英国文学史上笔记-themiddleages
The Middle Ages 中世纪
Comparisons with the Roman Empire...
• Many of the improvements introduced by the Romans deteriorated 衰败: roads, water-supplies, shipping routes...
• There were regular wars and invasions
Periodization
Dark Ages: 500 – 1000 High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250 Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500
Europe in 600AD
The Middle Ages
• Part 1: The Dark Ages (AD 476 – AD 1000)
• They also developed efficient government where local communities voted to decide laws and judge crimes
Viking Invasions
• As the Viking population grew and farmland grew scarce, the Vikings travelled to new lands
• As a culture they had technical skill and a spirit of adventure – but also a lack of permanence 恒久
• By 1200 AD they had been mostly defeated or subsumed 纳入 into other cultures
第三章中世纪文明TheMiddleAges
第三章中世纪文明The Middle Ages西欧中世纪：476年西罗马灭亡作为开端，至1453年奥斯曼土耳其攻占君士坦丁堡；另一说是1500年，吴于廑先生“海道大通”中世纪的欧洲文明，实质上是一种地域性的封建文明基督教构成了欧洲中世纪精神文化的核心封建西欧的历史分早、晚两个时期:1.封建文明形成与发展时期(5-14世纪)2.封建文明趋向没落、资本主义工业文明萌芽时期(15-17世纪)第一节西欧封建文明的萌发一、欧亚大陆的民族大迁徒3－5世纪，游牧世界对农耕世界大冲击从东到西中国：北方民族南下，匈奴、鲜卑等建立五胡十六国，汉人统治范围压缩到长江以南，偏安东晋。
日耳曼各部落（Barbarian)灭亡了西罗马二、日耳曼人的入侵及其影响1．日耳曼人的入侵恺撒的《高卢战记》与塔西陀的《日耳曼尼亚志》所反映的日耳曼社会原始社会末期氏族部落军事民主制阶段先后建立起了国家组织汪达尔王国、苏维汇王国、西哥特王国、勃良第王国、东哥特王国、法兰克王国2. 民族大迁徒的后果和意义并非单纯的民族迁移或武力征服活动，而是影响了西欧人民此后的历史发展道路,改绘了当时西欧的政治地图，在深刻交融的基础上重组了民族格局日耳曼人的入侵造成混乱，对当时西罗马帝国的社会经济很大破坏野蛮与文明之间的对话与撞击。
古典时代的结束与中世纪的开始日耳曼人的特点：没有国家观念、行政管理机构法律简单，神裁法自然经济日耳曼征服者在各方面不同程度地受到罗马文明的影响，皈依罗马天主教，反映了当时蛮族罗马化的趋向。
日耳曼人建立的王国：东哥特王国、汪达尔王国、法兰克王国三、法兰克王国Kingdom of Franks1．墨洛温王朝（481－751年）496年克洛维正式皈依了基督教罗马教会，日耳曼因素与罗马人结合的起点2．查理·马特Charles Martel的采邑制改革宫相mayor of the palace采邑beneficium本意为“承担义务的封地”将土地以采邑的形式分封给参战的将士，条件是为中央政权服军役。
17、The Middle Ages
The Middle AgesKings and conflicts 500-1400The period from about 500 to 1400 in Europe is known as the Middle Age, or the medieval period. It began with the fall of the Roman empire and ended with the Renaissance, when a revival of art and learning swept through Europe.The medieval period was an age of wars and conquests. Some wars were fought to gain more territory while others were wars of religion, fought between people of differing faiths in an age when religion dominated most people’s lives. At this time China’s civilization was far in advance of the rest of the world. Africa and America saw the emergence of strong,well-organized empires based on trade, while the spread of Islam from Arabia across the Middle East and into North Africa and Spain brought a new way of life to a vast area.During the Middle Ages, ordinary people lived simply, as farmers in villages or as craftworkers in towns. Many built their own houses, made their own clothes and grew their own food. Poor people obeyed local landowners or lords, who in turn served a more powerful king or emperor. The rulers ordered castles and palaces, temples and cathedrals to be built. These huge stone buildings often took many years, even centuries, toconstruct.Few people travelled far from their homes. Those who did venture into foreign lands included merchants, soldiers and a few bold explorers who wrote accounts of their travels. Few people could read or write, and learning was passed down by word of mouth. In Europe, the monasteries were centres of learning, while in Asia the Chinese and Arabs led the way in science and technology, medicine and astronomy.。
Chapter 3 The Middle Ages
45
Another great early monk was St. Benedict who founded Benedictine Rule about 529A. D.
