2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo English 10 Summer Reading: Seven Things You Need to Know to Read Beowulf

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 1.Who is the poet? o We don’t know. o We can guess that he (yes, it was probably a guy) lived in England sometime between the 7 th century CE to the 10 th century CE.

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 2. Where is the poem set? o The poem is set in what is now Denmark and Sweden. o The story is fictional, but it references real events that took place between 515 and 570 CE. o The poem describes the Danes, one of the many Germanic groups living in the area of Northern Europe, from central Germany to the coasts of Norway.

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo Northern Europe TODAY http://www.yourfrenchconnexion.com/images/map-northern-europe2.jpg

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo Northern Europe in Beowulf, circa 500 A.D. http://www.vhinkle.com/feudal/beowulf-map.jpg

7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo They followed a strict code of loyalty to family, tribe, and king. The King gave gifts in exchange for loyalty – giving gifts distinguished a “good” king from a “bad” king in Beowulf’s world. 3. What was Beowulf’s world like? o We know very little about the way people lived in Beowulf’s time, because most of their materials did not survive. We do know:

8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 4. What is the basic story of Beowulf? o The Danes are led by King Hrothgar and build a beautiful hall called Heorot. o A scary monster named Grendel attacks Heorot. o Beowulf, a Geat (from modern- day Sweden), comes to the rescue. o Fighting, revenge, and drama ensue…

9. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 5. What are key themes in Beowulf ? o Loyalty and honor o Revenge o Religion o The poet lived in a Christian world. The poem is set in a pagan world. You will see elements of both in the text.

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 6. What’s difficult about reading Beowulf ? o The names o Everyone has crazy Nordic names – Hrothgar, Wealtheow, etc. Sorry. o The Relationships o There are several families and family trees mentioned in the poem. It’s hard to keep them straight.

11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo o The Repetition o It’s a convention of this type of poetry to repeat the same story multiple times. We’ve skipped some of it for you, but you will still see some reiteration of key moments. o The Language o Beowulf was written in Old English and you are reading a translation. However, there may still be some words that are unfamiliar to you.

12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo 7. What strategies can you use to make it easier? o The Names & The Relationships o Focus on the main characters and let go of the many “extra” characters. o The Repetition o Follow the notes (in italics) on the right side of the page. They will help you keep track of plot developments. o The Language o Only read the odd-numbered pages! Otherwise you’re trying to read un-translated Old English.

13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutton_Hoo Sources: Robinson, Fred C. “History, religion, culture.” Approaches to teaching Beowulf. Ed. Jess B. Bessinger, Jr. and Robert F. Yeager. New York: MLA, 1984. Staver, Ruth Johnston. A companion to Beowulf. Connecticut: Greenwood, 2005.