Transcript Document 7318500

A Prelude to Beowulf
 The Anglo Saxon period is the oldest known period of
time that had a complex culture with stable
government, art, and a fairly large amount of
literature.
 Many people believe that the culture then was
extremely unsophisticated, but it was actually
extremely advanced for the time.
 The Anglo-Saxon period is a time filled with great
advancements and discoveries in culture, society,
government, religion, literature, and art.
 The Angles were a Germanic tribe that occupied the
region which is now Scleswig-Holstein, Germany.
 With their fellow ethnic groups, they formed the
people who came to be known as the English.
 The Saxons were a Germanic people who first
appeared in the beginning of the Christian era.
 Before the year 596, almost everybody had strong
pagan beliefs. In 596 missionaries had begun to
attempt to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
By the year 650, almost all of England had converted to
Christianity- at least in name.
 Everyone in the age would always wear extremely
modest clothing. The common garment for a man was
the robe gathered at the waist, completed by hose and
soft sandals. The same was for the woman, except their
dress extended to the feet. The most common
materials used to make clothing were linen and
woolens, though the more expensive outfits were
marked by colorful dyes and exotic borders (Pelteret,
2000). Usually then men would hide short spears
under their clothing for added protection.
 The common weapon in war was the spear.
Conventional spears were seven feet long with a iron
head and was used to be thrown and also to jab.
Shields were plain and round, made of wood with an
iron center. Only the rich and noble used swords,
which were made of iron with steel edges.
 When the men weren't fighting, the favorite pastimes
of the Anglo-Saxon period were dice and board game
such as chess. Complex riddles were very popular, as
well as hunting. At gatherings, the most common
entertainment was the harp, as well as juggling balls
and knives.
 Little writing remains to be studied because England
was still developing their written language during
many of these years, and storytelling was generally in
the oral tradition.
 Daily life was far from easy for people in Anglo-Saxon
England. Women especially had a high mortality rate
because of the dangers of pregnancies, miscarriages
and childbirth.
 Religious system of the Anglo-Saxons was related to
paganism and therefore it had the resemblance to
ancient Norse religion, and some other pre-Christian
cultures.
 In conclusion, the technological advancements and
discoveries of the Anglo-Saxon period set the stone for
today's society.
 The age had all of the parts of their culture that we
have today.
 Their period set the foundation for art, society,
literature, and culture of what we have today.
 America would be a very different place if it was not for
the impact that the Anglo-Saxon period had society.
 In the world that we sometimes think of as barbaric
and violent, beauty was prized in visual
ornamentation and literary elaboration.
 In this introduction to Anglo-Saxon literature,
students will study the literature and literary
techniques of the early Middle Ages, thus preparing
students to read Beowulf with an appreciation for its
artistry and beauty.
 Students will learn the conventions of Anglo-Saxon
poetry, write personal boasts, and reflect on what they
have learned.
 What can we learn from the manuscripts and
literature of the Anglo-Saxons?
 What are some formal elements of Anglo-Saxon
poetry?
 Define and give examples of kennings, alliteration, and
caesura
 Read, understand, and write Anglo-Saxon style riddles
 Write and present a personal boast
 Reflect on how literature and art were important
aspects of Anglo-Saxon life.
 Alliteration: A figure of speech in which consonants,
especially at the beginning of words, or stressed
syllables, are repeated…In [Old English] poetry
alliteration was a continual and essential part of the
metrical scheme and until the late Middle Ages was
often used thus. [Cuddon provides some classic
examples, such as Coleridge's description of the sacred
river Alph in his poem, Kubla Khan: "Five miles
meandering with a mazy motion."]
 Alliteration: A figure of speech in which consonants,
especially at the beginning of words, or stressed
syllables, are repeated…In [Old English] poetry
alliteration was a continual and essential part of the
metrical scheme and until the late Middle Ages was
often used thus. [Cuddon provides some classic
examples, such as Coleridge's description of the sacred
river Alph in his poem, Kubla Khan: "Five miles
meandering with a mazy motion."]
 Kenning: The term derives from the use of the Old Norse
verb kenna 'to know, recognize'…It is a device for
introducing descriptive colour or for suggesting
associations without distracting attention from the
essential statement. [Cuddon offers the following instances
of Old English kennings:
 a) helmberend—"helmet bearer" = "warrior"
 b) beadoleoma—"battle light" = "flashing sword"
 c) swansrad—"swan road" = "sea" Essentially, then, a
kenning is a compact metaphor that functions as a name or
epithet; it is also, in its more complex forms, a riddle in
miniature.]
 Riddle: I am fire-fretted / and I flirt
with Wind; my limbs are lightfreighted / I am lapped in flame. I am
storm-stacked / and I strain to fly; I'm a
grove leaf-bearing / and a glowing coal.
Riddle: The Moon is my father,
the Sea is my mother; I have a
million brothers, I die when I
reach land.
Riddle: Three eyes have I, all
in a row; when the red one
opens, all freeze.
 Riddle: I drink the blood of the
Earth, and the trees fear my roar,
yet a man may hold me in his
hands.
 Riddle: Swings by his thigh / a thing most
magical! Below the belt / beneath the folds
Of his clothes it hangs / a hole in its front
end, stiff-set and stout / it swivels about.
Levelling the head / of this hanging tool, its
wielder hoists his hem / above his knee; it is
his will to fill / a well-known hole that it fits
fully / when at full length
He's oft filled it before. / Now he fills it
again.
 Use your WNB and try to create an
Anglo-Saxon style riddle.
 We will share these riddles in
groups and with the class.