Names

Names to study for Beowulf:



Beowulf poet Anonymous Christian scribe who wrote down the oral Beowulf narrative
Grendel Rapacious, man-eating monster
Grendel's mother Devious, vengeful monster

Danes, aka Shieldings, Shield-Danes
Shield Sheafson Famous Danish king described in the opening
Heorot Hrothgar's mead-hall
Beow Hrothgar's grandfather
Halfdane Hrothgar's father
Hrothgar King of the Danes
Wealtheow Hrother's queen
Hildeburh Danish princess married to a Frisian King, described in the minstrel's song
Freawaru Hrothgar's daughter. Married Ingeld, a Heathobard
Hrethric Hrothgar's son
Heorogar Hrothgar's older brother

Geats
Hygelac Beowulf's overlord and uncle
Hygd Hygelac's queen
Hrethel Hygelac's father
Ecgtheow Beowulf's father, brother-in-law of Hygelac
Handscio Geat killed by Grendel

Other
Geatland Tribal territory of the Geats in southern Sweden
Unferth Thane in Hrothgar's court. Name means mar-peace. Killed his own brother.
Wulfgar Thane of Hrothgar, also a Wendel chief
Breca Beowulf's opponent is swimming match,
Aeschere Hrothgar's good friend, killed by Grendel's mother
Modthryth Beautiful queen who behaved badly
Hrunting Famous sword that Unferth gives to Beowulf
Hnaef Danish king, Hildeburh's brother, killed by the Frisians
Sigemund Dragon-killing hero who helped King Heremod, described in a minstrel's song after Beowulf kills Grendel



Haethcyn A king of the Geats, Hrethel’s second son, who takes the throne after accidentally killing his older brother, Herebeald. He is eventually killed by Ongentheow, king of the Swedes, in a war in which Ongentheow is killed by a second band of Geats, led by Hygelac.

Heardred A king of the Geats, son of Hygelac and later killed by Onela of the Swedes.

Onela (also spelled Onla) A king of the Swedes and the youngest son of Ongentheow. He is married to the Danish king's (Halfdane’s) daughter and assumes the Swedish throne after the death of his older brother. He later invaded Geatland after his two nephews fled to join Heardred, the king of the Geats. Onela then killed the oldest nephew but the younger lived. Later, Beowulf ruled the Geats, and invaded Sweden with Onela’s younger nephew, who then killed Onela and ruled Sweden.
Wiglaf A young Waegmunding kinsman and retainer of Beowulf who helps him in the fight against the dragon while all of the other warriors run away. Wiglaf adheres to the heroic code better than Beowulf’s other retainers, thereby proving himself a suitable successor to Beowulf.
Eofor A Geat warrior who kills the Swedish king named Ongentheow, and is given Hygelac’s daughter as a reward.

Ongentheow A king of the Swedes, a famous warrior and father of Onela. He killed Hathcyn and was later killed by a group of Geats led by Hygelac.

Names

Here are some more names that you need to learn. Note: you need to get these names down ASAP.

Modthryth
Heremod
Hrethric
Hygd
Sigemund
Freawaru

NOTE: Modthryth's name. Thryth = strength.

Finn

Characters

You should be able to discuss the following characters - who they are, what they do, what group they belong to (example: Danes, Swedes, Geats, etc) and what they symbolize.

Shield Sheafson
Beow
Halfdane
Hrothgar
Heorogar
Halga
Aeschere
Hrethic
Wealtheow
Freawaru
Unferth
Wulgar
Brecca
Handscio
Hrethel

Dialectical Journal

You will be keeping a dialectical journal for BEOWULF. Use the following guide:

The Dialectical Journal


Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion” or reworded “The art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. Therefore, all of your opinions need to be based on the text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Purchase a dedicated spiral notebook and draw a line down the center of each page of the notebook. NOTE: I expect you to publish these journal entries on your blogs nightly and number them as you go.

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the LEFT HAND COLUMN making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. In the RIGHT HAND COLUMN, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.

