Anglo-Saxon Life and Literary

Techniques

Culture:• Anglo-Saxons originated as Germanic tribes.• They brought with them Germanic myths and

legends, including fire-breathing dragons, trolls, ogres, goblins, elves, giants, demons, sea monsters, etc.

• Main focus in any Anglo-Saxon warrior’s life was to achieve glory in warfare so he could enter Valhalla (Anglo-Saxon heaven) after death.

• Warring, exploring, seafaring, and feasting were central to Anglo-Saxon life (their religion supported these activities)

• Anglo-Saxon gods were harsh, warlike gods of Norse mythology-Tiu-god of war (Tuesday), Woden-king of the gods (Wednesday), Thor-god of thunder (Thursday), Freya-goddess of fertility (Friday)

Culture, cont’d:• Anglo-Saxon justice was simple and crude-WERGILD-”man

money” (Wergild was the purpose behind the story of Beowulf)

• Lots of warfare-quests for land, clan feuds, quests for treasure, etc.

• Life was short, hard, and unpredictable• Warriors believed fate (goddess Wyrd) ruled their lives, so

the braver, the better. A warrior could “tempt fate” by being brave and charming Wyrd. If a warrior was about to be taken to heaven, he believed he would/could be touched by the hand of the Valkyries (daughters of the gods who went to earth to bring slain warriors back to Valhalla). If a warrior felt “the touch,” he knew he was fated to die soon.

• In Valhalla, warriors would feast every night. All battle wounds and broken bones would heal for the feast. Woden was always the host

Anglo-Saxon life, cont’d:• Feasts held in a communal hall called the “mead hall,”

(name originated from drink called mead-fermented honey)

• Job of the scop (pronounced “shop”) to recite stories of glorious battles/notable warriors to the tribe-intended to get Woden’s attention so warrior spoken about could get to Valhalla

• Scop chanted tribal history, often to the accompaniment of a harp. Everything passed by oral tradition during this time. Scop was highly esteemed in tribe because warriors got Woden’s attention because of scop’s creations-lays (name of scop’s stories) served three purposes:

1) Told story for entertainment2) Related important tribal values3) Kept their history alive b/c lays could also be spread to

other tribes and future generations

Notable Anglo-Saxon literary techniques:

• 1) Alliteration-repetition of beginning consonant sounds in a line of poetry

• Ex: Line 31-Went wondering what warriors

• Ex: Line 33-Sprawled in sleep, suspecting

• 2) Assonance-Repetition of vowel sounds in a line of poetry

• Ex: line 30-Then when Grendel

• Ex: line 60-One against many and won so Herot

• 3) Kenning-a one to three-word phrase used to rename a person or object

• Swan-road (ocean)

• Whale-path (ocean)

• Sea-steed (boat)

• Swimming wood (boat)

• Higlac’s follower (Beowulf)

• Mankind’s enemy (Grendel)

• 4) Caesura-a mid-line pause or stop within a line of poetry, noted by a semi-colon, period, or dash

• Ex: Abel’s death. The Almighty

• Ex: earth. He was…..

• 5) Apposition-grammatical form in which a thing is renamed in a different word, phrase, or clause

• Ex: “Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel.”

Anglo-Saxon Riddles http://classprojects.kenyon.edu/engl/exeter/Gazetteer/Exeterbook.html

• Featured in the Exeter Book and a popular Anglo-Saxon form of entertainment were riddles. Before reading some of the Anglo-Saxon riddles (see reading assignment and web link), try some modern riddles featured on the next few slides.

What am I?

A silver-scaled dragon with jaws flaming red Sits at my elbow and toasts my bread. I hand him fat slices, and then, one by one, He hands them back when he sees they are done.

What am I ?

Little Nancy Etticoat

With a white petticoat

And a red nose;

She h as no feet or hands

The longer she stands

The shorter she grows

What am I ?

Two brothers we areGreat burdens we bearWe always are bitterly pressedYet this I must sayWe are full all the dayAnd empty when we go to rest.

What am I?

I am greater than God and more evil than the devil. The rich need me. The poor have me. If you eat me you will die.

What am I?

At dusk I come without being fetched. At dawn I disappear without being stolen. I am a poet’s tears and a sailor’s guide.

• Toaster

• Candle

• Pair of shoes

• Nothing

• Stars