| What was the name of the monstrous beast in the story? | Grendel |
| Where are the murders taking place? | Denmark |
| Who was Beowulf? | hero; can do anything; not afraid to die for honor or glory; powers exceed those of normal humans |
| The legend of Beowulf is a _________ story, inspired by ____. | fictional; fact |
| In what century do they believe the story originated? | 7th or 8th century AD |
| The poem reflects a society with a _____ past, recess in a _________ mold. | pagan; christian |
| In the poem, Grendel is descended from the line of ____ mankind’s first ________. | cain; murderer |
| Grendel is jealous of…? | humans who are feasting in the hall |
| The only clue to Grendel’s physical appearance in the original text is the phrase… | a fiend out of hell (demon of the dark) |
| How long does the monster hold Denmark under siege? | 12 years |
| Who is the one person Grendel cannot harm? | Danish king: Hrothgar |
| What qualities was Beowulf known for? | strength; great warrior; ambitious; leader; courageous |
| What is Beowulf primarily seeking? | glory |
| What is one way that Beowulf can achieve everlasting distinction? | slaying Grendel |
| What does Beowulf do to lure Grendel out? | recreates the circumstances of the first attack which is having the men feast in the hall |
| What happens when the warriors try to attack Grendel? | no sword hurts him because he had cast a curse that doesn’t allow him to be harmed by swords |
| Where did the real story that Beowulf os based on occur? | Sutton Hoo, England |
| Who do they think was buried in the site that archaeologists found? | Anglo-Saxan criminals |
| What is Beowulf’s one weapon against Grendel? | his bare hands |
| How does Beowulf gain the advantage? | grabs Grendel’s arm and twists until it pops off |
| Where does Grendel die? | deep in the woods |
| What does Beowulf hold hight as his trophy after killing Grendel? | Grendel’s bloody arm |
| What grim reality soon sets in? | burying all of the soldiers |
| In a ship burial, what was custom? | place the person along with all of their treasures on a boat, and then burn it at sea |
| What was found in 1939? | buried ship |
| What types of things were found buried? | helmets, swords |
| What did the excavation prove? | legend of beowulf is not just a legend |
| What other discovery was made through excavation? What do they believe is may have once been? | evidence of a real ancient hall; one of the largest halls ever found; possibly the hall of the Danish king |
| What else has been found in the area? | artifacts that only a king of importance would have |
| What fact based accounts have more clues to the connections of Beowulf to real-life events? | legendary sagas |
| Who comes back to get revenge on Beowulf after the death of Grendel? | Grendel’s mom |
| When is the attack? | the next night at the hall after she finds Grendel dead in the woods |
| What does Beowulf do that the king doesn’t? | act on the situation |
| Where does Grendel’s mom live? | botton of the haunted mirror |
| What did the serpents represent? | pagans |
| What do Beowulf’s men give him for his battle? | special sword that has never failed in battle |
| What proves useless in the battle against Grendel’s mother? | sword |
| How does Beowulf kill Grendel’s mother? | spears her through a magical sword made by ogres |
| The death of Grendel’s mother is a metaphor for what? | paganism dying and Christianity is brining light to the world of paganism and it thriving |
| What did the Romans do to the pagan temples? | convert them to christianity in the late 16th century |
| What is the name of Beowulf’s kingdom? | Geatland |
| Who were the Geats? | warriors from the tip of Sweden |
| What was the setting of the battle between the Geats and the Swedes? | giant lake of ice |
| How is the third battle of Beowulf’s different? | against man |
| What was offered to Beowulf in return for his heroism? | throne of Geatland |
| What evidence points to the fact that the ice battle really happened? | real location with historical records matching |
| How is Beowulf different when he fights his fourth battle? | no longer seeks glory |
| Who must he fight? | dragon |
| What happens that leads to the battle with the dragon? | slave steals dragon’s favorite golden cup |
| What is the ultimate insult that leads to Beowulf’s revenge? | burning down of his home |
| Who is Wiglaf? | son of a fallen warrior; immature; soldier; inexperienced |
| What makes him stand out in the battle with the dragon? | risked his life to save Beowulf |
| In the Christian tradition, what do dragons represent? What do they represent in the Pagan tradition? | giant manifestation of satan; mystery, ferocity, power, unknown |
| What do some believe the images of the dragon were based on? | T rex |
| How does Beowulf slay the dragon? | thrusts sword into dragon’s belly |
| What happens to Beowulf in the fight? | bitten in the neck and is slowly dying |
| What does he ask to see as he dies? | dragon’s treasures |
| What does he give Wiglaf? Why? | helmet and sword because of his bravery and because he has no family to give it to |
| What do the final stanzas of the epic poem describe? | Beowulf’s funeral |
| What does beowulf’s death represent | all men and all their works die |
Clash of the Gods: Beowulf
February 23, 2020