Beowulf Flashcards
WHo is the great king described at beginning of story
Hrothgar
Beowulf is not a dane but a
geat
Who is wealhtheow
Hrothgar’s queen
What is hereot
main hall, community center, going to burn
Grendel is several times referred to as a descendent of
cain
WHo is the first person Beowulf and his men encounter when they arrive in Denmark
coast guards
What story does Unferth tell during the banquet in an attempt to lessen Beowulf’s honour
-How does beowulf respond
Beowulf lost swim contest
-not true, fought sea dragon, Unferth didn’t defeat Grendel
What is the history between Hrothgar and Beowulf
Hrothgar took in Beowulf’s struggling father, Beowulf feels indebted so comes to Danes to save them
How is the only way that Hereot can be destroyed
being burned by fire
Describe Grendel’s home
lair of devils, dark swampy lair
When Grendel flees back to his lair, what does he leave behind
Grendel’s shoulder + arm
WHo comes to hereot to avenge grendel
his mother
After Beowulf defeats Grendel, a story is told about Sigmund who
was a great warrior who also defeated a dragon
Who has grendels mother killed
good soldier of Hrothgar, she drags him to lair, puts head on stick
Grendel’s mother home description
close to hereot, underwater
How does beowulf kill grendels mother (weapons)
sword he brought (given by unferth) fails, uses sword from old times that ge finds in fight
Did beowulfs men expect to see him return from grendels mom
n, surprised
What does Beowulf give to hrothgar after grendel mom battle
grendels head
who becomes king of geatland after hygelac, for how long
Beowulf- 50 years
What is final dragon guarding and where did it come from
big pile of treasure, comes from distant/past land
What made final dragon angry
slave escapes from master, steals from lair
What major place does final dragon destroy before fight
Beowulf throneroom, a lot of the land
All of Beowulf’s men leave him in final dragon battle except for…
Wiglaf
A Beowulf dies, what does he give to Wiglaf
torque, armour, be future king
What does Beowulf tell Wiglaf to do as he dies
build a barrow after him
Describe Beowulfs funeral
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