1. Context, Background, & Literary Elements

2. Anglo-Saxon Society highly organized tribal units (kingdoms) Each tribe ruled by a king chosen by a council of elders. Thanes - the upper class, earls, or free warriors Thralls - slaves who did the farming and domestic work Freemen - small group who earned possessions by doing specialized work, such as craftsmen Spoke Old English Language in which Beowulf was written Became Christian but still valued heroic ideals and traditional heroes. Culture valued human contact, family, virtue, and a good story. Feared humiliation and loneliness in their lives Desired wealth and power Appreciated heroic actions of warriors Women inherited, held, and retained control of property

3. Anglo-Saxon Beliefs Pagan, polytheistic Very pessimistic view of life (due to the ever- present dangers of death by accident or warfare) Human life in the hands of fate (wyrd) Did not believe in an afterlife Immortality only earned through heroic actions Sharp contrast to the Christian belief in an individual’s free will

4. Anglo-Saxon Literature Began as an oral tradition. Stories, poems, and songs were all told aloud and passed from generation to generation orally through scops. Poems traditionally had a strong beat, alliteration, and no rhyme

5. The Epic Beowulf is the most well-known Anglo-Saxon poem An epic Long narrative that celebrates a hero’s long journeys and heroic deeds. Includes a noble hero whose character traits reflect their society’s ideals Hero performs brave acts and appears superhuman Hero travels through The Hero’s JourneyThe Hero’s Journey

6. Universal Themes of Epic Poetry Good vs. evil Isolation Courage and honor Gods or semi-divine creatures Fate of an entire race

7. About Beowulf Most famous of early Germanic poems Written anywhere between 400-1000 Author is unknown Takes place in Sweden and Denmark

8. Religion in Beowulf Paganism Christianity Strong nature presence Strength of the warrior God is mentioned Good vs. Evil Lucifer/the Devil

9. Literary Devices Archetype - a reoccurring symbol or motif throughout literature that represents universal patterns of human nature; may occur as a character, symbol, or situation. Kenning - two-word phrase that describes an object through metaphors Whale-road = sea oar-steed = ship Alliteration - the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (tongue twisters) Consonance - the repetition of consonant sounds anywhere within a line of poetry. Alliteration is a specific type of consonance. Assonance - repetition of vowel sounds within a line of poetry Caesura – a pause in a line of poetry that is formed by the rhythms of natural speech rather than by metrics “I’m nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”