Lectures Flashcards
What was the society structure of Germanic war bands like?
There is a bond between lord and retainers, the comitatus is based on reciprocity: military service and loyalty in return for feasts, protection and treasures
What is the society structure like with kingdoms that have a king?
There is a bond between king and nobleman based on reciprocity: military service for land
Who where the Witan? And what were their functions?
Witan were the nobles, they had 3 functions: advise the king, write the law code together with the king and determine who would be the next king
What did the local government consist of? Who ruled them?
The local government was a subdivision of kingdoms, divided into: earldoms, shires, hundreds. A shire is ruled by a reeve
An earldom is ruled by an earl or an ear domain. A hundreds is ruled by a thegn
What did the 3 estates consist of?
laboratores (farmers, peasants)
oratores (the clergy, pray)
bellatores (the nobles, fight)
what is a feud?
conditions of hostility between individuals or groups within one community caused by wrongs done by one side to the other
In what 3 ways can a feud be settled?
The 3 ways to settle a feud are: revenge, intermarriage and compensation
what was the role of women?
During the anglo-saxon period there was a high opportunity to learn, this was lost after the vikings came. This opportunity only came back in the 19th century.
During the 7th-8th century women were teachers, scholars, monastery head abbess was always a woman. There were female poets who wrote in Latin. Women lead armies: daughter of Alfred the great, æthelflæd.
who was Aldhelm?
Aldhelm was a Anglo-Latin poet wrote highly complex poem: De virginitate at eh bequest of the barking nuns and their abbess Hildelith
Who was Hild?
Hild was the abbes of Whitby during 614-680 and gained great renown as a teacher. She was the head of a ‘double monastery’
What did 5 of Hild’s students become?
Five of her students became bishops: Bosa in York, ætla in Dorchester, Oftfor in Worcester, John of Beverly in Hexham and York, Wilfrid in York
Who is Berhtgyð?
She is the first recorded English poet. She is mentioned in Viat Bonifatii. She also writes letters to her brother Balthard
Who is æthelflæd?
æthelflæd is a woman army leader and the daughter of Alfred the Great. She was also called: Lady of the Mercians. After the death of her husband æthelred, she was the sole ruler of parts of Mercia
æthelflæd builds strongholds, leads armies, kidnaps the Welsh queen in 916. Conquers Derby in 917
who is Lady Godiva?
Lady Godiva was the wife of Earl Leofric of Merci, a wealthy landowner and patron of various churches and monasteries. She rode a horse through the town naked to lower the taxes. She died in 1067
Church and Christianity, what happened on the important dates? 567 - 1020 (5 answers)
567: St. Augustine arrives in Canterbury
600-700: ‘Conversion’
700-800: ‘Golden age of Anglo-Saxon learning’
793-878: Viking raids ‘disrupt’ religious life
c. 960-1020: Benedictine Reform
Of what did the Clergy exist?
Regular Clergy: abbot, abbess, monk, nun
Secular Clergy: archbishop, bishop, priest, deacon
What is a diocese?
The area a bishop rules over
examples: Wulfstan over York
what was the goal of the clergy?
The goal was to try and covert Germanic tribes, examples:
Willibrord tried to convert the anglo-saxons
Bonifatius tried to convert the Frisian, but he got his head chopped off by said Frisians
What were the Saints? How were they treated?
Saints can be divided in: martyr, confessor and virgin. Saints were treated like nowadays celebrities: posters on walls = pictures of saint in church AND go to places celebrities were = saint shires
What was the function of a saint?
A Saint was the spokesperson from God, God could be contacted through a saint
what types of relics were there? what were they used for?
There were primary relics: bones, teeth, hair and secondary relics: items the saint has touched. These relics were used to get healed, and people would swear an oath on said relic
what where the monasteries centres of?
monasteries were the centres of learning: Latin, astronomy and medicine.
Monasteries were centres of wealth: nobles paid for them to pray for the nobles. Monasteries were centres of art, example of this are Lindisfarne gospels: decorated letters, start of conversion, love for animals
What is magic?
the use of ritual activities or observances which are intended to influence the course fo events or to manipulate the natural world, usually involving the use of an occult or secret body of knowledge; sorcery, witchcraft
in what forms was magic used?
Magic was used in forms such as amulets, love potions, curses, prognostication (prediction of the future), charms
who did not like magic? what did this result in?
the church, Christianity. This results in a lot of negative words for magic from the OE period
what were the anglo-saxon penitentials?
