YEAR II: ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSE
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Władysław Witalisz
E-LEARNING MODULE ONE: OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE
Time allotted: 240 minutes
Task I: Read the attached “NOTES ON OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE” and look at
the images related to early the history of English literature.
Task II: Listen to some Old English poems at
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/noa/audio.htm
Task III: Read the article on “Linguistic and Literary Contexts of Beowulf” in the
Norton Anthology of English Literature online at
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/topic_4/welcome.htm
Task III: On the basis of the attached “NOTES ON OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE”
and your own reading of Old English texts in Fordoński’s anthology answer each of the
following questions in no longer than one to two sentences.
1. Give the author and the title of an educational sermon of 1014 that shows the invasions of
the Danes as God’s punishment for the sins of the Anglo-Saxons.
2. Give the author and the title of the book that includes Caedmon’s Hymn?
3. Give the title of at least one of Cynewulf’s lives of saints.
4. Give the title of one book translated as a result of Alfred the Great’ s educational project.
5. Give the titles of two Anglo-Saxon poems which feature women speakers.
6. Give titles of two works rendered into English as part of King Alfred’s translation project.
7. How is Sutton Hoo related to Old English literature?
8. In which book did King Alfred the Great present his project of the renewal of learning in
England?
9. List the names of FOUR major manuscripts containg Old English Poetry.
10. What does the Old English Elene narrate and who is its author?
11. What formal quality used by the poet makes the Old English Husband’s Message an
unusual poem?
12. What is Sermo lupi ad Anglos?
13. What was wergild in the Anglo-Saxon tradition? Where is it mentioned in Beowulf?
14. When was the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle started and how long was its latest version in
Peterborough kept?
15. Where can we see the original manuscript of The Battle of Finnsburgh today?
16. Which 1st century Roman historian describes the people of the north in his Germania?
17. Which Old English poem narrates the beheading of Holofernes? Who is its reputed
author?
18. Which Old English poem tells the story of the Invention of the Cross. Who is its author?
19. Which Old English scholar became the teacher and advisor of Charlemagne?
20. Which TWO Old English poems were found in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
21. Who is Eschere in Beowulf?
22. Who is Wealhtheow in Beowulf?
23. Who was Aelfric and what is he known for?
24. Who was Charlemagne’s advisor from York?
25. Who wrote De Excidio Britanniae and what is its subject?
TASK II: Identify the fragment of the poem below. Write a brief summary and
interpretation of the passage below. Put it in the context of the poem it belongs to and
show all the elements (form, style and theme) that allow the reader to recognise the text
as Old English poetry of a particular type.
NOTE: Please use necessary terms from “USEFUL TERMS FOR DISCUSSING
POETRY” – also attached.
(NO MORE THAN 500 WORDS)
64a
68a
72a
76a
Swa þes middangeard
So this middle-earth,
ealra dogra gehwam
a bit each day,
dreoseð ond fealleð;
droops and decays -
forþon ne mæg weorþan wis
Therefore man (wer)
wer, ær he age
cannot call himself wise, before he has
wintra dæl in woruldrice.
a share of years in the world.
Wita sceal geþyldig,
A wise man must be patient,
ne sceal no to hatheort
He must never be too impulsive
ne to hrædwyrde,
nor too hasty of speech,
ne to wac wiga
nor too weak a warrior
ne to wanhydig,
nor too reckless,
ne to forht ne to fægen,
nor too fearful, nor too cheerful,
ne to feohgifre
nor too greedy for goods,
ne næfre gielpes to georn,
nor ever too eager for boasts,
ær he geare cunne.
before he sees clearly.
Beorn sceal gebidan,
A man must wait
þonne he beot spriceð,
when he speaks oaths,
oþþæt collenferð
until the proud-hearted one
cunne gearwe
sees clearly
hwider hreþra gehygd
whither the intent of his heart
hweorfan wille.
will turn.
Ongietan sceal gleaw hæle
A wise hero must realize
hu gæstlic bið,
how terrible it will be,
þonne ealre þisse worulde wela
when all the wealth of this world
weste stondeð,
lies waste,
swa nu missenlice
as now in various places
geond þisne middangeard
throughout this middle-earth
winde biwaune
walls stand,
weallas stondaþ,
blown by the wind,
hrime bihrorene,
covered with frost,
hryðge þa ederas.
storm-swept the buildings.
