ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE RECAP [English Literature I]
Instructions:
1- Works in groups of 4 students.
2- Watch the entire video.
3- Comment on what impressed you most or what surprised you most. DO NOT comment on topics other groups have already spoken about. (Click on the link below to access the video in YouTube)
DEADLINE: Thursday 13th, June - 23:00 p.m.
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ReplyDeleteWhat surprised us the most was the biblical origin that the monsters have. They are described as the seed of Cain, son of Adam and Eve, who committed the first fratricide, the crime of murdering your brother or a member of your own group or country, for which he and his kin were exiled doomed to fight their battle against humanity and goodness. What is more, Grendel is described as the old enemy and he was condemned to be seen as evil on earth.
ReplyDeleteThe video also explains how the poem talks about Beowulf´s triumphs thanks to the protection of God. That protection must be earned by a warrior by being true to his values, courageous, honest, prideful and humble.
We came to the conclusion that in the book Good is represented by Beowulf who is said to be the combination of Jesus Christ and David; whereas Evil is represented as the three monsters, Grendel, Grendel`s mother and the Dragon, labeled that way to show what their personality and actions reflects to people and Christianity. The poem is a continuous battle between good and evil, where the heroes come out victorious defeating the demons showing the power of Christianity over people´s sorrows.
Gianinetti, Milena;
Mereles, Noelia;
Zorzon, Ornela;
Fabrissin, Kevin.
Well done! This is indeed one of the many features that makes Beowulf a classic.
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ReplyDeleteThe thing that has surprised us most was one of the magnificent ceremonial helmet which was found, “the Sutton Hoo” - the crown jewel. It was thought to have belonged to king Raedwald of East Anglia. The helmet not only represent what the golden age was but it also have an impact in Beowulf, since the poem describes this kind of talismanic artifact that has been downed with a kind of magical power on the other gifts between kings and their warrior heroes. It was used to protect the lives of the war minded warriors. For many of us the helmet was an inanimate metal decoration but for them it was an lively agent of protection and all who used it were considered safe.
ReplyDeleteBublitz, Ailen
Roldán, Julia
Ely, Cecilia
Scheidegger, Claudia
Oh yeah! I've seen it in the British Museum! I couldn't stop looking at it - literally. It's a thing of beauty. While I was looking at its many intricate details, I wondered what the king who wore it was really like. And it's true, for the Anglo-Saxons, these kinds of objects (helmets, swords) had a magic power which helped them defeat their enemies. The animals represented in them were supposed to give the user power. Good job, girls!
DeleteAmong the various facts and data depicted in the documentary, we found really interesting the fact that crafting weapons was seen as a magic process and the people at that time were in awe by the work done by blacksmiths, since they appeared to turn useless pieces of rock into beautiful, deadly weapons as a kind of ritual. What is more, these artefacts were not like others of the time, instead, their intricate patterns and the twisting of the rods were what made them unique and extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteIn order to create these artefacts he uses the four elements of nature (fire, wind, water and earth). They believed that the iron they used was a gift of the gods and his skills were seen as a kind of spell, i.e., weapons like Beowulf’s sword and armors were seen as a magical thing to fight. They believed that gods provided them with their blessings on the battlefield: engraving its magic in their equipment, as it is shown in the poem, when King Heorot inherit as a present Beowulf’s most precious-valuable object, his vest handmade by Weland (Blacksmith’s God, in Scandinavian culture).
Ledesma, Diego I. Emanuel
Moreyra, Fabio
Duarte, Gustavo Andrés
Delbon, Melina
Yes, I agree. The whole process and the end product are amazing. Well done!
DeleteWhat caught our attention was the way the poem, which is a single manuscript, nowadays is preserved despite it had suffered the damage of the fire. The poem is kept in library’s treasures room, with the correct temperature in order to conserved it carefully or also it is in a specially room, like security vault deep underground, to store it in safe conditions.
ReplyDeleteNo anyone are allowed to touch or take photographs of Beowulf’s manuscript because it is to fragile. It is said that the poem was in a private library ´´the cotton collection´´ but unfortunately in the 18th century an intense fire destroyed most of valuables manuscripts, luckily the historians could save some fragments of the poem. In the 19th century, the poem was rebound although it was in pieces they tried to keep it in the original form.What impressed us also was how Anglo-saxons put pictures of monsters that they create in the poem and how strange they were. We must say that Anglo-saxons were really interested in monsters itself.
Borda, Mailen;
Corgniali, Daiana;
Quiroz, Priscila;
Zechin, Milena.
The Beowulf manuscript is a treasure. It must be worth millions of pounds! It's the only volume left, the only document of Anglo-Saxon poetry there is on the planet. Good job!
ReplyDeleteTaking into account Michael Wood’s video, what really caught our attention is the fact that Anglo Saxon Literature and one of its masterpieces Beowulf, has resulted to be the framework of English language, literature and culture as well. As Michael states, this could be something that can be shown to the world in order to express British identity.
ReplyDeleteMichael highlights how these Germanic tribes had brought such a rich culture and that some of their words had been combined to create new English words. Thanks to it, people in England is now capable to express their emotions, feelings, thoughts.
Through journeys across England, particularly to Anglo Saxon ancient settlements, it is possible to know in deep every important aspects of life during those times. The most important points mentioned are
· How important was for the King and his warriors to meet in the mead hall.
