Beowulf Videos

Okay, after much ado, here are the Beowulf videos that were all so wonderfully made. Nice work!

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Reschedule

Hello everyone,

Due to the busy week with homecoming, etc., I have decided to postpone the Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf exam until next Tuesday.  This will allow for a little more time to review in class and study on your own.  I will give you more details in class.

-Mr. Pace

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Study Guide

Hello, all, I hope you had a good weekend and are ready for homecoming this week.  I thought I would post the study guide to the exam on Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon period (don't worry, I'll still give you a copy).  So, without further ado, here it is...

Anglo-Saxon/Beowulf Exam Study Guide

Geography

·         Know and be able to label on a map

o   The four countries comprising Great Britain

o   France

o   The English Channel

o   London

Anglo-Saxon Period

·         Celtic Civilization

o   Religion & priests

o   Most famous Celtic ruins

o   Warriors’ blue dye

o   Basis for Arthurian legend

·         Roman Occupation

o   Beginning and ending dates

o   Roman emperor during invasion of Britain

o   Two geographical features brought to Britain by Romans

o   Religion brought by the Romans after Emperor Constantine converted to it

·         Anglo-Saxon Period

o   Three major tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes)

o   Terms for Anglo-Saxon poets

o   “Warrior Heaven”

o   Odin and Thor

o   Four main virtues (and how they relate to Beowulf)

o   Significance of dragon in Anglo-Saxon poetry

o   Influence of monks and monasteries

o   3 major accomplishments of Alfred the Great

o   Event that marks the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, as well as the date and its leader

Beowulf

·         Who wrote it?  About when?

·         How do scholars account for the Christian and Pagan elements existing concurrently in the poem?  Be able to identify examples of each from a given passage.

·         What is the one verifiable historical reference in Beowulf? (Hygelac was a historical figure who led a raid around the year 525).

·         What is the name of the mead-hall?  Who builds it?

·         Who is Grendel’s ancestor?

·         What is wyrd?  Provide an example of its importance in Beowulf?

·         What is wergild?  How is this important in Beowulf?

·         What is a ring-giver?

·         What is the history between Hrothgar and Beowulf’s father?

·         Genealogy:

o   Danes: Know Hrothgar’s ancestry back to Shield Sheafson.

o   Gaets: Know Beowulf’s father and his uncle whom Beowulf succeeds as king

·         Know the three battles and the major events in each.

·         What is the name of Beowulf’s sword?

·         How does Beowulf become king of the Gaets?

·         How many years does he rule before he fights the dragon?

·         Who is the warrior who remains loyal to Beowulf in his final battle?

·         How does Beowulf die?

·         What happens to Beowulf’s body after his death? 

·         What are some themes that remain relevant today?

Literary Terms

·         Know and be able to define, as well as provide some characteristics of, an epic (see the list on pages 28-29 in the textbook).

·         Know and be able to define and identify from a selected passage:

o   Kenning

o   Alliteration

o   Caesura (a pause in the middle of a line of poetry)

Greetings, and welcome to PaceSpace. I thought for the first entry we could discuss music. As a musician from a young age, I have been obsessed with songs and the meanings they hold for us. In Beowulf, the poet employs songs that were popular at the time (and which also contain a pertinent meaning) to connect with his audience and add some variety to the text. The songs, of course, are significantly less readily available to us now, but the concept remains. We add songs to our movies (especially the major blockbusters), and we tend to appreciate it when a film incorporates a pertinent popular song in the soundtrack. For this post, I'd like you to think about what you think is the best soundtrack to any movie. Personally, I tend to return with alarming alacrity (vocab word!) to Moulin Rouge. The genius of that film (besides the casting and directing) is how Baz Luhrmann incorporates popular songs from the past 1oo years into the storyline. In doing so, I think the movie is successful in demonstrating the immanence of death and the embodiment of Bohemian ideals through (relatively) contemporary songs.