Requirements:

1) For each novel we read you will need to complete a MINIMUM of 55 entries if you wish to be eligible for an “A”. 35 is the minimum for a passing grade. Make sure you number your entries.
2) A completed dialectical journal should be brought to class each day a reading assignment is due.
3) On some short fiction and poetry reading assignments I may ask you to keep a dialectic journal on the reading (usually I’ll ask for 5-10 entries for shorter works).
4) Dialectic journals will be used as part of class discussion and will be randomly collected and graded for homework.

When should you write things down?
• When certain details seem important to you
• When you have an epiphany
• When you learn something significant about a character
• When you recognize a pattern (overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, etc.)
• When you agree or disagree with something a character says
• When you find an interesting or potentially significant quote.
• When you notice something important or relevant about the writer’s style.
• When you notice effective uses of literary devices.
• When you notice something that makes you think of a question

That is all there is to it. This way, once you have read your text you will already have a great set of notes on which to draw when you write your paper. You also should have gained a great deal of insight about your particular text.

Note: Should you rather type this, just use the COLUMN function in your tool bar and complete steps two-four electronically.

Grading (based on 55 entries, if you have 45 entries an A= B, B= C, 35 entries A=C)

A—Detailed, meaningful passages, plot and quote selections; thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text; includes comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
B—Less detailed, but good selections; some intelligent commentary about the text; includes some comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) but less than how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks some thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of the text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
C—A few good details about the text; most of the commentary is vague, unsupported or plot summary/paraphrase; some listing of literary elements, but perhaps inadequate discussion, but not very thoroughly; journal is relatively neat.
D—Hardly any good or meaningful details from the story; notes are plot summary or paraphrase; few literary elements, virtually no discussion on meaning; no good questions; limited coverage of text, and/or too short.

HOMEWORK

Post two more literary element definitions and examples by tomorrow.

Beowulf Study Guide

Today, in class, we are going to read J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Monster and the Critics". Your assignment is to post a blog entry outlining his arguments and then responding with your own thoughts about his ideas. I expect this blog posted by Monday. Take notes as you read- as in mark the text and have a reading journal next to you. Below is a study guide for Beowulf reading.

Go here to read an interesting essay on Anglo-Saxon heroes.

For Tuesday you'll need to post two more literary devices from your list.

BEOWULF STUDY GUIDE:

Answer the following questions on your own paper
1. Describe the following characters:

*Hrothgar
*Grendal
*Beowulf
*Shield Sheafson
*Wulfgar
*Ecgtheow

2. Describe Heorot
3. What is important about the descriptions of Shield Sheafson? What was his childhood like? What was has burial like?
4. Discuss the manner in which Beowulf addresses the sentinel guarding the coast? What is odd about it?
5. Give two reasons Beowulf comes to Denmark.
6. Why does Grendal attack Heorot?
7. How is Heorot symbolized before Grendal’s coming?
8. How long has Heorot remained empty?
9. What is the significance of Grendal being descended from Cain?
10. Give four examples of Kennings in the story.
11. Give four examples of Alliteration in the story.
12. Discuss wergild and how it has worked so far in the story.
13. Discuss how the following themes have appeared in the story: Loyalty, Reputation, good vs. evil, Christianity vs. Paganism, role of women, role of Kings, role of the Warrior, Beowulf as a anti-war poem. Give examples of scenes that back up each