Rules against the use of magic, the rules mostly targeted women. Even though priests or munks could practice magic as well
what is magic: prognostication?
the action, practice, or fact of prognosticating; foreshadowing, foretelling; prediction, prophecy.
what did ælfric of Eynsham write in his homily?
whoever believes in prophecies either from birds, sneezes, horses or dogs, will never be a Christian but a perverse apostate
what are the Mediterranean traditions of prognostication?
on which day January 1st falls, will determine how the seasons will go, when it thunders, will determine who dies, sunshine, when the sun starts to shine after Christmas, dreams: eagle attack means death, shaved beard means start of misery
what is magic: charms?
a verbal forumla performed in rituals designed to protect or heal; the words of the charm may command invisible forces in nature or appeal to divine power in order to bring out the virtues of herbal ingredients in a remedy or to ward off evil
what is not completely justified about magic?
the bad reputation that it has, as 90% is herbal magic. Not all magic is irrational, most charms are the placebo effect
how do we know about the battle of Hastings?
we know because of tapestry, tells the Norman side of the story (propaganda)
explain the battle of Hastings?
14 Oct 1066
Normandy invades, but the English army is still North. English army ran South, but was too tired. Normandy wins
Explain the battle of Stamford bridge?
25 Sept 1066
English army marches North to surprise the Vikings. This works and they defeat the vikings.
explain the battle of Fulford?
in the North of England, vikings win as the English army is waiting in the South for Normandy
Who is Caedmon?
He is the oldest literature writer, a poet
What is the oldest poem?
Caedmon’s hymm, which was recorded by Bede (7 answers)
What are the characteristics of Old English poetry?
It is orally delivered, from memory - Formulas are used, these are stock phrases used to fill in gaps in the metre - Typescenes are used, which are stock themes used frequently - Alliteration was used as this made the poetry easier to remember - each line was 2 lines separated by a caesura - each half line has 2 stressed syllables, connected by alliteration of the stressed syllable - First stressed syllable of second half line determines the alliteration. There can be a max of 3 stressed syllables and a min of 2 stressed syllables.
what is variation/apposition? what is the purpose of this?
repetition in different words of an element of a sentence, such as object subject. This gives the reader more information and makes it easier to remember
what are the characteristics of Old English grammar in poetry? (5 answers)
word order - omission of subjects/objects/prepositions - there are verse specific forms of pronouns: mec (mē) + þec (þē) - there is verse specific vocabulary, which consists of lots of synonyms, that create allitertion and variation - kennings were used: one-word riddles
How many lines of poetry survived?
around 30.000 lines
what is authorship in OE poetry?
almost all poetry is anonymous
where poetry titles made up in the OE period?
No, titles were an invention during the 18/19th century. The titles we know nowadays were added to the poetry during the 18/19th century
where the dates accurate on the manuscripts?
the dates were not accurate, the manuscripts can have a date but this date is not necessarily the same date the poetry got composed
what are the genres of OE poetry?
heroic poetry (Beowulf, Battle of Maldon, Battle of Brunaburh) - religious poetry (Exodus, Genesis, the dream of the Rood, Caedmon’s Hymm) - elegiac poetry (the wanderer, deor, wulf and eadwacer, the ruin) - wisdom poetry (Maxims I, Maxims II, Fortunes of Men)
What is the definition of OE poetry, heroic poetry?
poems that deal with warriors endowed
with often superhuman courage whose
actions are motivated by a special set of
values, the heroic ethos.
What is the definition of OE poetry, religious poetry
poetic adaptations of biblical material
What is the definition of OE poetry, elegiac poetry
Poems that focus on the transience of life and earthly glory, by balancing the cold, joyless present with the happy, warm past.
what is the definition of OE poetry, wisdom poetry?
poems which aim primarily neither at
narrative nor at self-expression, but deal
instead with the central concerns of
human life – what it is; how it varies; how a man may hope to succeed in it, and after it. Dont tell a story but lessons about life
What are the 5 main characteristics of Beowulf?
Beowulf is the longest Old Germanic Poetry with 3182 lines. The author and date are unknown. It only survived in 1 manuscript
What is the main storyline of Beowulf? 3 parts
part 1: Young Beowulf fights Grendel
part 2: Young Beowulf fights Grendel’s mother
part 3: Old Beowulf fights dragon, Beowulf dies and kills the dragon
how much percent of Beowulf consists of digressions and episodes? (flashbacks + flashforwards)
25%
what did Tolkien say about Beowulf?
not average poem, many points are made at the same time
what does Beowulf start and end with?
a funeral, which leaves the question if the poem is about death
What is the synopsis of part 1?
