A4B Old English & Beowulf Instruction

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo
• Leerjaar 4,5

Literature & Culture

OLD ENGLISH

Medieval times

• tradition: told by 
  scops 
  
  

The oldest

• composed +/- 1200 years ago(?)
• changed dialects, almost up in smoke, lines were lost
• lone survivor; remarkable then and now.

What have you learned about Old English?

Language at the time:

• People were illiterate. Only monks could read and write.

• Alliterations / regular rhythm were used (mnemonic reasons) (using short memory techniques) 

• Kenning

• Variations

Alliteration:

Two or more words within the same line begin with the same letter.

 

Examples:

Meotodes meahte and his modgepanc

The Measurer's might and his mind-plans

Kenning:

- A figurative name for a thing

- Usually expressed in a compound noun.

Examples:

Swan-road = sea

Bone-house = body 

Variations:

- The repeating of a single idea in different words

- Each repetition adds a new level of meaning.

Examples:

- heaven-kingdom, Guardian, Holy Creator

- The measurer mankind's, Glory

-Father, Master, Almighty, Eternal Lord

- Protector of Shieldings, Lord, Majesty

Super hero characteristics

BEOWULF

EPIC POETRY

• Long narrative poem 
• Written in an elevated style, bombastic
• Celebrates deed of a legendary hero or God
  
• External Conflict, when a character struggles against some outside force, a person's nature-society, or fate.
  
• Superficial characters
• Straight forward (monster-slay-treasure)

BEOWULF

REMARKABLE & SUCCESFULL - WHY?

• Being worthy of your father’s legacy
  
• Heroic deads (reprimand/debt/honour)
• Un-Beowulfy to Christian standards
  
• Appeaed to Anglo-Saxon warriors
  
•  Tangibility of a hero compared to God

Discuss in groups of 3 (skip) 
How realistic was Beowulf according to Medieval standards? (Perhaps use in your presentation?)

The arm-thing

The mixed-up fairy tale-thing

The Anglo-thing

The monster-thing

#lifeofBeowulf

When was Beowulf written?

1. 860 AD
2. 2020
3. 975 AD
4. 1066

Who was the author of Beowulf?

What is known about the author's origins?

1. Anglo-Saxon poet
2. Frisian poet
3. Jute poet
4. Celt poet

What is an elegy?

1. Heroic
2. Supernatural
3. Chivalry
4. Mourning

What is a hapax legomenon?

"Spoken in welcome and wealth of wrought gold" is an example of a/an..

1. Simile
2. Metaphor
3. Alliteration
4. Personification

Shadow-stalker, bone-house, whale-house, and mead-bench are examples of ...

1. Metaphors
2. Kenning
3. Personification
4. Simile

Why does Grendel crave the darkness?

What is wergeld? Explain in your own words.

What led to Beowulf's downfall?

Literature test information:

D-test in P2

Continue to work on the literary worklist (begrijppenlijst)

Literature test in P2

The poem Beowulf is a heroic epic. Give
a few characteristics of the heroic epic.

Why does Beowulf decide to undertake the fight against Grendel? Give 2 reasons.

There are several themes that are discussed in Beowulf. Explain two themes from the poem.

Next literature instruction lesson:

The Dream of the Rood