14. How does Beowulf become king?
15. Who are the Geats sworn enemies?
16. What are some of Beowulf’s heroic exploits after Grendel and before the dragon?
17. How does Pride get the best of Beowulf?
18. Which of Hygelac’s sons was killed by his brother? What theme does this reinforced?
19. How does the role of the warrior vs. the role of the king work in these pages?
20. What purpose does the comparison between Beowulf and Siegmund serve? The comparison between Beowulf and Hermod?
21. Why is the story of Finn included just before Welthow appears?
22. Describe the lake.
23. What does Hrothgar warn Beowulf about in his speech?
24. Why are their ancestors so important to the warriors in Beowulf?
25. Identify and discuss the Christian influences on the poem.
26. Identify and discuss the Viking/Scandinavian elements in the poem.
27. Discuss the code of loyalty in Beowulf. How is the society structured? What is important to the warriors in Beowulf? What
qualities did they feel a good king should possess? What do they consider “courageous”?
28. Discuss the battle between good and evil in the poem. Who represents good? Who represents evil?
29. Discuss the role of women in this patriarchal world. Cite examples from the text.
30. Is Beowulf a hero? Why/why not?
31. Discuss the role of reputation in Beowulf. Cite examples from the text.
32. Compare and contrast the battles with Grendel and the dragon. Consider the cause of each monster’s attack, Beowulf ’s
motivation for countering the attack, Beowulf ’s battle preparations, and the conclusions of each battle.
33. Discuss the behavior of Beowulf ’s men in each of these battles.
34. What attitudes and actions lead to Beowulf ’s downfall? Defend your answer with examples.

Values in Beowulf

Revenge: The death of a kinsman must be avenged by his male relations, in blood or in money.

Wergild: The wergild is the law of vendetta, which specified that a person who had suffered damages through the killing of a relative might exact a sum of money from the murderer as an expiation of the crime. The value of the wergild was set depending on the social status of the person killed. An earl was assessed higher than a freeman, and a freeman higher than a commoner (or churl). Men were assessed higher than women of the same class.

Kinsmen: The Germanic tribe had an enlarged definition of kin, including friends and those to whom one owed favors, even over generations.

Burial Practices: Burial at sea is the most familiar form of Germanic tribal burial, but they also buried warriors and kings in mounds and in a stone barrow. Burials often included the weapons and wealth of the corpse. Sutton Hoo, the remains of a burial ship discovered in Suffolk, England, was discovered in 1939. This find proved that the ostentatious descriptions of the burial of kings at sea were not just descriptive language, but a true description of life during this time period.



Boasting: Boasting was considered an art and the prerogative of a warrior.

Fate: Pagan tradition depicts nature as hostile and the forces of death as uncontrollable. Blind fate picks random victims. It is sometimes referred to “wyrd” which could be pronounced as “word” or “weird.” Fate was out of human control, but man could control the way in which he met his fate.

Women: The female role in Beowulf is twofold. First it involves peacemaking biologically through a woman’s marital ties with foreign kings as a peace-pledge or a mother of sons. Secondly, it involves peacemaking socially and psychologically as a cup-passing and peace-weaving queen within a hall.

Comitatus: Germanic tribes which invaded Britain held strong beliefs in the basic family unit and were industrious and warlike. They chose their kings for birth and their generals for merit. Even poor tribal members could become rich and powerful if they were willing and able to prove themselves brave and adept in battle. The practice of comitatus (a term used by the early historian Tacitus) was an agreement by which a youth would attach himself to a strong leader for the purpose of gaining riches and prestige. This arrangement could have been the precursor of the lord-thane relationship of feudal institutions of the time, which can also be observed in Beowulf.

Christianity: The poet of Beowulf is Christian, but the society he describes is not. Sometimes the narrator’s voice comments from a Christian perspective on pagan values, beliefs, and customs.
Classes: There were two classes of people in Anglo-Saxon society: members of the aristocracy (the privileged ruling few) and the common people, including bondsmen and captives. Only a few exceptions were called “freemen,” a status held as some type of reward or special favor.

Warriors: Warriors kept their armor and weapons at their sides at all times. The Beowulf poet praises the Geats, “They were always prepared for war, whether at home or in the field, as their lord required” (1246-50). The warrior’s kit would include a helmet, shield, spear and chain main, and, if he had high status, a sword. They used crested or combed helmets from the 7th and 8th century, with a very sturdy all-iron construction. Mail shirts consisted of rows of riveted rings alternating with of butt-welded rings. The rings were of gray steel, skillfully formed into an intricate mesh, and they linked and jingled on the move. Shields and spears were part of the basic fighting kit of the war-band. Swords were powerful heirlooms to be prized for their power and might; they may have had names, or carried owner inscriptions and images of the mythic past. They had richly decorated hilts, and with their iron blades were fierce, double-edged weapons, which needed two hands to swing them. The seax, was a single-edged weapon, just as effective as the double-edged sword.

