A GLOSSARY FOR BEOWULF BEGINNERS

Refer back to these notes while you’re reading to help clarify the

meaning of unfamiliar terms!

Avenge

To avenge is to take revenge for someone else.

Ex. To avenge a friend who has been killed would be to kill his killer.

Barrow

A barrow is a large

mound of earth with a

grave inside for burying

a person and his

belongings. It often

looks like a small hill.

Many Anglo Saxon

objects have been

found

by digging into some of

these “hills.”

Blood-feud

A blood-feud is a feud started by an act ofbloodshed when somebody is killed.

Because ofthis killing, two groups or tribes are at war

asmore and more killings take place in

revenge forthose who died.

Boast

A boast was a kind of promise a warrior made in

front of other people. When a brave action was

boasted and everyone heard it, the warrior had to

do it. If he succeeded, or died trying, his would

be talked about and praised. If he did not, he

would not be respected any more.

Fame

Fame was very important to warrior tribes and it was the way you were remembered and spoken of, the way your story was told.

You could win fame by brave deeds in battle or by being a wise adviser, for making good decisions or bringing about peace. You could also win ill-fame for leaving your friends in battle, being a bad lord, or murdering your relatives.

Feud

A feud is a state of hatred and killing between

two groups of people. It is a war by one family or

tribe against another. Feuds are very difficult to

stop because too many people on each side want

revenge for their loved ones who have died.

Funeral Pyre

A funeral pyre is a huge pile of

wood for burning a body at a

funeral. The ancestors of the

Anglo

Saxons believed the soul left

the

body when it was burnt, not at

the

moment when the person died.

Sometimes a person’s armour

and

other treasures would be burnt

with

them.

Hides

In Anglo-Saxon times, land was measured in

hides. One hide of land was supposed to be

enough to meet the needs of one family – for

them to live on, grow crops, and graze animals.

Hrunting

The swords in Anglo-Saxon stories often have

names. A sword often lasted longer than the life

of its owner and was handed down from father to

son. A sword that had been successful many

times seemed to have magical powers to protect

its owner and destroy his enemies. An Anglo-

Saxon warrior depended on his sword to save his

life and kill his enemies. Hrunting is the name of

Beowulf’s sword.

Mailshirts

Anglo Saxon warriorswore mailcoats to

protect their bodies from spears,arrows, and swords. They were made ofhundreds of tiny metalrings linked tightlytogether so that the sharppoints of weapons couldnot easily find a waythrough.

Mead-hall

The word ‘mead-hall’

means a place for

drinking ‘mead.’

Mead is a drink made

from honey. The

Anglo-Saxons liked to

drink mead, wine, and

beer. The mead-hall

was a building where

everyone could meet.

MERE NINTH HOUR OF THE DAY

A mere is another word for

lake or pool.

The Anglo-Saxons counted

the hours of the day beginning at 6 o’clock

in the morning. So the

ninth hour is 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

Olden Days of the Giants

This is a story from the Bible, which says that

once a race of Giants lived on the earth. They

were at war with God. The people grew wicked,

so God sent a great flood to punish and destroy

all of the wickedness. Grendel and his mother

are supposed to be related to this race of Giants

who once ruled the earth.

Wergild

Wergild, or “man payment,” was the practice of

paying a slain man’s family to atone for the deed

and to prevent them from taking revenge against

the manslayer. Wergild is mentioned in Beowulf.

Before the events in the poem, Hrothgar paid a

wergild to Beowulf’s father. Hence, Beowulf feels

compelled to help Hrothgar in his time of need.