- Shipburial of Scyld Scefing - Genealogy of the Scyldings - Hrothgar builds Heorot - Heorot is attacked by Grendel - Beowulf hears of Grendel and goes to Denmark - Beowulf introduces himself to the coast
guard - Beowulf reaches Heorot and introduces himself to Wulfgar - Hrothgar receives Beowulf - Hunferth challenges Beowulf - Rejoicing in the hall - Beowulf prepares for his fight with
Grendel - Grendel approaches Heorot and Beowulf and Grendel fight - Rejoicing in the hall
who or what is Grendel?
Outlaw/exile - Inhabitant of moors, fens and marshes
- Descendant of Cain, related to elves,
giants and orcs - Fatherless - Speechless - Creature of the night - Eats people - rather vague description by the poet (only his eyes, 1 arm and eats people are given)
what is the result of the rather vague description of Grendel?
makes the reader use their imagination to create their own nightmare
who or what is Beowulf?
Follower of Hygelac, king of the Geats - Son of Ecgtheow - Strength of thirty men in his arm - Gifted speaker - Monster killer - linked to bear
is Beowulf a historical or literature source?
according to Tolkien: more used as literature rather than historical source
When was Beowulf composed?
Early daters: - Linguistics: Very early Old English - An Old English poem
about Scandinavians, so before 793
Late daters: - Manuscript dates from 975-1025 - An Old English poem about Scandinavians, so after 1016.
Is Beowulf Christian or pagan?
Protagonists are pagan but described as mono-theist. Poet was Christian looking back at pagan past
What was the purpose of Beowulf?
Pure entertainment, History, Allegory, Didactic
OR combination of the above
What means didactic?
intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.
What is the didactic nature of Beowulf? (4 answers)
What is the proper etiquette during a
feast? - How should a lord treat his retainers and
vice versa? - How to settle a feud? - How to become a hero? (young Beowulf
as a role model)
What is the Codex Amiatinus? (Northumbria c.700)
Gift for the pope in Rome, cost 2000 cows for 3 books. It was a full Bible
Who made the manuscripts?
Munks made the manuscripts. They did the full process: writing, parchment making, booking binding. Therefore it was also called a monastic product.
What are the St. Cuthbert Gospels? (Northumbria c.700)
This was a personal copy of St. John, it was found in his coffin
What is the St. Augustine Gospel? (Italy, before 597)
illumination to explain the text OR used for emphasis
What are the dangers for manuscripts?
Manuscripts are fragile. Vikings liked the outside which was covered with leaf gold and jewellery. Vikings would take the covers and throw away the papers. Cats walking over manuscripts and then staining them. Mice ate manuscripts, that’s why the cats were present. Bookworms. Fire, water was then used to put out this then damaged the books.
What was the result of the dissolution of monasteries? Who started the dissolution?
The result was that all the manuscripts were taken from the libraries where they were kept. Henry VIII started it in 1536 - 1541
What is the story of the manuscripts in Cambridge?
Matthew Parker (1504 - 1575) got his access to manuscripts to translate to English when the church reformed. He was the archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 - 1575. He used the manuscripts to convince others they were going back to the good old days. He eventually donated the manuscripts to Cambridge
What is the story of the manuscripts in London?
Sir Robert Cotton (1571 - 1631) had the largest collection of anglo-saxon manuscript, including Beowulf and the Lindisfarne Gospels. Cotton’s heir donated the manuscripts, a lot were lost in a fire in Ashburnham house. They are in the British Library now
What is the story of the manuscripts of Oxford/Bodleian library?
Thomas Bodley was the founder of the Bodleian library in 1602. He asked people to donate their manuscripts so that everyone had access to.
What are the 4 poetic manuscripts?
Beowulf manuscripts, Vercelli Book, Exeter Book, Junius manuscript
What were the contents of the Beowulf manuscript (975 - 1025)? + label
Life of Saint Christopher, Letter of Alexander to
Aristotle, Marvels of the East, Beowulf, Judith. All of these texts deal with monsters (London, British Library, Cotton Vitelius, A XV)
What are the contents of the Vercelli Book (c. 975)? + label
Various homilies and saint’s lives, The Dream of the Rood. From Italy, brought there by pilgrim on its way to Rome (Vercelli, Cathedral Library, MS CXVII)
What are the contents of the Exeter Book? + label
Wisdom poetry, Riddles, Elegies. 60% of OE poetry was in this book (Exeter, Exeter Cathedral Library, MS 3501)
What are the contents of the Junius Manuscript? + label
Pioneer of Germanic theology, gothic Bible (1st edition): Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan Also known as the ‘Ceadmon manuscript”
who put a claim on the throne after Edward the Confessor died in 1066?