46
The Power and Influence of the Catholic Church
Three classes: clergy, lords and peasants. The Medieval Church was the centre of daily life: - after birth, baptized - married by a priest - meat should not be touched on Friday - holy communion
36
Some components of the code
Loyalty to country, King, honor, freedom, and the code of chivalry. Loyalty to one's friends and those who lay their trust in thee. Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect and honor. Never attack an unarmed foe. Never attack from behind. Avoid cheating. Exhibit self control. Respect women. Exhibit Courage in word and deed. Defend the weak and innocent. Fight with honor. Exhibit manners.
Chapter 5 The_Middle_Ages
•
Middle Ages is also called ―Dark Ages‖, because after Uncivilized Germanics conquered the Rome, they made both people‘s living standard and spiritual standard drop to a very low point. That‘s a kind of ―countermarch of civilization‖ .
---The Division of the Middle Ages
• • A. Early Middle Ages (500-1000AD.) In the so-called ―Dark Ages‖, civilization declined even disappeared in Western Europe. Cities were destroyed, and the intellectual activities virtually stopped. The whole west world was then ruled by numbers of barbarous tribe kings. The civilization did not disappear just because of Christianity. B. High Middle Ages (1000-1300AD.) In the High Middle Age, the western Europe began to revive. Order was regained; cities were rebuilt and prospered; cultural life was once again valued. The modern pattern of western European countries roughly formed at this age. C. Late Middle Ages (1300-1500AD.) The late Middle age was also a troublesome time, filled with natural calamities and wars. But this period prepared the way for a great revival of civilization in the west, that is the Great Renaissance.
the_middle_ages
2. feudalism
1. The Manor
(封建领主的）领地、庄园
The manor is the foundation of the feudal system of medieval Europe. The manor was the centre of medieval life under feudalism
骑士精神:作为一名骑士,他承诺要保护弱者,争取教会,是忠 于主人,尊重女性的贵族出身。
3.Religion
a. The Organization of Church
教会的组织 b.
The power and influence of the Catholic Church
天主教会的权力和影响力
a. The Organization of Church
• • • •
Pope （spreme head 教皇） Archbishops （province 大教主） Bishops （diocese 教主） Priests （parish 牧师）
a. The Organization of Church
• The Pope • He was the head of the church and had a great amout of power. If someone went against the Church, the Pope had the power to excommunicate them. This meant the person could not attend any church services and would go straight to hell when they died ,which was an awful punishment.
整理The Middle Ages
The Middle AgesThe King王Duke爵Marquis侯Earl伯Viscount子Baron男The Middle Age(dark age)From the fall of the Roman Empire to the beginning of modern European civilization.From 5th to 15th centuryMedieval(中世纪的) civilization (Western Europe) VS. Greco-Roman civilization (Italy, Greece, Syria叙利亚and North Africa)(地中海文化) Political Power was divided among a hierarchy 等级制度of interdependent governments rather than concentrated in a world empire 权帝or a group of sovereign独立自主的national states;●Political power was divided among a hierarchy of interdependentgovernments rather than concentrated in a world empire of a group of sovereign national states;●The church was independent of secular authority世俗的，非教会的权威; it set the standards and defined the goals for all humanactivity;●In economics there was neither state regulation货架调控norlaissez-faire自由放任政策;instead local custom controlled farmers artisans手工艺and merchants 商人in the interest of the whole community;●(the weakness or the absence of large political units increased thecohesiveness内聚of small groups.)●Gothic art, chivalric 骑士制度poetry, scholastic 教育的经院哲学的philosophy, and the university system of educationMedieval Social Strata 社会阶层●The nobility 贵族●The church●The commoner 平民●Birth, wealth, profession, personal ability(late 14th century)● A growing and prosperous 兴旺的，繁荣的middle classGeoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400) 杰佛利·乔叟-----（约1340-1400）英国代表作家，现实主义文学的奠基者。
The Middle Ages 中世纪复习课程
Feudalism
A political, economic, and social system based on loyalty and
military servichaviour
Periodization
Dark Ages: 500 – 1000 High Middle Ages: 1000 – 1250 Late Middle Ages: 1250 - 1500
Europe in 600AD
The Middle Ages
• Part 1: The Dark Ages (AD 476 – AD 1000)
• There were regular wars and invasions
• Significant knowledge was lost when the Roman empire collapsed & we know little about the Dark Ages because of a lack of written sources
The Middle Ages (476 – 1463)
Chapter 5 pp.87 – 106
Question to consider ~
• During this class I want you to think about this question:
~ Some view the Middle Ages as a period of limited civilisation, especially when compared with the Roman/Greek civilisations. Do you agree? Why? Why not?
