Discussion

The Anglo-Saxons

I. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. Britain was first mentioned by ancient Roman writers.

2. The Romanized Celts of Britain collapsed under the attacks of German tribes.

3. The Anglo-Saxons fought among themselves, with many king­doms rising and falling.

4. Under the leadership of Alfred the Great the country was united.

5. The Normans brought the Anglo-Saxon epoch of English his­tory to a close.

II. Match the historic events and the dates:

1. the 5^th century a)

2.600 b)

3.600-850 c)

4. the second half d) of the 9^,h century

5. the middle of e) the 11^th century

6.1066 0

Viking Danes began to attack Independent lords and kings fought among themselves The Normans instituted their culture The culture of Romanized Celts collapsed under the attack of German tribes

The country was united under an Anglo-Saxon king The Romans withdrew

Anglo-Saxon Culture III. Answer the Questions:

1.What was the Anglo-Saxon society organized around?

2. Who made up the two classes of Anglo-Saxon society?

3. Who did the king rely on?

4. What was the center of the Anglo-Saxons' social life?

5. What were the poets and chronicles responsible for?

6. What gods did the Anglo-Saxons worship?

7. What did the Christian missionaries bring to Britain?

8. What did young Anglo-Saxons learn?

9. What influence did Christianity have on literature?

10.What did the Anglo-Saxons cling to in spite of the effects of Christianity?

IV. Speak about:

1) the structure of the Anglo-Saxons society;

2) the center of the Anglo-Saxons' social life;

3) the entertainers during the celebrations;

4) the Anglo-Saxon pagan gods;

5) the influence of Christianity on Anglo-Saxon culture.

Anglo-Saxon Literature

V.Finish the sentences:

1. English literature had its beginning while tine Anglo-Saxons...

2. When the Anglo-Saxons conquered Celts they brought with them...

3. Anglo-Saxon literature focused on...

4. Caedmon is the first...

5. «Beowulf» is...

6. Except epic two other important types of Anglo-Saxon poet­ry are...

7. The leading Northumbrian poet was...

8. Many Old English poems glorified...

9. Anglo-Saxon prose writing had its origins in...

10. Bede's «Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation» is the first...

11. The most influential prose writer was...

12. Much of the life and literature of the Anglo-Saxons is a mystery because...

VI. Support the ideas:

1. The influence of the epic was sustained throughout the Ang­lo-Saxon period.

2. In the poems the Anglo-Saxons expressed their attitude to­wards nature, their terrors and fears.

3. After about 750, poetry flourished in the Northumbria.

4. The earliest prose writing was in Latin.

5. Bede's «Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation» can be regarded as a valuable source of information about English life from the late 500's to 731.

6. Anglo-Saxon literature was preserved in a very disorganized fashion.

7. Scientists and scholars have many unanswered questions about the Anglo-Saxon civilization.

VII. Give definitions to:

1) epic

2) lyric

3) riddle

4) alliteralion

5) kenning

6) internal rhyme

7) homily

Extension

In a short essay, describe:

1. The Anglo-Saxons' society.

2. The Anglo-Saxons' religious belief.

3. The main forms of Anglo-Saxon literature.

Riddle

Riddle is a question or statement that contains a deliberately hid­den meaning. Riddles today are usually meant to be amusing. They often take a form of a «conundrum», which is a kind of riddle that depends on puns. A typical riddle of this type is: «What has four wheels and flies?» The correct answer, «А garbage truck», makes sense when we realize that the word «flies» has two meanings.

Another popular type of riddle depends on a possible but unex­pected assumptions in a given question. The answer to the riddle, «Where docs the an elephant go when he wants to lie down?» is «Anywhere he pleases». That answer is both humorous and sur­prising because the question seems to concern the habits of ele­phants, but it is really about the intimidating size of elephants.

For many centuries, the riddle was often regarded as a kind of coded message that came from divine inspiration. People believed the message could be understood only by persons equipped with special knowledge. In ancient Greece, priests and priestesses called «oracles» frequently expressed their messages in the form of rid­dles. The most celebrated riddle in Greek mythology was asked of the citizens of Thebes by the Sphinx: «What has one voice and becomes four-footed, two-footed, and three-footed?» The hero Oedipus solved the riddle. He correctly answered, «Man, who crawls on all fours as a baby, then walks on two legs like an adult, and finally needs a cane in old age».

During the Middle Ages, poets in Europe seem to have particu­larly enjoyed composing riddles. The so-called «Exeter Book» con­tains nearly 100 examples of riddles. They were written in an early form of English called Old English, probably in the early 700's. These riddles dealt with such subjects as storms, ships, beer, books, and falcons. The answers to some of these riddles arc obvious, but other riddles arc extremely difficult to understand. However, they are valuable for the insights they provide into the way people of that period regarded events of nature and everyday life.