Anglo-Saxon Flashcards
Man price to avenge death
Wergild
Fitts
Sections
Poetic song or story
Lay
Years of Anglo-Saxon era
449-1066 AD
Who conquered England in 1066?
William the conquered from France
A two word hyphenation used as a metaphor
Kenning
Poet, singer, story teller
Scop
Repositories of culture and centers of leaning
Monasteries
What game does the Green Knight propose? (Gawain)
A knight can give him a blow of the axe if he can return the blow in 1 year and 1 day
Where does Gawain have to travel to? What holiday is close?
Green Chapel; Christmas
What is Gawain’s Christmas prayer?
Have a place to attend mass on Christmas Eve
How are Gawain’s prayers answered?
A White Castle appears where he can stay
How does Gawain betray his host?
He keeps the queen’s girdle, which she promised would make him immortal
What was the primary concern in midieval literature?
Romance
Who established the feudal system?
William the conquerer
What trait does Gawain’s journey reenforce?
Humility
Type of poem Beowulf is
Epic
Wyrd
Fate
4 highlights of chivalry
- prowess at arms
- intelligent
- eloquent
- skillful at charming a lady
According to Gawain, why is the chivalric system flawed?
It is a part of human nature to be self serving when faced with fear
Heroic paradox
Ultimate glory is to die in battle, but he can’t enjoy his glory because he is dead
What is Beowulf’s primary attribute as a hero?
Preternatural strength
3 battles of Beowulf
- Grendel
- Grendel’s mother
- the dragon
How is Grendel’s mother killed?
Beowulf beheads her with a sword from the wall of her underwater lair
How is Grendel killed?
Beowulf tears his arm off
How does Beowulf kill the dragon?
He musters all his strength to stab his dagger into the dragon’s belly
What is Beowulf’s motivation for killing Grendel?
Glory
What is Beowulf’s motivation for killing the dragon?
Treasure and protection of his kingdom
Who is Grendel a descendant from?
Cain
What was a Germanic lord’s duty?
Keep people safe and well cared for by employing warriors, paid with treasure
Courtly love
Nonsexual adoration by a man of a woman of higher status
Beowulf opens and closes with what kind of scene?
A funeral
Hall threatened by Grendel
Heorot
Every Ango-Saxon hero has a doubter. Beowulf’s is
Unferth
Why does Grendel’s mother come to Heorot?
To avenge her son, wergild
How long does Beowulf rule?
50 years
How does Beowulf ultimately die?
Dragon bite
What religion was practiced when Beowulf was written?
Paganism
2 examples of paganism in Beowulf
- Funeral pyres
- the dragon
What religion was practiced when Gawain was published?
Christianity