· How important was to these meetings the presence of poets and bards.
An example of these rich culture over years is how ancestral stories as Beowulf can still be captivating by people although many centuries separates nowadays people from the original audience. What was amazing for us is to see the fantastic performance in full-scale recreation of an Anglo-Saxon royal Hall in Kent and the way in which people enjoyed to be telling the story.
Banegas, Fiorela;
Quatrín, Paula;
Solari, Daiana;
Velazquez, Lionela.
If you are a Games of Thrones' fan, you'd have recognised the actor Julian Glover reciting the poem. He played the role of Grand Maester Pycelle in the series. As you say, it was great to see how it may have been like for an Anglo-Saxon audience to hear the poem being recited by the gleeman. Well done, girls!
DeleteOne of the things that impressed us from this video was how the immigrants influenced in aspects such as society, culture and especially the language, providing words such as: mother, father, friend, love, hate, forgiveness, god, etc. Those are keywords that define emotions and beliefs; as well as the way we establish relations among each other. As we know, the English language developed from the West Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles, Saxons, and other Teutonic tribes who participated in the invasion and occupation of England in the fifth and sixth centuries. The English we speak today is a result of the germanic and french influences.
ReplyDeleteAgustini, Yamil
Barbona, Nahir
Carosino, Daiana
Reviriego, Gonzalo
Isn't it fascinating to know about the origins of the language we all love so much? Good job!
DeleteWhat most caught our attention was: The original manuscript of the poem which was filmed for the first time, and also where is kept it, in the library’s treasure room or in a security vault deep underground. The fact that it’s conserved in its original form despite being burned it is astonishing. The old book is housed at the British Library in London in a special box and it is approximately 1000 years old. Indeed, the monsters’ pictures appearing in the book were insane, headless with his face on his chest, camels representing elephants and a creature half human half horse. We can relate this last one with Mr. Tumnus character on Narnia's film.
ReplyDeleteWe want also give credit to the founding of an Anglo-Saxon ship burial in 1939, on Sutton Hoo in Suffolk. With a length of like 90 feet, a massive ship. Even by today stands on the river. It brings with it the notions of death. A point of embarkation in a journey. Six and six tons at least. And Beowulf comes in it. A boat bravely fitted out with the weapons of a warrior war accoutrement, swords and body armour. Around him the ancestral treasure folk.
Cruz, Sofia;
Scarel, Lourdes;
Rubianes, Ariana;
Rubianes, Loreley.
Your answer is OK but the first part comments on something that has already been said by one group. If you re-read the instructions, you were asked specifically NOT to do that. However, I've considered your second paragraph - about Sutton Hoo - right. Next time, please follow the instructions.
DeleteWhat most caught our attention was how Lauren and Reggie who are members of a historical reenactment society, managed to recreate in such a fantastic way, an incredible full-scale Anglo-Saxon Hall, with the complete environment in which Beowulf used to be told thousand of years ago. To get in the mood, the audience prepare a Saxon feast before the performance in which we can appreciate typical wearing and food.
ReplyDeleteWhat's more, the passion in which the poem is narrated, in this case by actor Julian Glover, the strenght in which words are pronounced by him, and the importance that every single one of them own. Besides, how glad people feel when hearing this classical poem. It is really inspiring how they express the significance and historical value that Beowulf have for them without losing it generation to generation.
Pérez Milagros;
Petrucci Giuliana;
Villalba Gonzalo;
Zalazar Magalí.
Your answer is OK but only part of if because the second paragraph comments on Julian Glover, a section of the video which has already been discussed by another group. You were asked specifically in the instructions NOT to comment on what had already been discussed. I'll consider only part of your post as correct. Please, read the instructions carefully next time.
DeleteRegarding Michael Wood’s commentary on the history of Beowulf, what impressed us the most was the Anglo-Saxon preaching cross.
ReplyDeleteWe consider said monument to be an interesting element, as it is a statue that represents Christian and Pagan features. The Dream of the Rood is the saxon poem carved on the cross. It shows how some Pagan beliefs were used as an enrichment for Christianity, thus facilitating the conversion of Pagan English people.
Wood mentions how outrageous and inconclusive the dispute between Paganism and Christianity was. Therefore, we conclude that this ancient monument is one of the most outstanding elements in the history of the Christianisation of England’s inhabitants.
Altamirano, Rocío
Fernandez, Gimena
Gómez, Laura
Gómez, Paulina
I'd like to see it "face to face"! Yes, I agree with you, it is wonderful. Well done, girls.
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ReplyDeleteOne of the facts of the video about Beowulf that catches our attention was the medieval church of Blythburgh. In the video we can see the inside of the Cathedral when Michael Wood travelled to meet a local expert, Peter Jennings who told him about the legends it has. This place was also known as “the Cathedral of the marshes”, it is an old building that remains in good conditions through time.
The tale around this place goes that on 4th of August 1577, a large black dog, with burning eyes, known as Black Shuck (an Old English word) burst into Blythburgh Church where a lot of Christian people was killed. The belief is that if you look into those eyes, you would die if not then, within 12 months.
Locals attribute the event to the Devil. Today, you can see evidence of the mythical creature on the door of the Cathedral where the dog left the burn-marks made by its powerful eyes.
Martinez, Leisa
Daran, Melisa
Woderful story, isn't it? Good job, girls.
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