Anglo-Saxon Test Flashcards
Killed using a giant’s magical sword
Grendel’ mother
Embodies the knowledge of the price paid for physical and spiritual survival
The dragon
Killed with Beowulf’s bare hands
Grendel
Character responsible for mortally wounding Beowulf
The dragon
Shows loyalty even though he faces certain death
Wiglaf
Attacks and kills 30 men
Grendel
Jealous of Beowulf
Unferth
Defeated in an underwater lair
Grendel’s mother
Goes seeking fame
Beowulf
Weapons are useless against this creature
Grendel
Two types of people dominant during early British history
Anglo-Saxons and Celts
Two things that happened to Britain following the loss of Roman rule
Central government and protection from invaders went away
Who was the real King Arthur
Came from the Welsh Chieftain who fought against Anglo-Saxons, his name was Arthur
The Seafarer was in what book
The Exeter Book
Who promoted the deeds of heroes
- Storyteller
2. Storytell is thought highly of in pagan society
Beowulf’s tales of conquest are an example of this pagan idea
Fame
How does Beowulf defeat Grendel
Rips his arm off with his bare hands and Grendel bleeds to death
What does the dragon represent
Destiny (Pagan) Valley of the Shadow of Death (Christian)
Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon literature
- Male dominated
- Often included a dragon
- Written in Olde English
Characteristics of Celtic literature
- Included strong female characters
- Often included fairies
- Often a fantasy genre
Two things King Alfred is known for
- Unified England with Christianity
2. Rid the country of Danes
Three of the five major influences on the English language
- French
- German
- Latin
- Scandinavian
- Greek
Five major topics of the Seafarer
- His aspirations
- Life experiences
- Hopes
- Disillusionments
- Religious insights
Three examples of the number 3 in Beowulf
- 3 struggles against forces of evil
- 3 monsters in demonic shapes
- 3 sites of fear
List four of the eight parts of the epic hero cycle
- The hero
- The quest
- The test
- Companions and helpers
Draw the Beowulf plot structure
In notebook
Poem that mourns the death of a person or laments something lost
Elegy
A story in which the characters, settings, and events stand for abstract or moral concepts
Allegory
A pause or break within a line of poetry, usually indicated by the natural rhythm of the language
Caesura
Repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another
Alliteration
A part used to express the whole, or vise versa
Synecdoche
Special poetic renaming of things
Kennings
The naming of a person, or human characteristic by some object or attribute with which is closely associated
Metonymy