英国文学脉络(北大笔记)
English Literaturethe Middle Ages (medieval period) to 1485The Old English (to 1066)The Middle English (to 1485)From the collapse of the Roman empire to the RenaissanceA period of enormous historical, social and linguistic change.In fact, "art and literature flourished during the Middle Ages, rooted in the Christian culture that preserved , transmitted, and transformed classical tradition.The Old English PoetryThe bulk of old English literature deals with religious subjects and is mostly drawn from Latin resources.A small amount of secular poetry, including epic poems like Beowulf.The subject matter of his verse is sometimes of great antiquity, concerning the legendary or historical figure who lived before the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England.(e.g. Pagan, Hellenic heroic world)Thus, the heroic world was remote from the Christian world of Anglo-Saxon England. Moreover, the heroic code is difficult to reconcile with christian doctrines such as "forgive those that trespass against us." and "all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword"The poetry is predominantly harsh (e.g struggle in battles)Grave, decorous(serious and polite and elegant)古英语时期，文学语言很高雅，庄重，远离现实，这不同于中世纪。
2016-8-29 英美文学 The Middle Ages
England: Angle-land people: English Language: Anglo-Saxon ︾ Old English
The Anglo-Saxon religious belief
The Anglo-Saxons were Pagans/heathen (异教徒) people, believing in old mythology of Northern Europe. English language was influenced by the Northern mythology.
Once the hall is finished, Hrothgar holds a large feast. The revelry
attracts the attentions of the monster Grendel, who decides to attack during the night. In the morning, Hrothgar and his thanes discover the bloodshed and mourn the lost warriors. This begins Grendel's assault upon the Danes.
Hrothgurs
丹麦霍格国王（King Hrothgurs） king of the Danes
Wiglaf
a great warrior,one of Beowulf 's select band and the only one to help him in his final fight with the dragon.
The Middle Ages
The Middle AgesIt referred to the thousand-year period which began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and ended with the Renaissance. It is referred to as the Middle Ages or the Medieval period. It came between ancient times and modern times.Traditional division of European history:●the classical civilization of Antiquity (evolved around the Greek and Roman culture)●the Middle Ages●modern times (marked by the Renaissance)Age of FaithDuring the Medieval times●There was no central government to keep order.●The only organization that seemed to unite Europe was the Christian church.●In the late Middle Ages, almost everyone in western Europe was a Christian and amember of the Christian Church.●Christianity took the lead in politics, law, art, and learning for hundreds of years. Itshaped people‟s lives.●The middle ages is also called “Age of Faith”Influence●Middle Ages is a period in which classical, Hebrew and Gothic heritages merged.●It is this fusion and blending of different ideas and practices that paved the way for thedevelopment of what is the present-day European culture.Feudalism●In Europe mainly a system of land holding, a system of holding land in exchange formilitary service.●The word “feudalism” was derived from the Latin “feudum”, a grant of land.Growth of Feudalism●In 732, Charles Martel, a Frankish ruler gave his soldiers estates known as fiefs as areward for their services.●These lords known as vassals in turn promised to fight for the king.●Frankish kingdom=>Italy, Spain, Germany, Britain●The kingdom of western Europe were divided into thousands of feudal manors or farmingcommunities.●People lived in constant danger of attacks from invaders and robbers.●They had to seek protection from powerful landowners.●the peasants ---- giving the lords not only their land but their freedom as well.●Most of them became serfs.●Only very few peasants were freemen.“Feudal" System●People of Western Europe were mainly divided into three classes: clergy, lords andpeasants.●At the lowest echelon (阶层) of society were the peasants, also called "serfs" or "villeins."The KingThe King was in complete control under the Feudal System. He owned all the land in the country and decided who he would lease land to. He therefore only allowed those men he could trust to lease land from him. However, before they were given any land they had to swear an oath to remain faithful to the King at all times. The men who leased land from the King were known as Barons, they were wealthy, powerful and had complete control of the land they leased from the King.BaronsBarons leased land from the King which was known as a manor. They were known as the Lord of the Manor and were in complete control of this land. They established their own system of justice, minted their own money and set their own taxes. In