Harold Godwinson (brother-in-law), Harald Hardarda (king of Norway), William the Conqueror (duke of Normandy)
who is Cnut the great and what did he do?
He is the king of England (1016-1035) Norway, Denmark and parts of Sweden. He showcases that he is very English: Marries the old queen of England, Emma of Normandy (shows continuity), Enlists Wulfstan, writes law: warning of vikings, uses Old English, supports English saints and churches (St. Edmund and Edward the Martyr)
what happened in 1016?
æthelred dies and is succeeded by son Edmund Ironside. Cnut the great conquers England and makes a pact with Edmund Ironside: whoever dies first gives his half to the other king. Edmund dies first of diarrhoea
what happened in 1014?
Sweyn Forkbeard died. æthelred II returns and became king of England, Wulfstand writes ‘semo lupi ad anglos’
Who is Sweyn Forkbeark (960-1014)?
He was the king of Norway and England, he conquers England. He got crowned in 1013 during Christmas. He died 5 weeks later on 3rd of February 1014. He either fell off his horse OR got killed by the ghost of St. Edmund
What are the 3 solutions fo the fight of the vikings?
Pay off Danes/Vikings. they come back next year asking more money
Marriage with Emma of Normandy (1002): this gets people of Normandy to come to England, but has no effect on Vikings. Eventually æthelred orders to kill all Danish and Vikings in Europe (1002). This was not popular with the king of Denmark, who got his sister killed. The Danes join the Vikings in conquering England
which 3 events happen in ætherlred’s life (968-1016)?
æthelred becomes king after the murder of his half-brother, Edward the martyr. He gets married twice: to ælfgifu of York, gets 10 kids including Edmund Ironside. Also married Emma of Normandy, gets 3 kids including Edward the Confessor. The Vikings come back, they use Normandy to hit the south of England
Who is the biggest loser of English history?
æthelred the unready
What is Viking legacy regarding politics?
Before the Vikings, there were 7 separate kingdoms, with different kings and laws. After the Vikings, there was one kingdom of England, with one king and the same laws
what is Viking legacy regarding linguistics?
English language got enriched by Scandinavian languages, this was due to the hostile or friendly interactions with Vikings.
What is Viking legacy regarding culture?
Vikings bring art, such as hogback stones. There are gravemarkers that resemble a Viking longhouse
what is the Viking legacy regarding economy?
Captured by great heathen army in 866, York was the capitol in the North, the population became 5x bigger and was part of the trading network
what happened after king Alfred?
Successors follow the same path of defeating Vikings and the revival of education. æthelstan became the first king of England (924-939) Benedictee reform (960-1020) consists of: revival of anglo-saxon learning in the vernacular, revival of Benedictee moanstic values, replace bishops with monastic bishops
what is the educational renaissance? What are the results of this?
The revival of learning recruited scholars from abroad, founded court schools fro nobles. Translated books most useful to know from Latin to Old English. Books about leadership paganism (fate, good + evil), theology. This elevated the status of English as a language of learning
What is the treaty of Wedmore (878)?
Vikings needed to be baptised and the heathen army needed to end. This did not bode well, so the land god split. Area North of Walting street was ruled by the Vikings (Danelaw area). Area south of Walting street was ruled by anglo-saxons (king Alfred). One king for the first time
what was king Alfred known for?
for the defeat of the Vikings, for the reorganizatoin of the army. Into 50/50 with time to harvest and time for the army. He is also known for the start of the English navy. That existed out of a system of burhs = fortifications to retreat to and attack from
what did Asser write in ‘the life of king Alfred’ regarding Alfred’s sickness?
Alfred was only thinking about sex and asked God for a disease that lessened his thoughts about sex. So God gave him hemroids until he got married. After marriage, he got a new unknown disease.
why was king Alfred an unlikely king?
Alfred had 4 brothers that al died. He was also groomed for a career in the church + he got sick very often
What is the nickname king Alfred got in the 19th century?
England’s darling
What happened in the 3rd phase of Viking activity (865-878)?
the Vikings amassed the great heathen army. They start conquering all the kingdoms from within besides Wessex. As Alfred the Great became king of Wessex in 871
what happened in the 2nd phase of viking activity (851-865)?