War: For Germanic tribes, war was considered a natural, desirable and constant part of life.

Wealth: One of the roles of the king was to share wealth. Part of the function of a hall was to provide a setting for the sharing of wealth with the king’s warriors and thanes.

Homework for Tuesday

A Modest Proposal to Increase the Student Population of Skagway School (2nd Draft).

Character Research Projects

Character Research Project:
Choose one of the following characters and
1) Give a brief descript of who they are and what they do in life (relate them to a type – warrior/hero, king, etc)
2) Share a story about them – other than the one we have read
3) Give an analysis or interpretation of them (what they symbolize – to the society of the stories or the society that told the story)
4) Personal Reflection on the character (what do you think and why)
5) Find a drawing or photo that represents the character.
6) Find one literary device that is associated with the character and explain why.

Characters:
Conchobhar
Cet
Meis-Geghra
Brandigiefran
Branwen
Matholwch
Manawydan
Cu Chulainn
Efnisien

(You will present these to class as well as post them on your blogs w/photos)

Wergild and Wyrd

Wergild, part of the warrior code and translated roughly as "man price", is the amount of money a person or family could accept in place of vengeance if a relative was killed. It was an agent of peacekeeping, a very important concept in a world ruled by honor, a world were the code meant that you needed some sort of retribution.

For more information on wergild go here.

Wyrd roughly means fate, as at some given time all men are doomed to die. But, fate is continually connected to past actions. The past influences the future, and the future influences the past. For more info. click here.

Medieval Literature

MEDIEVAL LITERATURE: HEROES, MONSTERS and POETS

The Medieval Period marked the transformation from oral to written literature, from pagan to Christian religion, from myth to recorded history, from political chaos to social order, from Old Roman power to the rise of Northern Europe, from Old English (a more Germanic Language) to the Modern English of Shakespeare. This period, roughly from the fall of Rome in 476 A.D. to the beginning of the Renaissance (which in England occurred during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, who took power in 1558 A.D.), sees the formation of new World Order that is the foundation of Western Culture and the Americas. The literature produced during this time suggests a pre-historic warrior culture, but with a mix of Christian philosophy and satire. By studying this period we become more aware of where Europe came from and aware of how myths change to reflect the values of a culture. We also see glimpses of old myths that our society still clings to and holds dear.

This unit will explore medieval literature that revolves around warriors, heroes, monsters and the ideas of chivalry. We will look at the warrior culture and the roles of individuals in these cultures—particularly the roles of the King (and what makes a good king), the role of the warrior, the roles of women, and the roles of poets (skalds) or storytellers. We will look at the different ideas of afterlife, or the idea of Christianity vs. Paganism, the themes of loyalty, pride, magic and magic’s use in the world (especially in worlds associated with Christianity and/or paganism). We will look at the theme of man alone in a hostile world, why hospitality was important, banishment as a form of punishment and blood-money as a form of justice, and the concept of fate (as in “It’s a good day to die” mentality). We will also discuss the oral tradition and contrast it with the written, and we will view how the English language came to be what it is—meaning we will look at Old English and Middle English and Modern English.

We will read the following texts: “The Death of Concobar” – a story from the Ulster Hero Cycle; “Branwen” – the 2nd branch of the Mabinogion about the war between Wales and Ireland because of the mistreatment of a queen and bad hospitality. The old Anglo-Saxon poems: “The Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”, “A Wife’s Lament”. “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, “The Death of King Arthur”, sections from the Canterbury Tales, possibly the Saga of King Hrolf Kraki and his Champions, J.R. Tolkien’s “Monsters and the Critics” and his sequel to “The Battle of Maldon” and others.

For this unit you will have a final project, a final test, an essay assignment, at least one creative writing assignment, and various quizzes on various books. We will view a bit of history and look into the humor and cruelty of an ancient world.


STUDY GUIDE and OBJECTIVES: Things you should know by end of Unit.

Note: Most importantly you should look back through your notes and returned quizzes, tests and assignments and read over them.

