Unit 1 Test Flashcards
(47 cards)
The most accurate assessment of the Middle Ages is that the period was
a time of dynamic change
What became the language of the ruling class and business after the Norman invasion
French
The action that contributed most to the development of Old English as a written language was
the introduction of the Latin alphabet
Alfred’s concern for an educated leadership and the loss of Latin manuscripts in the Viking raids were primarily responsible for
the transmission of most Old English literature into the dialect of West Saxon
What is not a common feature of Old English poetry
rhyme
In Bede’s History, the most accurate description of Caedmon is that he was
a humble, uneducated man who had the gift of versifying sacred history
In “The Conversation of Edwin,” the three basic philosophical questions alluded to by Edwin’s wise counselor deal with the subjects of
origin, meaning, and destiny
King Edwin’s counselor uses the illustration of the sparrow to portray
the brevity of life
the subject of “Caedmon’s hymn” is
creation
Reasons that epics are not generally written today include all of these except that
the oral tradition has gradually died out
Epics are traditionally
didactic
In Beowulf, the Danes are being assaulted by Grendel because of what sin
Greed
The main theme of Beowulf is that
the continuance of civilization requires virtuous heroes
One evidence of the mixing of pagan and Christian element
the confusion of Wyrd as Providence
The Anglo-Saxon term for fate is
Wyrd
Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by
tearing off his arm
Which word best describes the attitude of the shield and the weathercock in the Anglo-Saxon riddles
symapthetic
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, William of Normandy lacked which heroic quality
generosity
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Edmund faced all of the following difficulties in his effort to defend England except
the greater mobility of the Danes
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which word best describes William the Conqueror as a ruler
severe
Who invented the term “Dark Ages” to describe the medieval period, and why did they do so
18th century rationalists; they saw it as a dark time in which the Catholic Church had too much power
What major contribution did the Normans make to English government
Language
Which language’s influence on Old English is apparent in the pronouns “they,” “them,” and “their”
Scandinavian
Humor in Old English poetry evidenced itself in what two forms
Irony / riddles
