Anglo-Saxon Poetry and Culture Quiz

Questions and Answers

What is a repetition of initial sounds in two or more words of a line of poetry?

alliteration

What is the pause or break in a line of Anglo-Saxon poetry?

caesura

In the Germanic tradition, what is the relationship between a leader and his warriors, or a king and his lords called?

comitatus

What is a double metaphor, usually hyphenated, for example, 'swan-road' for sea?

kenning Signup and view all the answers

What did scops help to preserve?

stories and history Signup and view all the answers

Which was not a method used by scops to help them remember the stories?

Kenning Signup and view all the answers

A caesura is a primary accent.

False Signup and view all the answers

Kenning is a double metaphor, usually hyphenated.

True Signup and view all the answers

In the oral tradition, each telling or singing of a story differed from the last.

True Signup and view all the answers

The hero in an epic is _____?

an ideal Signup and view all the answers

How did the Anglo-Saxons regard life?

a transitory occurrence Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the relationship between paganism and Christianity during the time of the Anglo-Saxons?

Many pagan warrior traditions were kept and given Christian purpose. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the statements best describes comitatus?

It was closely linked with pagan warriors. Signup and view all the answers

Wiglaf was different from Beowulf's other retainers because he _____?

remained loyal to Beowulf until the end Signup and view all the answers

Beowulf was probably written in the early 1200s.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is the date of the Beowulf manuscript?

AD 1000 Signup and view all the answers

What is the date of Hygelac's death?

AD 521 Signup and view all the answers

What is the latest date for the original writing of Beowulf?

AD 790-830 Signup and view all the answers

What is the original form of the Beowulf story?

oral tradition Signup and view all the answers

Who founded the Danish royal line?

Scyld Scefing Signup and view all the answers

What is the ship burial site?

Oseburg, Norway Signup and view all the answers

What is Hrothgar's kingdom?

Denmark Signup and view all the answers

What is the home of Geats and Beowulf?

Sweden Signup and view all the answers

Where was Beowulf when Grendel burst into the hall?

pretending to be asleep Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not an accurate description of Grendel?

Three rows of blood-thirsty teeth Signup and view all the answers

Which line numbers show Grendel's first recognition that he was facing an extraordinary opponent?

750 to 754 Signup and view all the answers

What lines explain why swords were useless against Grendel?

798 to 805 Signup and view all the answers

What kenning is used in the description of Grendel's end?

death-sick Signup and view all the answers

What is Hrothgar's queen's name?

Wealhtheow Signup and view all the answers

What is Hrothgar's hall called?

Heorot Signup and view all the answers

Who carried off a chieftain?

Grendel's mother Signup and view all the answers

Who is the king of the Geats?

Hygelac Signup and view all the answers

Who is the king of the Danes?

Hrothgar Signup and view all the answers

Who tries to avenge Grendel's death?

his mother Signup and view all the answers

What does Hrothgar caution Beowulf against?

pride Signup and view all the answers

To whom does Beowulf give the treasures he has earned?

Hygelac Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is the best summary of Beowulf's last words?

We are members of a great, proud, and dying group of people. I, too, must die. Signup and view all the answers

Which heroic quality was Beowulf not eulogized as having?

Bravery Signup and view all the answers

What is manorial land held by the lord, attached to the manor house, and not held by serfs or freemen?

demesne Signup and view all the answers

What is a social, economic, and political system in the Middle Ages in which vassals gave military service in return for land and protection from a lord?

feudalism Signup and view all the answers

In feudal society, what is the land held from a lord in return for service called?

fief Signup and view all the answers

What is the ceremony in which the vassal declares his loyalty to his lord and receives his fief?

investiture Signup and view all the answers

What is a social and economic system in the Middle Ages?

manorialism Signup and view all the answers

What is a noble holding a fief from another noble of higher rank called?

vassal Signup and view all the answers

A fief is a noble.

False Signup and view all the answers

The demesne is the best land on the manor.

True Signup and view all the answers

Serfs were bound to the land and to the manor.

True Signup and view all the answers

Freemen could rent land and hire serfs.

True Signup and view all the answers

Manorialism was a system of government.

False Signup and view all the answers

The church was central to the life of medieval man.

True Signup and view all the answers

Feudalism originated after Charlemagne's death.

True Signup and view all the answers

What were trade associations called?

guilds Signup and view all the answers

Who were the members of the new middle class?

tradesmen, merchants, and shopkeepers Signup and view all the answers

What caused feudalism to decline?

Because trade increased, cities grew, and a middle class was created, the system was no longer necessary. Signup and view all the answers

Who is the 'Conqueror'?

William Signup and view all the answers

What is a list of property holders called?

Domesday Book Signup and view all the answers

Who was the archbishop of Canterbury?

Thomas à Becket Signup and view all the answers

Who lost the throne to William?

Harold Signup and view all the answers

Who lost most English possessions in France?

King John Signup and view all the answers

Who set up the forerunner of the modern grand jury?

Henry II Signup and view all the answers

Who conquered Wales?

Edward I Signup and view all the answers

Who was called 'Beauclerc'?

Henry I Signup and view all the answers

Southeast Midland is a dialect of Middle English.

True Signup and view all the answers

Geoffrey Chaucer used the language that was used in London or what was called the Late Middle English.

True Signup and view all the answers

England had three dialects of Middle English.

False Signup and view all the answers

Chaucer's language was the language of London.

True Signup and view all the answers

Middle English differs from Modern English in pronunciation of long vowels, some diphthongs, and some consonants.

True Signup and view all the answers

Final e is silent in Middle English.

False Signup and view all the answers

Gh is pronounced ch in Middle English.

True Signup and view all the answers

In Middle English, h and gn are not silent in words of French origin.