Vikings had bigger armies, led by Ragnar Lothbrok. They also started to settle in England during wintertime.
What happened in the first phase of viking activity (793-851)?
Raid of Lindisfarne, they did hit + run during the summer raids
what happened in 793?
Vikings raided the island of Lindisfarne. The English conversion started in Lindisfarne, all the important books, art was there, this all got destroyed by the Vikings
Why are the vikings so effective at raiding?
Vikings are effective at raiding because they have inside information, as they are part of the international trade route. THey also have a technological advantage with the ‘viking longboat’, as it can go on the ocean and river
why did the vikings do raids?
vikings raid the look for other riches, due to insufficient farmland and climate change
what are the traces of vikings? + what are they also known for?
A few examples of viking traces are: Piraeus lion, Venice (runes), Haghia Sophia, Istanbul (runes), Vikings traded amber, ivory, but mostly slaves. Vikings were the slave traders of their time
what are the acitivities of the vikings? + how de we know this?
Vikings were mostly farmers, this was their main activity. They were also explorers + traders, as they travelled and settled everywhere. We know this because of the found archeology
what are the characteristics of archaeological findings (as source)?
found traces of vikings throughout the world such as runes. These sources only tell us about materials, not thoughts
what are the characteristics of icelandic saga’s (as source)?
Icelandic saga’s are written by descendants roughly 200 years after the Viking era, mixed with fantasy aspects (dragons)
what are the characteristics of writings by victims of vikings (as source)?
these are also called anglo-saxon chronicles. Very detailed about what the Vikings did, this created the violent image
this source is VERY biased
what are the characteristics of runestones (as source)?
Runestones were made out of stone, wood or steel. There are hardly any written sources by vikings themselves, runestones are an exemption. Runestones are rather short and not really informative, there are also combinations as runecomb
who are the vikings? + their gods?
Vikings are ‘medieval’ scandinavians from 790 till 1100. They rarely call themselves vikings. They are often referred to as: danes, pagans, heathens. Germanic gods are similar to the pagan gods of the Vikings, woden = odin, thunor = thor, freja = freya + brother, tiw = tyr
what is historically wrong about vikings?
vikings were not as violent as they were ought to be + did not wear horned helmets
what happened after Whitby?
between 650-700 Christianity was established in all anglo-saxon kingdoms, the conversion was complete. Proliferation of monasteries issues in ‘golden age of anglo-saxon learning’ with leading figures: Theodore of Tarsus and Hadrian of Canterbury
What is the conflict of Irish vs Roman Christianity about? who won + who resolved it?
the conflict is about a relapse into paganism and the different way of calculating easter. Issue was resolved by Synod of Whitby in 664. Roman Christianity won
what is Libellus Responsionum?
all these things the ignorant English people need to know, written in a letter by Pope Gregory I to Augustine in 601
what was the Roman mission regarding conversion of the anglo-saxons?
in 597 St. Augustine arrives in England and covnerts Æthelbert of Kent, builds a church and abbey in Canterbury (St. Augustine’s Canterbury). Also establishes bishoprics in London and Rochester
what was the Irish mission regarding the conversion of the anglo-saxons?
the Irish had their own version of Christianity and liked missionary work. Started converting Schotland + England in 565. Oswald, king of Northumbria (635-642) got converted by Irish missionaries and gives lands to the monks to build monasteries
what type of process was the anglo-saxon conversion?
a top down process, start with the king
when does Christianity come into play?
at the end of the 7th century
what/who is tacticus germania?
wrote about Germanic tribes before they went to Briton, this is slightly biased as it is a Roman historian writing for the Romans
What are the anglo-saxon paganism festivals?
easter -> easter (= spring Goddes)
yule -> pagan name for Christmas
what are the anglo-saxon paganism placenames? + origins
tuesley -> tiw, god of war ,wodnesborough -> woden (=odin), thundetsley -> thunor (=thor)
what are the anglo-saxon paganism names of days? + whats their origin?
tiwesdeag = tiw god of war, wodnesdeag = woden (odin), thunesdeag = thunor (thor), frigedeag = freya
what happened to the Britons?
they were eventually defeated
about what did pseudo-nennius made up a story?
pseudo-nennius made up a story about Bodon Hill with Arthur as MC (828), there is not historical evidence suggesting that Arthur, the knights of the round table, Merlin actually existed
who led the Britons + what happened at the battle of Bodon Hill?
Britons were led by Ambrosius-Aurelius, the anglo-saxons were defeated by the Britons at the battle of Bodon Hill (end of 5th century)
What is Bede projecting on his writing? + what does this create?