return for the land they had been given by the King, the Barons had to serve on the royal council, pay rent and provide the King with Knights for military service when he demanded it. They also had to provide lodging and food for the King and his court when they traveled around the country. The Barons kept as much of their land as they wished for their own use, then divided the rest among their Knights. Barons were very rich. KnightsKnights were given land by a Baron in return for military service when demanded by the King. They also had to protect the Baron and his family, as well as the Manor, from attack. The Knights kept as much of the land as they wished for their own personal use and distributed the rest to villeins (serfs). Although not as rich as the Barons, Knights were quite wealthy.VilleinsVilleins, sometimes known as serfs, were given land by Knights. They had to provide the Knight with free labor, food and service whenever it was demanded. Villeins had no rights. They were not allowed to leave the Manor and had to ask their Lord's permission before they could marry. Villeins were poor.Charles Martel (715-741）马泰尔● A Frankish ruler.●His grandson was Charlemagne.The manor●领地，（封建时代贵族的）采邑●The centre of medieval life under feudalism.●Founded on the “fiefs” of the lords living in a manor house, meeting with vassals,carrying the laws and said their prayer.●By the 12th century manor houses came to be called castles.KnightsKnights were members of the noble class●socially as bearers of arms,●economically as owners of horse and armor,●officially through religious-oriented ceremonyKnighthood●Almost all nobles were knights in the Medieval days.●No one was born a knight—knighthood had to be earned.●The training was long & hard.●After a knight was successful in his training，there was always a special ceremony toaward him with a title，knight. This special ceremony is called dubbing.Code of ChivalryAs a knight, He was pledged to1.Protect the weak.2.Fight for the church3.Be loyal to his lord4.Respect women of noble birthsMedieval Church●Christianity had spread throughout the Roman world.●The Church had set up its own government by the time of the fall of R. E.●Differences in practices & in beliefs gradually arose between the Church in the westernMediterranean areas & the Church in the eastern Mediterranean areas.●After 1054, the Church was divided into the Roman Catholic Church & the EasternOrthodox Church.●The Catholic Church made Latin the official language. The word “catholic”, meant“universal”. In Age of faith, almost all Europeans belong to the Christian (Catholic) Church.Monasteries and convents●Between 300 and 500 A.D. many men withdrew from worldly contacts to deserts andlonely places, and this movement developed into the establishment of monasteries and convents for monks and nuns.Organization of ChurchThe Catholic Church was a highly centralized & disciplined international organization.●Pope (supreme head)●Archbishops (province)●Bishops (diocese)●Priests (parish)Power and Influence●The pope not only ruled Rome & parts of Italy as a king, he was also the head of allChristian churches in western Europe.●Many high church officials were big landowners & influential nobles.●Some popes had the right to remove any emperor who refused to accept authority of thepope.St. Jerome● A notable champion of early monasticism.●Translated into Latin both Old and New Testaments from the Hebrew and Greek originals.●Vulgate, his translation work, became the official Latin Bible used by the Roman CatholicChurch of this day.The Crusades●Any of the military expeditions undertaken by European Christians in the 11th, 12th, and13th centuries to recover the Holy Land from the Moslems.●Jerusalem: the Holy land for Christians in the Middle Ages●Many people went on journeys to sacred places●In 1071, Palestine fell to the armies of the Turkish Moslems.●Attacked Christian pilgrims●Sold many Christian pilgrims as slaves●Roused great indignation 愤怒among Christians● A series of holy wars went on for about 200 years●Soldiers wore a red cross on the tunics 骑士铠甲, As a symbol of obedience to God.●By 1291 the Moslems (穆斯林) had taken over the last Christian stronghold. They wonthe crusades and ruled all the territory in Palestine that the Crusaders had fought to control.Effect of Crusades●Helped to break down feudalism & led to the rise of the monarchies.●The Western Europeans changed many of their old ideas.●Renew people‟s interest in learning & invention.●Many people began to demand luxuries of the East.●The growing of towns & villages into cities as trade increased.●Paved the way of the growth of strong government.LearningCharlemagne●Also called Charles I or Charles the Great●King of the Franks (768-814)●Founder of the first empire in Western Europe after the fall of Rome.