Old English
Class Notes
Celtic Notes (note: the Celtic notes were not orignally intended for web page posting. They are full of grammatical errors and spelling issues. The information is correct, however. Anyone who downloads this document, fixes all errors, and e-mails it back to me will earn extra credit.)
Beowulf read aloud from our text book (Grendel versus Beowulf)
Other Links
A Celtic design from Aon
Celtic Art Check out the page for some nice artwork!
Here is the riddle that will be the extra credit on the Old English test:
A creature came through the waves, beautiful
And strange, calling to shore, its voice
Loud and deep; its laughter froze
Men's blood; its sides were like sword-blades. It swam
Contemptuously along, slow and sluggish,
A bitter warrior and a thief, ripping
Ships apart, and plundering. Like a witch
It wove spells - and knew its own nature, shouting:
"My mother is the fairest virgin of a race
Of noble virgins: she is my daughter
Grown great. All men know her, and me,
And know, everywhere on earth, with that joy
We will come to join them, to live on land!"
This is a page from the original Beowulf.
This is from a comic
book version of Beowulf
Other helpful advice for the Enriched Old English test goes as follows:
I. Celtic Legends
Know:
How Cuchulainn got his name.
Who the man was who would not identify himself.
D escribe Cuchulainn’s battle rage:
II. Fill in the blanks from Anglo-Saxon history:
The strange formation of rocks placed in a circle made during this time
Germanic warriors that invaded England.
Who is the Once and Future King.
Life after death for Christains and pagans.
What is Animism?
Beowulf
Know these characters:
Beowulf, Brecca, Grendel, Hrothgar
Wyrd = fate - Beowulf wants to form his own fate. This is a Christain ideal because Christains believe God gives us free will to make our own destiny. The Angles and the other Norse groups would believe that wyrd was in control. Beowulf must in effect fight wyrd to control his own fate.
The follwoing is helpful advice for the honors Old English Test:
Celtic legends: Know the following -
Fomorians, 1st Race, 3rd Race, 5th Race, Cuchulainn’s Battle Rage
Anglo-Saxon history:
See teh Enriched review plus the following:
The Celtic group that left its name for the island was ___________________.
___________________________ led the Romans in a campaign to take England.
The last conqueror of England, ______________________________, invaded in ____________ A.D.
The most important missionary of the time, _______________________, converted King Ethlebert and became the archbishop of ________________________________.
A mixture of Christianity and Anglo-Saxon religions can be found in the most important archeological sites, the burial mounds of ____________________________.
Who wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English People.
A rhythmical pause that divides verse lines.
Beowulf
Be able to ID the following characters/things with detail:
Hondshew, Thrith, Hermod, Finn, Unferth, Higlac, Onela, Nagling, Siegmund,
Welthrow, Hrothgar
Be able to answer:
* Explain Grendel as a hell-spawned evil beast (include his origin).
* Why did Beowulf turn down the crown the first time it was offered to
him? Who offered him the crown and who did Beowulf give his support to
instead?
* What is suggested by the fact that the Danes (Hrothgar and his men)
leave the site of Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother?
* Describe Beowulf as a Christ figure.
These aren't all of the questions, but a very generous sneak peek! You should bring me a Diet Coke tomorrow for this!