Objective: Answer all the questions in these reading guides in order to prepare for the quizzes.

Take vocabulary words and Cultural References from these reading guides and turn them into definitions and descriptions in our moodle Glossaries.

Reading Guide for Beowulf
 
Unfinished

 

 

Technical Vocabulary
 
litote
kenning
caesura
alliteration/alliterative
variation
flytting
 
 
ubi sunt		 Old English
 
were-gild
hlaf-weard
cynnes
scop
hondscio
wyrd
 
cowe
schiep

Cultural references


gannet
flytt[ing]
 

 Common Vocabulary
 
harrow
anathema
whorled
parley
reaver[s]
keens
tarn
alacrity
gorget
torque
barrow
bulwark		  
 
in his cups
beyond the pale
press-gang[ed] riven/rive
thane
mongering
proffer
whetted
whorled
blather
felicity
hart

 thane
bane
slather
sumptuous
mere
coffer
canny
stook
scud
regalia
supperate
prodigious
bier
bane
envisage

Cast of Characters

The Geats
Beowulf
Hygelac
Hygd
Heardred
Egctheow
Eofor
Wiglaf
 
Aeschere
Hrunting
 		 The Shields
Heorot
 
Hrothgar
Wealtheow
Unferth
Freawaru
Hrethric
Hrothmund		 Breca
 
Hildeburh
The Jute Finn
Hengest
 
Queen Modthryth
 
Ingeld
 
Grendel
Grendel's Mother
 
The Thief
Dragon		 The Swedes
Ravenswood
 
Ongentheow
Ohthere
Onela
 
Disenfranchised Swedes
Eanmund
Eadgils
 

As you read, find some litotes and kennings. Memorize a few. Post your favorite in our Reading Guide Round Robin.



Intro:
A. The History of the Manuscript:
How long ago was Beowulf probably composed?
How old is the story itself? How long ago was it probably sung and told?
How much older is the story than the manuscript?
Why is there only one damaged copy of the manuscript?
What two tribes dominate the action of the story? Where were the homelands of these tribes?
How do we know that the story is older than the manuscript? (2 reasons given)

B. The Christian/Pagan conflict in the text:
How do we know that a Christian composed (meaning wrote down) the story? (Give examples)
Even thought the composer is considered to be Christian, what is there no reference to?
Even though the editor of Norton argues that the composer is Christian, he also argues that the story “acheives its emotional power” from what aspect of the story?
And so the editor concludes that even though the composer was Christian, his Christianity had not yet succeeded in.........?

C. Tribal/Warrior Society as illustrated by *Beowulf*:
What was the emotional relationship between lord and thane based on?
How did the lord reinforce that relationship? How does the word *hlaf-weard* and the Old English roots of the word “king,” support this idea (answer to this in previous reading)?
What is the symbolic importance of treasure?
Is the practice of *wergild* still used today (answer not in text)?
What generally happened if wergild were not taken?
Why was King Hrethel in a fix, between a rock and a hard spot, when it came to collecting *wergild*?
Besides *wergild*, what was a second way that this culture tried to end feuds?

D. Beowulf’s character and motivation:
What is Beowulf testing himself against?
What social function does Beowulf’s boasting serve? “His boast becomes a ___?
What personality trait might possibly influence one’s Fate?
What’s the difference between “pagan immortality” and Christian immortality?
 
The Epic:
 
Prologue:  The Rise of The Danish Nation
Even though the main story here is about the problems of Hrothgar with a
monster, the tale begins with a history of Hrothgar's family. Notice the
geneologies. What is Shield's relationship to Hrothgar?
Another name for the social group "Danes" is________?
Why was Shield Sceafson considered a good king?
Why was Shield and Shield's son, Beow, considered a good king?
Where and how was Shield buried?
What was Hrothgar's father's name?
Why was Halfdane's daughter considered an good queen?
What were the two things which the "king," Hrothgar was not allowed to dispense to his warriors?
Why is the mead-hall called "Heorot"? 
For what reason would the hall eventually be destroyed?
 
Heorot is Attacked
What did the monster not like to hear?
What Biblical character is Grendel associated with?
What came out of Cain's exile?
How many thanes got it that first night of the monster's visit? 
How did Hrothgar respond to the attacks?
Why was it easier for Grendal "to meet with a man" after he began his attacks?
How long did Grendel plague the Danes before Beowulf showed up?
What's one place Grendal can not go?
What did the "bold defenders" do which they thought might "save the people?" In other words, what did the thanes forget about and begin to do as a result of their powerlessness and despair?
 