●Temporarily restored order in western and central Europe.●Perhaps the most important figure of the medieval period.●Was crowned “Emperor of the Romans” by the Pope in 800.●“Carolinian Renaissance”, his efforts. derived from Charlemagne…s name in Latin，Carolus. The most interesting facet (一面) of this rather minor renaissance is the spectacle of Frankish or Germanic state reaching out to assimilate (吸收) the riches of the Roman Classical and the Christianized Hebraic culture.ScienceScience made little progress in the Middle Ages. While superstition was widespread, false science based on the practice of “magic” were poplar. Real scientific progress did not until the 12th and 13th centuries.False sciences:Astrology: foretelling the future by study of the starsAlchemy: converting base metals into goldLiterature: Transition from Latin to varietyNational Epics●Refers to the epic written in vernacular languages—that is, the languages of variousnational states that came into being in the Middle Ages.●Literary works were no longer all written in Latin●The starting point of a gradual transition from Latin culture to variety of characteristicsBeowulfAn Anglo-Saxon epic, in alliterative verse, originating from the collective efforts of oral literature. The story is set in Denmark or Sweden and tells how the hero, Beowulf, defeats the monster Grendel and Grendel‟s mother, a sea monster, but eventually receives his own death in fighting with a fire dragon.●the first English literary masterpiece●one of the earliest European epics written in the vernacularSong of Roland《罗兰之歌》●Twelve aristocrats, The most famous knight was Roland, the nephew of Charlemagne.●French medieval epicDante Alighieri (1265-1321)但丁●The greatest poet of Italy and also a prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher aswell as political thinker.●His masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, one of the landmarks of world literature, written inItalian rather than in Latin. This poem expresses humanistic ideas which foreshadowed the spirit of Renaissance with a profound vision of the medieval Christian world.Geoffery Chaucer (1340-1400) 乔叟●English poet; first short story teller and the first modern poet in English literature.●The Canterbury Tales, his most popular work for their power of observation, piercingirony, sense of humor and warm humanity. twenty-four tales told by a group of pilgrimson their journey to Canterbury.ArchitectureRomanesqueThe building, sculpture, painting, and decorative arts created in Europe, during the 11th and 12th centuries exhibit a style that, in spite of national and regional variations, has numerous common characteristics. This has led the scholars to coin the term “Romanesque”, which means “in the Roman manner”.GothicThe Gothic style started in France and quickly spread through all parts of Western Europe. It flourished and lasted from the mid-12th to the end of 15th century and, in some areas, into the16th.It was an outgrowth of the Romanesque, but it was given direction by different aesthetic and philosophical spirit and reflected a much more ordered feudal society with full confidence.Gothic Cathedrals●Notre-Dame Cathedral●Cologne cathedral in Germany德国科隆大教堂●Milan Cathedral in Italy意大利米兰大教堂●Canterbury and Lincoln Cathedrals in Britain。
欧洲中世纪英文版(Themiddleage)
欧洲中世纪英文版In the annals of human history, the Middle Ages stand as a pivotal epoch, bridging the gap between the classical antiquity and the modern world. Spanning roughly from the 5th to the 15th century, this period witnessed a profound transformation of Europe, marked the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the rise of feudalism, the emergence of Christianity as a dominant force, and the birth of the nationstates.The Middle Ages were a time of great contrasts. While Europe was engulfed in the Dark Ages, with its share of political instability, economic hardship, and social strife, it was also a period of remarkable cultural and intellectual growth. The age saw the flourishing of monasticism, the establishment of universities, and the preservation and translation of ancient texts, which laid the foundation for the Renaissance that was to follow.The Middle Ages were also a time of great artistic achievement. Gothic architecture, with its soaring spires and intricate stained glass, became the dominant style of the period. The troubadours and minstrels of the Middle Ages contributed to the rich tapestry of European music, while theilluminated manuscripts and the Bayeux Tapestry remain testaments to the era's artistic prowess.。
Chapter-4-The-Middle-Ages
The troubadours
▪ Troubadours were inspired by The Art of Love by the
Roman poet Ovid, a guide to seduction, though troubadours introduced much more romantic feeling. From the new lyriciam came the idea of romantic love that has lasted until today.
