Why study old British books?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-YSti9Ri5k
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Legends
Poets
Stonehenge
Robin Hood
Shakespeare
James Bond
American Idol
Kate Middleton
The Beatles
Adele
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Theory of Gravity
Radar
Penicillin
Industrial Revolution
Jane Austin
Disney
The Bible
The United States
The United Kingdom
• This small Island was invaded and settled many times.
– Celts
– Romans
– Angles
– Saxons
– Vikings
– Normans (1066)
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9Tfbeqyu2U\
Celts
• Animism
– Believed there were spirits (Gods) in everything:
• Rocks, water, grass, etc.
• Druids
– Intermediary priests that assisted in satisfying the Gods.
• Rituals, Rites, Sacrifices
• Stonehenge
– Built before the Druids, but many believe it was used for
rituals.
Romans
• Julius Caesar
– 55 BC
• Protection until Romans called home.
– 409 AD
• Infrastructure
– Roads, villas, bath houses (Roman Society)
– Hadrian’s wall – 73 miles long
• Christianity
Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
(Anglo-Saxons)
• Germany, Denmark
– 449
• Engla Land  England
• Celts fought back
– Went to Wales, then to Ireland
• King Alfred of Wessex
– Alfred the Great  King Arthur, possibly
– 871-899
• Christianity
– Unified Anglo-Saxons
Vikings
• Danish
– Norway/Denmark
– 790
• Sea-faring marauders
– Raiders, took over northern coast
• Looted, killed, and burned entire villages
• Dragons
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WC9o4Zz-7A
• Defeated by Alfred the Great
– Remember King Arthur …
Anglo-Saxon Life
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Warfare
– Dominated lifestyle, survival of the fittest
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC-T_Z5OW_Q
Leader
– Tribes
– Responsible for law and order
– Must have loyalty to survive/protection from invaders
– Success in life was measured in gifts from the leader
Village
– Thatched huts surrounded the Chieftain’s Hall
• Meetings, Story-tellers
• Bards, Scops
– Fence around “village” for protection
“Religion”
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Norse Gods
– Odin (Woden)
• God of death, poetry, and magic
• Woden’s day  Wednesday
– Thunor (Thor)
• God of thunder and lightning
• Hammar
• Thor’s day  Thursday
After-life
– They did not believe in an after-life, therefore fame was the only way to
have immortality.
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtFw9i31Qdo
Ethics
– Ethics were more important than spirituality or mysticism.
– Hero’s display strong ethical behavior.
– Christianity came later.
Beowulf
Why Beowulf?
English History
Why Study Beowulf?
1. Beowulf is the oldest poem in the English
language, so everything written since
Beowulf stems from it in some way.
2. The story of Beowulf encompasses
common themes that we still see in English
literature today.
3. Beowulf is simply good writing.
Beowulf’s Provenance
What we do know:
Beowulf is the oldest surviving English poem.
It’s written in Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), which is the
basis for the language we speak today.
Some of the characters in the poem actually
existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was written
sometime around the 11th century A.D. (1000’s),
however…
Beowulf’s Provenance
So what’s happened to the
manuscript since the 11th century?
Eventually, it ended up
in the library of this guy.
Robert Cotton (1571-1631)
Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Although Beowulf was written in English,
it is set in what is now Sweden, where a
tribe called the Geats lived.
The story may take place as early as 400
or 500 A.D.
Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Europe today
Insert: Time of Beowulf
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
1. Alliterative verse
a. Repetition of initial sounds of words
(occurs in every line)
b. Generally, four feet/beats per line
c. No rhyme
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
Alliterative verse – an example from Beowulf:
Oft Scyld Scefing
sceapena praetum,
Monegum maegpum meodo-setla ofteah;
Egsode Eorle,
syddan aerest weard.
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many
tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging
among foes.
The terror of the hall-troops had come far.
Some terms you’ll want to know
scop
A bard or story-teller.
The scop was responsible for praising
deeds of past heroes, for recording
history, and for providing
entertainment
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_or3MKiU8Rw
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmmPRG4smU
Some terms you’ll want to know
thane
A warrior
mead-hall
The large hall where the
lord and his warriors slept,
ate, held ceremonies, etc.
Some terms you’ll want to know
wyrd
Fate. This idea crops up a
lot in the poem, while at
the same time there are
Christian references to
God’s will.
Some terms you’ll want to know
epic
Beowulf is an epic poem.
1. Epic heroes represent the finest
values of civilization; ethical
2. Face extraordinary obstacles
3. Seem to be superhuman but
they’re mortal
4. Perform brave deeds
5. Quest or journey with followers
6. Name their horses/swords
Motifs and Important Aspects
Good vs. Evil
Religion: Christian and Pagan influences
The importance of wealth and treasure
The importance of the sea and sailing
The sanctity of the home
Fate
Loyalty and allegiance
Heroism and heroic deeds
Next Step
• Desk 3, please get a cup with colored sticks.
• Make sure everyone in your group has a
stick.
• Make sure all of the sticks are assigned,
even if you do not have 6 people in your
group.
Team Role
• Red = Scop
– You will present your group’s story in modern language.
• Orange = Story Teller
– You will assist your group by summarizing the story as you read.
• Yellow = Vocabulator
– You will look up words that are unfamiliar to your group. You will record
the words and the meanings.
• Green = Inquisitor
– You will generate 5 questions for each page. You will record your
questions and the answers.
• Blue = Manuscript Writer
– You will record the story as it is being discussed.
• Purple = Illustrator
– You will draw images for your group’s section of the story as it
progresses, to share with the class.
Assignments
• Alpha
– Grendel = pages 38-41
• Bravo
– Beowulf = pages 42-45
• Charlie
– The Battle with Grendel = pages 46-50
• Delta
– Grendel’s Mother = pages 51-52
– Mourning Beowulf = page 66
• Echo
– The Battle with Grendel’s Mother = pages 53-57
• Foxtrot
– Beowulf’s Last Battle = pages 58-61