Gnashing teeth, cracking bones....Beowulf!! The Anglo-Saxon answer to Cüneyt.

Beowulf, the super hero of Germanic ancient history. If you saw similarities between the Anglo-Saxon epic poem and "The Lord of the Rings", that's because J.R.R. Tolkein spent a large part of his life studying the poem and was duly influenced by it. So, what impressions did this week's lesson leave with you? Did you enjoy the swashbuckling adventure fighting creatures, their mothers and dragons? Were you affected by the funeral scene? Or was it the simplistic but affective expression of the poem? Whatever it was, we're waiting for you to share it with us.
Click on the following link to hear how Beowulf would have sounded in Old English: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/lang_gallery_01.shtml

Anglo-Saxon Literature

Well, the first week is over and we covered very briefly the Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, period of English literature. Is there anything you found particularly interesting or surprising about what you have learned this week? What about King Alfred, the story of Caedmon's Hymn, or the impact of The Battle of Maldon? Share it with us here.
By the way, check the link http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/index.html for some interesting information about the Angles and Saxons.