The Hero Comes to Heorot
Who is Hygelac?
What's a "swan's road" and "whale-road"?  A "word-hoard"?  What's the name of this figure of speech?
Counting Beowulf, how many came to help Hrothgar?
Who saw them arrive and what did that person basically say to the crew
when they landed? What did that person think of what he saw?
What did that person insist that Beowulf tell him before letting him pass?
What was embossed on the sides of their helmets?
Where did they leave their weapons?
What's the first thing the man at the door wanted to know?  What did that person think of what he saw?
How strong is Beowulf's arm?
The Geats had seen evidence of Beowulf's strength: What had Beowulf just finished doing for the folks back home?
What will Beowulf do as the monster does?
Why is it that if Beowulf fails they will not need to worry over the burial of his body? Given the burial of Schield, why is this a significant bonus for Hrothgar?
Beowulf says this:  "Fate goes ever as fate must."  Is this a pagan or Christian sentiment.
Why is it appropriate that Beowulf be the one to do the difficult deed? What happened in the past which makes Beowulf's action the payment of an old debt?
 
Feast At Heorot
New characters: Unferth, Breca, Wealtheow
What would Unferth not allow? What couldn't he tolerate? A great vexation?
What are some of the the factual differences in the way Unferth tells the story and the way Beowulf tells it?
What was Beowulf's explanation for Unferth's rudeness in this matter?
According to Beowulf, how is Unferth like Grendel?
What did Wealtheow carry around the room?
What does Hrothgar promise Beowulf if he should survive and succeed?
 
The Fight With Grendel
Why did Beowulf take off his armor and lay down his sword and sheild?
How did Grendel open the door? (Using the exact word of the text would make this an example of a litote)
What did Beowulf do right after Grendel came in?
What did Grendel do immediately after killing the first thane?
What was the manner of Grendel's entry into Heorot?
Exactly what body parts first made contact between Beowulf and Grendel?
Why didn't Beowulf's thanes hack and stab Grendel even though they wanted to help Beowulf?
If you were a doctor or nurse, exactly how would you describe the cause of Grendel's death?
What was placed over the door, under the eaves of the roof?
 
Celebration at Heorot 
New characters: Sigemund, Heremod, Hildebruh, Finn 
At the feast, the scop intrerrupts his own narrative (remember he is narrating the tale of Beowulf) to tell a new story which contrasts the good king, Sigemund, to a king who goes bad, Heremod.  This story is picked up and extended later on page 69.
The scop later tells a second story, the story of Hildebruh and her family's feud with Finn and the Frisians.  In this story:
What are the three parts of the peace treaty over the winter? 
What is the sign that thanes want to avenge a fellow tribes man's death?
Name two gifts Beowulf received from Hrothgar.  
What is the one event in the poem which can be substantiated by a historical docuent?
 
Grendel's Mother's Attack 
New Characters: Aeschere, Hrunting
How was Mom's attack different from her son's?
What two things did she run off with?
What'd the troop "come upon" on the cliff?
What'd the troop pull up on the shore and look at?
How do we know that Unferth changed his attitude toward Beowulf?  What is Unferth's occupation?
So where does Grendel's mother live?
What useful tool did Beowulf find with which to kill Mom? And what
happened to the tool when he used it?
If you were a doctor or nurse, how would you precisely describe the cause of death?
If a man wants long lasting fame, what must he do?
So, how *does* he kill Mom?
What did Beowulf bring to the surface with him?
Another Celebration at Heorot
 
Beowulf and the Dragon
Name one kenning or variation on the word "dragon" which appears in this section.
How did the cup and treasure get into the ground?
What did the worm do about the thief's trespass?
What special piece of equipment did Beowulf have made for the battle?
How many men did Beowulf take with him?
Why exactly could Hrethel not avenge the death of his son?
 
[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon]
How did he get the dragon's attention?
What did Beowulf's troop do when the battle was underway?
Who finished the dragon off?
If you were a coroner, how would you describe Beowulf's cause of death?
 
[Beowulf's Funeral]
What eventually happens to most of the treasure?