False Signup and view all the answers

What is a humorous tale that was popular in France called?

fabliau Signup and view all the answers

What is the title of the 'Romance of the Rose'?

Guillaume de Lorris Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote the 'Divine Comedy'?

Dante Signup and view all the answers

Who authored the 'Decameron'?

Boccacio Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the shrine at Canterbury?

Thomas à Becket Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote the 'Book of the Duchesse'?

Chaucer Signup and view all the answers

What is the list of characters and setting referred to in literature?

'Prologue' Signup and view all the answers

Which three are members of the chivalric and military group?

the squire, the knight, the yeoman Signup and view all the answers

Which five are members of the regular clergy?

the prioress, the nun's priest, the friar, the monk, the second nun Signup and view all the answers

Chaucer's intention was for each traveler to tell how many tales?

four Signup and view all the answers

In the Canterbury Tales, a ___________ to the shrine of Thomas à Becket forms the large framework.

pilgrimage Signup and view all the answers

Each tale is _____.

linked to the one before it Signup and view all the answers

In what month does the pilgrimage take place?

April Signup and view all the answers

How many pilgrims are mentioned in the 'Prologue' besides Chaucer?

29 Signup and view all the answers

At what inn did the pilgrims meet?

Tabard Signup and view all the answers

How many mortal battles did the knight fight?

15 Signup and view all the answers

Even though the knight won fame and honors, he was also very __________.

wise Signup and view all the answers

Select all of the characteristics that best describe the knight.

Fought in religious wars Signup and view all the answers

Select all of the characteristics that best describe the squire.

Composes music and poetry Signup and view all the answers

As a military man, the yeoman is a ____________.

sergeant Signup and view all the answers

What is a Franciscan?

friar Signup and view all the answers

What is a poor student called?

clerk Signup and view all the answers

Who is Madame Eglentyne?

prioress Signup and view all the answers

What is a successful tradesman called?

merchant Signup and view all the answers

What is an Augustinian?

monk Signup and view all the answers

What is a newly rich person called?

franklin Signup and view all the answers

What is a lawyer of high rank called?

sergeant of laws Signup and view all the answers

To become a sergeant of laws, a lawyer had to have at least _______ years' experience.

16 Signup and view all the answers

Who was a worldly person who enjoyed hunting and riding, even though those pastimes were against Church Law?

monk Signup and view all the answers

The other pilgrims knew that the five ___ were successful because they had silver rather than brass trim on their .

guildsmen; knives Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Poetry and Literary Terms

Alliteration: The repetition of initial sounds in two or more words within a line of poetry.
Caesura: A pause or break in a line of Anglo-Saxon poetry, not necessarily a primary accent.
Comitatus: The bond between a leader and his warriors, emphasizing loyalty and mutual obligation.
Kenning: A compound metaphor, often hyphenated, such as "swan-road" representing the sea.

Anglo-Saxon Culture and Traditions

Scops helped preserve oral stories but did not use kennings as a memory aid.
Life, according to Anglo-Saxon belief, was viewed as a transitory occurrence.
The relationship between paganism and Christianity involved the adaptation of pagan traditions for Christian purposes.

Beowulf Context

Beowulf's Manuscript Date: Texts were likely written in AD 790-830; the manuscript itself dates to AD 1000.
Hygelac's Death: Recorded around AD 521.
Heroic Qualities: Beowulf epitomizes an ideal hero, known for exceptional bravery and loyalty, unlike his other retainers, particularly emphasized through Wiglaf's loyalty.

Characters and Geography in Beowulf

Hrothgar: King of Denmark, associated with Heorot, his great hall; wife is Wealhtheow.
Grendel: A monstrous antagonist defeated by Beowulf, described vividly in the poem.
Grendel's Mother: Seeks vengeance after Grendel's defeat.
Geats: The people of Beowulf, originating from Sweden.

Language and Literature Transition

Feudalism: A social system where vassals provided military service in exchange for land and protection.
Manorialism: An economic arrangement within feudalism, focused on the agricultural estate.
Demesne: Land held by the lord, not farmed by serfs.
Guilds: Trade associations that represented the interests of the burgeoning middle class.

Historical Figures and Events

William: Known as "the Conqueror," pivotal in altering England's social structure.
Domesday Book: A comprehensive inventory of landholdings and property owners in England.
Thomas à Becket: Archbishop of Canterbury, his shrine became a pilgrimage destination.

The Canterbury Tales Overview

Pilgrimage to Thomas à Becket's shrine forms the narrative framework.
Chaucer intended each pilgrim to tell four tales, linking each narrative in a collective structure.
The characters range across social classes, including knights, clergy, and tradesmen, reflecting medieval society.

Character Sketches from The Canterbury Tales

Knight: Embodies chivalry, fought numerous battles, noted for loyalty and wisdom.
Squire: Son of the knight, skilled in arts, aspires to romance, actively participates in war.
Yeoman: A sergeant akin to a military figure, indicative of the rising middle class.
Friar: A religious figure who contradicted Church laws with indulgences in worldly pleasures.

Clerk: A poor student dedicated to learning, contrasting with wealthier classes.
Prioress (Madame Eglentyne): Represents the pious yet worldly view of the Church.
Merchant: Depicts emerging economic power and entrepreneurial spirit.
Franklin: A symbol of the newly rich class, he enjoyed life’s pleasures.

This structured overview encapsulates the essential themes, characters, and historical contexts relevant to the study of Anglo-Saxon literature, particularly "Beowulf" and "The Canterbury Tales."

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Description

Test your knowledge on the key poetic terms and cultural traditions from the Anglo-Saxon period. This quiz covers important concepts such as alliteration, caesura, and the heroic qualities depicted in 'Beowulf'. Discover the rich literary heritage and cultural practices of the Anglo-Saxons.