BEOWULFBackground and Important Terms

BEOWULF FACTS First great work of the

English national literature First recorded in the

700s, but set in 449 Before it was written

down, Beowulf was told and retold orally by bards, or scops

Bards/Scops were just as important to the Anglo-Saxon culture as warriors, hunters, and farmers

BEOWULF’S CONTEXT During the 5th century, the

Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain and wiped out the Roman empire

With the defeat of the Romans, Christianity lost popularity and the dark, Pagan religion of the Anglo-Saxons became dominant

However, Christian monks and missionaries still worked to spread Christianity

BEOWULF = EPIC Epic: a quest story on a

grand scale, typically a long narrative (like Homer’s The Odyssey)

Epic hero: the central figure in an epic poem that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society

Epic hero characteristics: Superior physical strength Supremely ethical

BEOWULF LITERARY TERMS Kennings and alliteration are essentials in Anglo-

Saxon poetry like Beowulf Kenning: a metaphorical phrase or compound

word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly. Example: the word “whale-road” means the sea

Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another, typically occurs at the beginning of words Example: “slimy, slithering snakes”—repetition of “s”

Symbol: a person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something else Example: a red rose symbolizes love and passion

BEOWULF CHARACTERS Beowulf Higlac Hrothgar Wiglaf Grendel Grendel’s

mother