Bede is projecting his current political situation (8th century) onto the 5th century, this creates a very unrealistic and biased image
did the kingdoms work together? + what did they do instead?
the kingdoms do not work together, they actually start to take over each other. Heptarchy: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Sussex, Wessex, Essex, Kent
How big were the troops during the anglo-saxon invasion according to Bede?
+ which tribes took what Kingdom?
+ what type of process is it?
3 ships, 2 brothers (ancestors of Woden/Odin) 3 tribes: Jutes (Kent), Saxons (essex, sussex, wessex), angles (east anglia, mercia, Northumbria). it is a gradual process
how did the anglo-saxons take over Britain? Anecdote
anglo-saxons organised a party, peaceful gathering, no weapons. The anglo-saxon took out their long knives and killed the Britons
what happened during wave 4?
the celtic tribes and scots invaded Briton after the Romans were gone. The Britains asked the Romans for aid, but they refused. The Britains asked the angles, saxons and jutes for help as mercenary. Angles, saxons and jutes saw how fertile the ground was and decided to stay. They got to stay as they helped defend Britain, also got played.
why did the Romans leave Britain?
Rome got sacked by Visigoths in 410 AD
What did the Romans build to keep out who?
the Romans build the Hadrian wall in 122 AD, to keep out the Celtic tribes from the North
what happens in wave 3? who appeared, what dit they leave behind, why appear?
What did Britain become?
Romans invade Britain. Julius Ceasear failed (55-54BC) Claudius succeeds (43 AD). Britain is a Roman province (43 - 410 AD). The Romans brought Christianity and they left stone buildings, aquaducts, public baths, roads, bridges
What are the characteristics of wave 2? why they appear, what they left behind + who wrote about them
celtic tribes reach Briton + Ireland around 600-500 BC. They spoke what nowadays is celtic (Welsh, Gealic), which is a branch of Indo-European. They leave behind place names (London, Dover and river names: Thames). Julius Ceasar wrote about the Celts
What are the characteristics of wave 1? why they appear + what they left behind
beaker people around 2500 BC, we are not sure what language they spoke, probably combination of dutch, german and France
They brought disease and left dolmens + stone henge
What are the 4 waves of migration of the inhabitants of Britain?
wave 1: bronze age farmers, wave 2: celtic tribes, wave 3: romans, wave 4: angles, saxons and jutes
why study OE? (5 reason)
knowing about OE means knowing more about PDE, PDE spelling is from medieval period, will give you access to the earliest history/literature, modern authors are inspired by OE literature, which gives an unique look at early literature, gain knowledge and get better at solving complex issues
what language nowadays is similar to OE?
frysian
riddles are of?
all ages
who was Aldhelm and what did they do?
Aldhelm was a teacher who wrote riddles in Latin. This showed his linguistic knowledge
what is one big difference between Latin riddles and Old English riddles?
Latin riddles come with answer, Old English riddles do not come with answers
What are in the Exeter book?
All Old English riddles except for one that is in Leiden
Why is it unknown how many riddles there are?
it is unknown how many riddles there are because it is hard to decipher where one riddle starts and where another ends
What is the purpose of riddles?
the purpose of riddles is unknown. It could be either entertaining or education
What are common features of riddles? (7 total)
tend to rely on metaphor, metamorphic, ambiguous, prosopopoeia, direct questioning, double entendre, cryptographic
what is metamorphic?
something undergoes transformation during the riddle
what is ambiguous?
double or triple meaning of words
what is prosopopoeia?
inanimate object getting a voice
what is cryptographic?
rely on knowledge of reader about secret script to make sense
why are runes angular shaped?
runes are angular shaped as they were originally made in stone, metal, wood
what was the full runic alphabet associated with?
the full runic alphabet was associated with magic
what are 3 well-known anglo-saxon art pieces?
ruthwell cross, franks casket, staffordshire hoard
what is the ruthwell cross?
Ruthwell cross is a big stone cross that dates back to the 8th century. It has a runic inscription in Old English poetry that is very similar to “the dream of the Rood”. This shows that the lines must have circulated in England 200 years before the manuscript was amde
what is franks casket?
Franks casket is made out of whale bone. it shows that England was very multi-cutural, as it carried stories of: Germanic, Roman, Jewish and Christian origin
What is staffordshire hoard?
it was found on 5 july 2009 by someone with a metal detector. It was found with a lot of gold and jewels. Its purpose is unknown (war booty, burial, savekeeping)
