1. Beowulf Study Guide

2. Characteristics of Anglo Saxon Culture
*** From your guided notes paper ***
Bravery in battle
Bards or scops (pronounced SHOPS) used to elevate heroes of the tribes; very important
Faith in God to intervene positively with fate
Influence of old pagan religion
Warfare!
Loyal dependency

3. Anglo Saxon Ideals – What Guided Them
Concept of FATE.
believed their lives were ruled by FATE (or WYRD).
Concept of FAME.
sought immortality through a concept of FAME (or LOF)
for the afterlife
Concept of COMPANIONSHIP.
valued relationships with one another and the king (COMITATUS)
loyalty and love to your kinsmen, friends, and king
for now

4. PAGAN CHRISTIAN Monsters and supernatural beings Lof (Fame)
Warrior - Physical Strength
Courage
Pride (Heroic Boasts)
Revenge (Weregild)
Riches/Gold
Loyalty
Signs, Superstition, Wyrd (fate)
Valhalla
Sacrifice
“The Almighty”
Love
Compassion
Humility - “the meek shall inherit the earth”
Forgiveness “love your enemies”
Riches are in heaven, not on earth
Sacrifice
Heaven

5. Characteristics of Anglo Saxon Poetry
*** From your guided notes paper: ***
Lines do not rhyme
Each line has four beats (rhythm); line is divided into 2 halves, each half having 2 beats
Each line has a pause (caesura) after 2nd beat
Kennings – phrases that are an elaborate and indirect way of naming person, things, or events
Example – the sea is called “the pathless deep” or “the whale’s road”
Alliteration

6. Hero's Journey Characteristics
Emmet
Beowulf
1. Main character is a hero (special abilities)
2. Charged with a quest
3. Hero tested
4. Hero has helpers
5. Travel to a supernatural world
6. Low Point: hero almost gives up/appears defeated
7. Resurrection
8. Restitution

7. Background of Beowulf Beowulf is relatively short (3,200 lines)
Composed (first written down) between in Old English by a monk in Scandinavia
Believed to be composed by a monk due to the Christian elements in the epic