and warrior who defeats Grendal + his mother

• later killed by fire dragon (but not before killing it)

Hygelac

Geatish king + Beowulf’s uncle

• supports Beowulf’s endeavors + takes him in after Ecgtheow’s death

• dies in raid on Frisians, leaving Beowulf king

Unferth

Danish warrior that initially challenges Beowulf’s reputation but later lends Beowulf Hrunting against Grendal’s mother

Breca

Beowulf’s childhood friend and rival

• had contest with Beowulf where they had to swim open sea w/ armor + swords (won bc Beowulf has to singularly fight nine sea monsters)

Wealhtheow

Danish queen and Hrothgar’s wife

Grendal’s mother

sought to kill Beowulf to avenge Grendal

• dies by an invincible sword made by the giants (severed head)

Hrunting

Unferth’s sword described as ancient, powerful, never-failing

• couldn’t harm Grendal’s mother when Beowulf needed it to under the lake

Fire dragon

vengeful treasure-hoarder who attacks Geats when a slave steals a cup from its hoard

• kills + killed by Beowulf with help from Wiglaf

Wiglaf

Beowulf’s kinsman (belong to same clan Beowulf’s father did) + only Geatish warrior brave enough to fight with Beowulf against fire dragon

• Beowulf’s successor

Charlemange

• 8th century Frankish king who extends borders of kingdom East to Vistula River + south through most of Italy

• first Holy Roman Emperor, crowned on Christmas Day 800 CE by Pope Leo III in an attempt to restore old Roman Empire

William the Conqueror

• Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066 CE + made England part of an Anglo-Norman empire

• first Norman king of England

Battle of Hastings

William (Duke of Normandy) defeats King Harold, leading to Anglo-Norman empire

• lead to the introduction of Norman French language to England (furthers development towards Modern English)

Thomas a Becket

Lord Chancellor appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by friend King Henry II in his hope of limiting Church’s power + supporting Crown, but instead strengthens Church’s rights

• killed by King Henry II’s loyal knight (not intentional command from king), made martyr + saint

Richard the Lionhearted

English king (1189-1199 CE) who joined Third Crusade after coronation

• gets captured by Henry IV of Germany in Danube castle until his people pay ransom, made to swear vassalage (loyalty + service) to German throne

chivalry

medieval knightly system with its religious, moral, and social code

crusades

series of military expeditions from 1096-1272 CE where armies from many European countries attempted to seize control of Near East + its Christian shrines from its Moslem (Muslim) rulers

guilds

medieval association of craftsmen or merchants organized to control particular trades; very powerful

power of the church

Church’s ability to decide on an individual’s salvation or damnation + who’s Christian as God’s representatives on Earth (Pope) (control secular rulers)

cathedrals

the seat of local bishop + center of Christian worship and pastoral administration for their district/diocese

Magna Carta

first document to establish king is not above law + everyone has guaranteed rights

• 1215 CE, English King John + his barons

Great Plague

most recent major epidemic of bubonic plague in England (1665-1666 CE)

Hundred Years’ War

conflict between England and France + French civil war (England sided w/ one side?) with France winning

• 1337-1453 CE, 116 years

• Joan of Arc fought on French side

War of the Roses

series of conflicts (civil wars) between English houses of Lancaster + Yorks for English throne with Lancaster winning

• Henry Tudor / VII

• 1455-1487

Peasant’s Revolt

first major popular rebellion in English history involving working class + middle class for abandoning poll tax (achieved) and abolishing serfdom; crushed by royals in 1381 CE

Chaucher

English poet + writer known for Canterbury Tales; father of English literature/poetry for establishing English as legitimate literary language (intentionally wrote Tales in English over more popular Latin or French)

Dante

Italian poet + philosopher who wrote Divine Comedy (Commedia)

Medieval epic

• focused on chivalry, courtly love, morality, individual personal quests

• had poetic meter + rhyme scheme

• reflects feudalism hierarchy + ideals of aristocratic courts

romance

tale of knightly prowess, usually set in remote time/place + involves supernatural elements

ballad

narrative song telling story (1200-1500 CE, local minstrels)

• stanza of four lines alternating 4-3 iambic feet, 2nd and 4th rhyming, refrains, universal themes

William Caxton

• first English printer; established first printing press in England (Kent)

  • printed most of Chaucher’s poems

• translator + importer of books into England

Verse Translation Purpose of Gawain and the Green Knight

Shows French influence, it is a transitional work with both Anglo-Saxon and French-type poetry

• alliterative verse + meter

Beowulf’s Barrow

on the headland on the coast where Beowulf is buried (after his pyre cooled), looms on the horizon at Hronesness that ships can see

Bertilak de Hautdesert / Green Knight

• challenges Arthur’s roundtable to slash him with ax in exchange for him getting to slash the slasher a year later, insults roundtable’s reputation by saying their honor and brilliance were just a story

• the host of the castle Gawain stays in, makes a bet with Gawain to exchange what he hunts for what Gawain gets staying in the castle

Dante

• Lived at end of middle ages

• Born in Florence when it was in constant military and political struggle

• Largely self-taught

• Father is member of the lower nobility who came down in world

  • mother then (remarried) father died, Dante may have lived with stepmother

• Fought in battle of Campaldino

• Married Gemma Donati, three children—in love with Beatrice (“she who blesses,” wrote Commedia for her after 1290 death)

• 1300: elected one of six “priors” ruling Florence

  • Priors exiled leaders from both sides of a feud raging in city→some take over government and exiled Dante from Florence for rest of life

Tabard (Canterbury Tales)

famous inn they all stay at

Terza rima rhyme scheme

first and third lines of three-line stanzas rhyme, second line rhymes with first and third lines of the next stanza

• Used too underscore meaning of his verse

Five Distinct Varieties of English

North, South (King Alfred’s), Kentish (Southeast), East Midlands, West Midlands

Norman Contribution to English Language

• 10,000 new words

• French supplied all commonly used words in law, monarchy, church, military

  • business of these fields were all conducted in French (Normans slowly got rid of english speaking bishops, lations was language of clerks and clergy in great cathedrals)

• changing structure with use of prepositions with “of” and “to” instead of word ending (word order is crucial)

Viking Influence on English Language

• Plurals -s , use the for everything instead of “it, the, that” to distinguish different meanings

  • English language has first great simplifying when they were neighbors to Anglo-Saxons

What Situation was Like Before King Alfred of Wessex (rule Saxon South) Came in 

870 CE all Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fallen to Danes and English pushed to small corner in southwest