Woriað þa winsalo,
The halls decay,
waldend licgað
their lords lie
80a
84a
88a
92a
96a
dreame bidrorene,
deprived of joy,
duguþ eal gecrong,
the whole troop has fallen,
wlonc bi wealle.
the proud ones, by the wall.
Sume wig fornom,
War took off some,
ferede in forðwege,
carried them on their way,
sumne fugel oþbær
one, the bird took off
ofer heanne holm,
across the deep sea,
sumne se hara wulf
one, the gray wolf
deaðe gedælde,
shared one with death,
sumne dreorighleor
one, the dreary-faced
in eorðscræfe
man buried
eorl gehydde.
in a grave.
Yþde swa þisne eardgeard
And so He destroyed this city,
ælda scyppend
He, the Creator of Men,
oþþæt burgwara
until deprived of the noise
breahtma lease
of the citizens,
eald enta geweorc
the ancient work of giants
idlu stodon.
stood empty.
Se þonne þisne wealsteal
He who thought wisely
wise geþohte
on this foundation,
ond þis deorce lif
and pondered deeply
deope geondþenceð,
on this dark life,
frod in ferðe,
wise in spirit,
feor oft gemon
remembered often from afar
wælsleahta worn,
many conflicts,
ond þas word acwið:
and spoke these words:
Hwær cwom mearg? Hwær cwom mago?
Where is the horse gone? Where the rider?
Hwær cwom maþþumgyfa?
Where the giver of treasure?
Hwær cwom symbla gesetu?
Where are the seats at the feast?
Hwær sindon seledreamas?
Where are the revels in the hall?
Eala beorht bune!
Alas for the bright cup!
Eala byrnwiga!
Alas for the mailed warrior!
Eala þeodnes þrym!
Alas for the splendour of the prince!
Hu seo þrag gewat,
How that time has passed away,
genap under nihthelm,
dark under the cover of night,
swa heo no wære.
as if it had never been!
Stondeð nu on laste
Now there stands in the trace
leofre duguþe
of the beloved troop
weal wundrum heah,
a wall, wondrously high,
wyrmlicum fah.
wound round with serpents.
Eorlas fornoman
The warriors taken off
asca þryþe,
by the glory of spears,
100a wæpen wælgifru,
the weapons greedy for slaughter,
wyrd seo mære,
the famous fate (turn of events),
ond þas stanhleoþu
and storms beat
stormas cnyssað,
these rocky cliffs,
hrið hreosende
falling frost
hrusan bindeð,
fetters the earth,
wintres woma,
the harbinger of winter;
þonne won cymeð,
Then dark comes,
104a nipeð nihtscua,
nightshadows deepen,
norþan onsendeð
from the north there comes
hreo hæglfare
a rough hailstorm
hæleþum on andan.
in malice against men.
Eall is earfoðlic
All is troublesome
eorþan rice,
in this earthly kingdom,
onwendeð wyrda gesceaft
the turn of events changes
weoruld under heofonum.
the world under the heavens.
108a Her bið feoh læne,
Here money is fleeting,
her bið freond læne,
here friend is fleeting,
her bið mon læne,
here man is fleeting,
her bið mæg læne,
here kinsman is fleeting,
eal þis eorþan gesteal
all the foundation of this world
idel weorþeð!
turns to waste!
Swa cwæð snottor on mode,
So spake the wise man in his mind,
gesæt him sundor æt rune.
where he sat apart in counsel.
112a Til biþ se þe his treowe gehealdeþ,
Good is he who keeps his faith,
ne sceal næfre his torn to rycene
And a warrior must never speak
beorn of his breostum acyþan,
his grief of his breast too quickly,
nemþe he ær þa bote cunne,
unless he already knows the remedy -
eorl mid elne gefremman.
a hero must act with courage.
Wel bið þam þe him are seceð,
It is better for the one that seeks mercy,
frofre to Fæder on heofonum,
consolation from the father in the heavens,
þær us eal seo fæstnung stondeð.
where, for us, all fastness rests.