supreme figure in scholasticism, the medieval philosophical effort to harmonize faith and reason. Through his great work, the Summa theologica, Aristotle was finally accepted, and dominated university teaching in fact for several hundred years. He moved thinking towards empiricism, bringing in the possibility of explanaton by reason. Aquinas was also important because he revised the teaching of Augustine. Aquinas said human nature was not totally corrupt and sinful, and in this way he introduced a more humanistic view that grew very considerably in the Renaissance.
The Middle Ages
church
church
• In the Middle Ages, the power of the western church was very big. Sometimes the king couldn’t control the church but the pope（教皇）had chances to let the king lose power. • 在中世纪，西方教会的权力很大。有时候 国王控制不了教会，但教皇有机会让国王 下台。
knight
knight
• The Middle Ages was the golden time of knights. It was the standard image of knights to hold a spear and gallop a horse. The Byzantine heavy cavalry(拜占庭重骑 兵) is the most typical one of them. • 中世纪是骑兵的黄金时代。手持长矛驰马 飞奔是这一时期骑士的标准形象，其中最 有代表性的就是拜占庭重骑兵。
The Middle Ages
中世纪
The Middle Ages
• The main impressions of the Middle Ages to us is probably castles, royal families, nobles, knights, churches, pirates and etc.. Maybe every boy has a dream to be a prince and every girl wants to meet a ideal man by accident. Today I will introduce all these things to you.
the middle ages名词解释
the middle ages名词解释
The Middle Ages，中世纪，是欧洲历史上的一个时期，从西罗马帝国的衰亡（约公元476年）到文艺复兴时期（约公元14-15世纪）。
这是一个长达近一千年的历史阶段，占据了欧洲历史的大部分时间。
在中世纪初期，西欧经历了一段政治上的混乱时期，随着罗马帝国的崩溃，许多小的王国和封建领地开始形成。
经济上，以农奴制为基础的封建生产方式占据主导地位，城市的发展也相对滞后。
文化上，基督教文化成为了当时的主流文化，对人们的思想和行为产生了深远的影响。
随着时间的推移，中世纪中期，欧洲逐渐走向了政治、经济和文化上的相对稳定。
十字军东征等事件加强了东西方之间的交流，促进了贸易和文化上的发展。
同时，大学的兴起也推动了学术和思想上的进步。
到了中世纪晚期，欧洲开始出现了许多变革的迹象。
经济的繁荣和城市的兴起为文艺复兴和宗教改革奠定了基础。
人们开始对古典文化重新产生兴趣，追求个人主义和人文主义的思想逐渐兴起。
这些变化最终导致了中世纪的结束和现代历史的开始。
总的来说，The Middle Ages是一个复杂的历史时期，包含了政治、经济、文化和社会的众多变化。
尽管中世纪在历史上被视为一个“黑暗时代”，但这个时期也为后来的文艺复兴、宗教改革和资本主义的兴起奠定了基础。
对于欧洲和世界历史来说，中世纪都是一个不可忽视的重要阶段。
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The Middle AgesThe Anglo-Saxon Period (449~1066)Reference: 1) The literature of early period falls naturally into two divisions, Pagan and Christian.(异教徒文学和基督徒文学) Pagan represents the poetry which the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagas (口头诗歌), the crude material out of which literature was slowly developed on English soil; Christian represents the writings developed under the teaching of the monks.(僧侣)2) Among the early Anglo-Saxon poets we may mention Caedmon(开德蒙the first important religious poet in English literature) who lived in the latter half of the 7th century and wrote a poetic paraphrase of the Bible; Cynewulf(琴涅武甫), the author of poems on religious subjects.Beowulf:the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons, represents the spirit of paganArtistic features: 1) Using alliteration押头韵（Definition of alliteration: a rhetorical device, meaning some words in a sentence begin with the same consonant sound）2) Using metaphor and understatement (Definition of understatement: expressing something in a controlled way. Understatement is a typical way for Englishmen to express their ideas. 保守的陈述)Things and Figures mentioned: Beowulf (the Teutonic hero) Hrothgar (the King of the Danes)Heorot 鹿厅Grendel (the half-human monster)Beacon (Beowulf墓上所建) Scyld 赛亚德Definitions of important literary terms:1．