Beowulf Vocab and Study Questions; Notes over "Grendel" and "Beowulf"

On block day, we began our reading of Beowulf by taking notes over selected vocab that we will cover on the Beowulf 1 test on Wednesday and Thursday, September 12th and 13th.

Below is the vocab chart, followed by a powerpoint with a slide for each word.





Then, we began our reading of "Grendel" and "Beowulf." We also completed study questions from the handout below as we read. The first page of this packet is for you to keep track of who characters are and their role in the story. Most classes got through just "Grendel." A few classes also completed the chapter entitled "Beowulf."



Now, when we read these chapters, here are a few of the takeaways:

• Grendel is a monster of pure evil - yes, pure; he is described as being born of demons who mated in slime and who are directly related to Cain from the bible story of Cain and Abel. You know, the one about the very first murder ever? So, Grendel is a pure evil guy who gets irritated by the Danes singing and celebrating in the mead hall, Herot.
• Grendel only attacks when the Danes have fallen asleep, which they are prone to do after a long night of drinking mead, singing, and partying at Herot. He kills 30 men on his first trip and takes them back to his swampy, marshy lair. 
• In the very first stanzas of this epic, we can already see some of the Christian values being sprinkled into this epic.
  
  In the beginning, we are told the warriors are singing about God's creation of the Earth. However, it is unlikely that Scandinavians in 500 AD would be singing about such a thing. It is more likely that they were just singing about war and victory. The monk copying this story likely added this in to make it more Christian-friendly. 
• Grendel forces the Danes out of Herot by constantly attacking them and killing them. He eventually hunkers down and squats there for 12 years. Despite having the superior strength, he does not go after the king, Hrothgar, due to his position as king - a position that is supposedly bestowed upon him by God.
• Hrothgar, however, is not what Christians would consider devout. In fact, in an attempt to find a solution to Grendal's terror, they resort to pagan rituals and sacrifices to pagan gods. 
• Grendel's actions effectively turn Herot, which was once a place of safety, community, and peace, into an abandoned hall of fear, silence, and death.
• The story of Grendel's attacks spread far beyond Denmark and reaches the kingdom of Geatland, where Beowulf resides.
• Beowulf, upon hearing of the story, decides to grab his best men and head to Denmark for fame, glory, and to help out the Danes. (Mostly for the fame though)
• When Beowulf arrives, he is greeted by Wulfgar, a Danish guard, who tells him that Hrothgar knows of Beowulf's honorable status and welcomes him. 

That is about as far as most classes proceeded in the text. Make sure to fill out your study questions and add to the first page as necessary.