AWH: The Start of England and Beowulf

Question 1

Who took over in England after the Romans?

Answer 1

the Anglo-Saxons

Question 2

Who is considered the first English king?

Answer 2

Alfred the Great

Question 3

What was Sutton Hoo?

Answer 3

a burial mound on a woman’s property that had the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold

Question 4

Name four reasons Alfred the Great was great.

Answer 4

good warrior, united the Anglo-Saxon tribes, reorganizes their military and makes it a standing army, founded the royal navy, starts schools, starts the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, starts royal courts

Question 5

How did Alfred the Great change the courts?

Answer 5

he made all the courts come from the kingdom instead of locally

Question 6

Who was Ethelred the Unready?

Answer 6

succeeded Alfred and gets overthrow

Question 7

Who was Canute?

Answer 7

Danish king that conquered England for a bit

Question 8

Who was Edward the Confessor?

Answer 8

very religious Saxon king

Question 9

What was the witan?

Answer 9

king’s council

Question 10

How did Harold Godwinson gain the throne?

Answer 10

he was picked by the witan

Question 11

Who were the three people vying for the throne?

Answer 11

Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy, and Harold Hardrada

Question 12

Why do the Normans win the Battle of Hastings?

Answer 12

the Saxons lose fighters along the way to work on the harvest, and get tricked by a fake retreat

Question 13

When do the Normans take over England?

Answer 13

1066

Question 14

What is the Bayeux Tapestry?

Answer 14

large quilt that depicts the Norman Conquest, made by William the Conqueror’s wife

Question 15

Name four of William the Conquerer’s achievements.

Answer 15

hold the “Doomsday Survey”, rewards loyal nobles, makes the “Salisbury Oath”, revamps the witan, and gives the king a veto over the church

Question 16

What was the Salisbury Oath?

Answer 16

an oath that was sworn to the king instead of a lord

Question 17

How did William the 2nd die?

Answer 17

killed by his noble in a “hunting accident”

Question 18

What is the problem after Henry the 1st’s death?

Answer 18

he wants the throne to go to his daughter, but the council has a different guy inherit, but he dies. the throne goes to his daughter’s son.

Question 19

What were the Plantagenets?

Answer 19

next group of kings after the Normans

Question 20

What was Henry the 2nd’s main accomplishment?

Answer 20

extending the power of the courts to the king at the expense of the church

Question 21

What are Henry the 2nd’s three changes to the courts?

Answer 21

makes circuit courts, solidifies the jury system, and makes common law

Question 22

What is common law?

Answer 22

laws that everyone follows

Question 23

Who was Thomas Beckett?

Answer 23

Archbishop of Canterbury and Henry’s friend turned enemy

Question 24

How did Thomas Beckett die?

Answer 24

Henry is talking smack about Beckett to his friends, and they decide it means they have to kill him

Question 25

Why was Richard the Lionhearted never in England?

Answer 25

always fighting in the crusades

Question 26

What did Bad King John do?

Answer 26

signed the Magna Carta

Question 27

What was the Magna Carta?

Answer 27

document that started to limit the power of the king and said that a free man cannot be wrongfully imprisoned

Question 28

Who made the Magna Carta?

Answer 28

a group of nobles

Question 29

What is Beowulf?

Answer 29

an epic poem that is the oldest piece of English literature

Question 30

Give a summary of Beowulf.

Answer 30

A king’s land is being terrorized by Grendel, a monster, but Beowulf comes and kills it. Grendel’s mother attacks for revenge but is also defeated. Fifty years later, Beowulf is the king of the Getas, but a dragon comes to terrorize his land. He kills it, but not without being kills himself.

Question 31

What lesson does Beowulf teach?

Answer 31

even heroes can die

Question 32

How did Beowulf survive to modern-day?

Answer 32

one manuscript that was almost burnt

Question 33

Where is Beowulf set?

Answer 33

Pagan Scandinavia in the 6th century