Anglo Saxon And Medieval Periods
(449-1485)
Unit Vocabulary
(1) elegy- a poem mourning the loss of someone or something
(2) epic poetry- a long narrative poem written in an elevated style that celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero or god.
(3) medieval romance- a dramatic verse or prose narrative that usually involves adventurous heroes, idealized love, exotic places, and supernatural events
LITERARY DEVICES
(4) alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together Ex: Shild's strong son
(5) caesura- (Latin- meaning "cutting off") a pause within the poetic line that breaks the regularity of a metrical pattern. May be indicated by spaces, ellipses (...), or commas.
(6) kenning- a two-word metaphorical name for an object (some may be more obscure than others; riddle-like in nature) Ex: whale-road = sea
HISTORICAL TERMS
(7) comitatus- Germanic code of loyalty. Thanes (warriors) swore loyalty to their king, for whom they fought and protected. In return, the king was expected to be generous with gifts of treasure and lands.
(8) scop- Anglo-Saxon composer and storyteller who traveled from court to court to entertain
(9) wergild- "man payment"- the practice of paying a slain man's family to atone for the deed and to prevent them from taking revenge against the manslayer. At first informal, it was later regulated by law. A man's wergild was determined by his social status. A lord's wergild would be much more than a common man's.
(2) epic poetry- a long narrative poem written in an elevated style that celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero or god.
(3) medieval romance- a dramatic verse or prose narrative that usually involves adventurous heroes, idealized love, exotic places, and supernatural events
LITERARY DEVICES
(4) alliteration- the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together Ex: Shild's strong son
(5) caesura- (Latin- meaning "cutting off") a pause within the poetic line that breaks the regularity of a metrical pattern. May be indicated by spaces, ellipses (...), or commas.
(6) kenning- a two-word metaphorical name for an object (some may be more obscure than others; riddle-like in nature) Ex: whale-road = sea
HISTORICAL TERMS
(7) comitatus- Germanic code of loyalty. Thanes (warriors) swore loyalty to their king, for whom they fought and protected. In return, the king was expected to be generous with gifts of treasure and lands.
(8) scop- Anglo-Saxon composer and storyteller who traveled from court to court to entertain
(9) wergild- "man payment"- the practice of paying a slain man's family to atone for the deed and to prevent them from taking revenge against the manslayer. At first informal, it was later regulated by law. A man's wergild was determined by his social status. A lord's wergild would be much more than a common man's.
History of the English Language
The Epic Poem/Epic Hero/Epic Hero Cycle
Beowulf
Beowulf Film Clips |
The Lay of Havelock the Dane
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The Canterbury Tales
Unit Outside assignments/Links
Medieval Times Webquest
King Arthur and his Knights
Coat of Arms Project
Use the links below to aid in your research!
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