The document provides an overview of Anglo-Saxon culture and literary techniques. Some key aspects include: the Anglo-Saxons originated as Germanic tribes who brought myths of dragons and sea monsters; their society centered around warfare and achieving glory in battle to enter Valhalla after death; gods like Tiu and Woden supported warlike values; and scops would recite stories of battles in mead halls to honor fallen warriors. Notable literary techniques used in Anglo-Saxon poetry included alliteration, assonance, kennings, caesuras, and apposition. Riddles were also a popular form of entertainment.

1. Anglo-Saxon
Life and
Literary
Techniques

2. 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)

3. 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

4. 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:
4) Told story for entertainment
5) Related important tribal values
6) Kept their history alive b/c lays could also be spread to
other tribes and future generations

5. 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

6. • 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

7. • 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)

8. • 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…..

9. • 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.”

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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

13. What am I ?
Two brothers we are
Great burdens we bear
We always are bitterly pressed
Yet this I must say
We are full all the day
And empty when we go to rest.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. • Toaster
• Candle
• Pair of shoes
• Nothing
• Stars