Chi and Rho Monogram Page, the Book of Kells (c. 800)
The section of English literature and history known as the medieval age was a long period of little to no major cultural development: language was spoken not written, art was rare (and is now even rarer if it has survived), and England was invaded by someone new every few hundred years after the fall of Rome. The advent of Christianity in the British Isles have both helped and hindered the populace, as it gave them access to different cultures and languages and resources, but also made them yield to the Church's control. The ancient traditions of the druids (pagan nature priests) were all but destroyed in the rise of Christianity. Despite all of this, however, this Age of Faith still remains a tremendous influence on modern society.
The anchor text that is used in this unit is the epic of Beowulf, which has been translated multiple times in various versions that provide insight into medieval culture, as well as a gripping story of dichotomies and paradigms from the Dark Ages. For each section that is read from the epic, use the translation provided in class, or in the Online Texts section of this site, along with the Reading Element notes for each section, to highlight the most important elements of MAJOR THEMEs and translator word choice.
Lecture Notes on the genre of Medievalism
The Dream of the Rood poem handout
The Dream of the Rood Lecture Notes and Questions
The Seafarer translated by Burton Raffel handout
The Scholar and his Cat or Pangur Ban, a medieval poem found in the illustrated Book of Kells, a famous text from the 9th century in Ireland
Major Holiday and Seasonal Origin Chart handout
Lecture notes on the Norse pantheon, cosmology, and basic myths
The Norse creation myth handout
Lecture Notes on the epic of Beowulf
Beowulf Lecture Notes handout
The Six Traits of Epic Poetry handout
Beowulf Character List handout
Lecture Notes on Weapons and Armor in Medievalism
Weapons and Armor Chart - Medievalism and Beowulf
Beowulf Center Questions
Chapter 12 (edited for content) of John Gardner's Grendel, Vintage Books, New York, copyright 1971
Text-Dependent Questions on John Gardner's Grendel excerpt
The Outsider in Literature and Film handout
Understanding the Outsider by Dr. Robert Schichler, Popular Culture Review, volume 11, no. 1, copyright 2000
The Battle between Beowulf and Grendel handout
The Celebration and Attack of Grendel's Mother handout
Questions on Chapters 20-21 - the Attack of Grendel's Mother
The Attack of the Dragon handout
Draconic References in Medievalism and Beowulf handout
Types of Dragons and Draconic Creatures handout
The Battle between Beowulf and the Dragon handout
Was Beowulf Real? Article #1 and Text-Dependent Questions
Was Beowulf Real? Article #2 and Text-Dependent Questions
Giants, Dragons, and Middle Earth by Dr. Tim Flight, BBC History Magazine, May 2019 ed., and Text-Dependent Questions
Making a Monster by Dr. Tim Flight, History Today, volume 68, issue 7, July 2018 issue, and Text-Dependent Questions
Beowulf is Back! by James Parker, The Atlantic, April 2017 issue
The Battle Of Hastings Note Sheet
Clash of the Gods Documentary Text-Dependent QuestionsÂ
View the episode here: Clash of the Gods (2009), Season 1, Ep. 8
Epic of Beowulf Study Activity handout 1
Epic of Beowulf Study Activity Handout 2
Medievalism and Beowulf Study Guide