TEXTS that you will need to know (and I mean know beyond comprehension), be able to relate to themes, to other texts with similar themes (compare and contrast), be able to explain symbols, make arguments about actions of characters, etc.

“The Death of Conchobhar”
“Branwen, Daughter of Llyr”
“The Battle of Muldon”, “The Seafarer”, “The Wanderer”, “The Wife’s Lament”
Beowulf
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Canterbury Tales

THEMES: The Corruption of Power, Christianity vs. Paganism, Man Alone in a Hostile World, The Roles of Woman, The Role of Christianity, The Roles of Kings and Warriors, Loyalty, Pride, The Role of Magic, Fate, Faith, Bloody-Money as a form of Punishment, Banishment, Good vs. Evil, Hospitality, The Transitory Nature of Life, and any others we have talked about.

Some Definitions you’ll need to remember: Wergild, wyrd, kenning, alliteration, epic hero, epic poem, epic boast, romantic literature, chivalry

List of Characters that you will need to know: Conchobhar, Cet, Meis-Geghra, Finghin, Brandigiefran, Branwen, Maholwch, Manawydan, Efnisien, Nisien, Beowulf, Grendal, Hygelac, Hrothgar, Shield Sheafson, Wulfgar, Wiglaf, Unferth, Finn, Siegmund, Weltheow, Morgan Le Fay, Sir Gawain, King Arthur, The Green Knight, The Mistress, all the characters from “The Canterbury Tales”

For major characters (or protagonists) make sure you can discuss character flaws and what those flaws are meant to do – or how they inform us of someone larger idea.

Motifs: ambush, birds and horses, the mutilation of horses, betrayal while the king is away, divine protection, the troublemaker, beheading, kin killing, important of ancestors, reputation, the arming of the warrior, the fairy world, green

Symbols: the brain-ball, the cauldron of resurrection, Heorot, Grendal, the Dragon, the fiery lake (and Grendal’s mothers’ liar), hrunting, the giant’s sword, Gawain’s shield, the girdle (remember characters themselves can also be symbols)

Allusions: for each story or book be able to pick out some allusions and link them to a theme

Irony: For each story or book be able to pick out some ironies
Make sure you keep a list of events from any book or story that backs up a theme. You will need to use examples. Specific examples.

You will need to be able to compare and contrast the four poems – Battle of Muldon, The Seafarer, The Wanderer, The Wife’s Lament—with each other and/or be able to connect to a theme and used to back up a larger book (such as Beowulf).

Be able to generalize the differences between the following: Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, and Welsh literature, between Old English and Middle English, between the ideas of Sir Gawain and The Canterbury Tales.

Objectives: By the end of this unit some of the things students should be able to do include

1) Define wergild and give examples from various stories on how it works and why it was important as a form of justice
2) Define wyrd and give examples of heroes that followed this idea or code of life. Explain with examples why it was important to warrior society.
3) Define kenning and give examples
4) Define alliteration and give examples from alliterative poems
5) Define Epic Hero and Epic Poem
6) Keep a list of characters and be able to describe them and compare them to characters from other stories in relation to themes
7) Define chivalry and describe how certain characters followed the chivalric code.
8) Keep a list of symbols and relate these to major themes
9) Keep a list of motifs involving “types of stories” or events that reoccur in oral tradition
10) Be able to describe the rules and structure of warrior society
11) Define scop and discuss the important of poets in some of these stories
12) Discuss flaws of characters and how these flaws cause characters downfall
13) Compare the Seafarer, Wanderer, Wife’s Lament by relating them to warrior society
14) Discuss irony (and type) in each of these works
15) Define “Frame Story”
16) Define and give elements of a “saga”
17) Keep a list of events and descriptions that help you explore the following themes: Man Alone in A Hostile World, Paganism vs. Christianity, The Role of Kings, The Role of Warriors, The Role of Women, The Idea of Honor, Good vs. Evil, Loyalty, Pride, Hospitality, The transitory nature of life.
18) Define and give examples of allegory, allusion, personification, caesura, litotes, and aphorism