front 1 Alliteration | back 1 Same sound multiple times in a line |
front 2 Kenning | back 2 Two-words that describe 1 word or thing |
front 3 Scop | back 3 Person who tells a story through song |
front 4 Wyrd | back 4 Anglo-Saxon fate or personal destiny |
front 5 Mead | back 5 Alcoholic beverage drank by the pagans, similar to a sweet beer |
front 6 Barrow | back 6 Ancient burial mound |
front 7 Pyre | back 7 Burning heap for funeral rite |
front 8 Anglo Saxon time frame and religious belief | back 8 410-1066, Polytheistic (Pagans converted to Christianity) |
front 9 Beowulf | back 9 Mighty hero of Poem, strength of 30 men, seen as christ figure |
front 10 Hrothgar | back 10 King of Danes, can't be killed on throne |
front 11 Grendel | back 11 Cain's son, tormented Danes for 12 years, enormous monster |
front 12 Grendel's Mother | back 12 Lives in cave beneath lake/swamp, battles Beowulf but head is ultimately chopped off |
front 13 Hygelac | back 13 King of Geats, uncle to Beowulf |
front 14 Unferth | back 14 Hrothgar's top retainer, insults Beowulf, lends Beowulf a sword (Hrunting) |
front 15 Wiglaf | back 15 Only one to aid Beowulf in fight against dragon, Geat's future king |
front 16 Brecca | back 16 Raced against Beowulf in swimming competition |
front 17 Heorot | back 17 Mead hall of the Danes |
front 18 Beowulf's Barrow | back 18 Burial ground/site for Beowulf |
front 19 Explain how Grendel is killed | back 19 Beowulf grabs their arm and eventually rips it off, monster goes back to cave to bleed out inevitably |
front 20 Explain how Grendel's mother is killed | back 20 Head is chopped off by Giant's sword |
front 21 Explain how the Dragon is killed | back 21 Stabbed in the stomach by Wiglaf initially, then Beowulf finishes them off w/ a dagger |
front 22 To what extent is Beowulf a Christ figure, and what is the point of making him a Christ figure? | back 22 He sacrifices himself to save the Geat's when he is king, just like Jesus did to free every one of sin. By making the hero a Christ figure, this enforces the Christian propaganda that was going on at the time. |
front 23 Where does Beowulf believe he will go after death? | back 23 He believes he will go to Heaven, because even though he has killed monsters and sinned, he did it with good intentions so God won't blame him. |
front 24 Where does the dragon come from? Why does it attack the Geats? Is the dragon a greater or lesser threat than Grendel? Why does Beowulf want to fight it? | back 24 He lives in a local lair near the Geats, a slave takes a cup from the Dragon which enrages the dragon to burn down the Geat's kingdom, the dragon is a greater force than Grendel because it ultimately kills Beowulf, Beowulf wanted to fight the dragon because it was test for him to test his strength/fighting ability |
front 25 According to the poet, Grendel is descended from the Cain. In the Bible, Cain murders his righteous brother, Abel. Why does the poet choose Cain as the forefather as Grendel? What about Grendel's actions, motivations, and relationships make him similar to Cain? | back 25 The poet chooses Cain because it is another reinforcement of Christian propaganda. Grendel watches the Danes and becomes envious and fueled with hate, just as Cain was with his brother. |
front 26 How does Beowulf become King? How does he select the next king to rule the people? What does the poet suggest are the qualities of a good king? | back 26 Queen Hygd offered the king position to Beowulf once Hygelac died instead of her son Heardred, but Beowulf became Heardred's 1st hand man instead until Heardred died and Beowulf took over. Beowulf gives the king position to Wiglaf because he is the only one to aid him in the fight against the dragon. Good qualities of a king include intimidating, strong, not starting unnecessary fights, good intentions, and not timid |