1)Epic (heroic poetry): An epic is a long oral narrative poem that operates on a grand scale and deals with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance. Most epics deal with the exploits(功勋)of a single individual and also interlace(交织、交错)the main narrative with myths, legends, folk tales and past events; there is a composite（复合的）effect, the entire culture of a country cohering in the overall experience of the poem. Epic poems are not merely entertaining stories of legendary or historical heroes; they summarize and express the nature or ideals of an entire nation at a significant or crucial period of its history. 史诗是长篇口头叙事诗，内容广泛，通常以重要传说或者重大历史事件为题材。
大部分的史诗歌颂个人的英雄事迹，同时也在叙述中插入神话、传说、民间故事以及历史事件；一个民族的整体文化与全诗所讲的经历紧密联系，造成一种复合的效果。
史诗不仅仅是愉悦人的传奇故事或者历史英雄事迹，它们总结以及表达了一个民族在其历史上一个重要或者关键时期的本质或者理想。
(简要地说就是：a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated.)2)Alliteration (head rhyme or initial rhyme): the repetition of the same sounds—usually initial consonants(辅音) of words or stressed syllables(音节)—in any sequence of neighbouring words. Now an optional and incidental(附带的) decorative effect in verse(诗) or prose(散文), it was once a required element in the poetry of Germanic languages (including old English and old Norse挪威语) and in Celtic verse (where alliterated sounds could regularly be placed in positions other than除了the beginning of a word or syllable). Such poetry, in which alliteration rather than rhyme is the chief principle of repetition, is known as alliterative verse; its rules also allow a vowel sound to alliterate with any other vowel.Other works: 1)Bede比德(excellent writer in Anglo-Saxon period)-<Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum>英吉利人教会史2) King Alfred the Great艾尔弗雷德大帝(英国散文之父)-<Anglo-Saxon Chronicle>盎格鲁撒克逊编年史The Anglo-Norman Period (1066~1350)Reference: 1)The literature which Normans brought to England is remarkable for its bright, romantic tales of love and adventure, in marked contrast with the strength and somberness(昏暗、暗淡) of Anglo-Saxon poetry.2)English literature at the Anglo-Norman period was a combination of French and Saxon elements.Works: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight （Alliteration）Things and Figures mentioned: Gawain(the knight) Arthur(the king) Camelot(Arthur’s palace)The Green Knight(a gigantic one) the magic green girdle(绿腰带) Definitions of important literary terms:1)Canto(诗章): a subdivision of an epic or other narrative poem, equivalent to a chapter in aprose work.2)Legend：A story or group of stories handed down through popular oral tradition, usuallyconsisting of an exaggerated or an unrealiable account of some actually or possibly historical person—often a saint,monarch, or popular hero. Legends are sometimes distinguishing from myths in that they concern human beings rather than gods, and sometimes they have some sort of historical basis whereas myths do not, but these distinctions are difficult to maintain consistantly. This term was originally applied to accounts of saints’ lives, but is now mainly applied to fanciful tales of warriors (eg. King Arthur and his knights), criminals(eg. Robin Hood), and other sinners; or more recently to those bodies of biographical rumour and embroidered anecdote surrounding dead film stars and rock musicians(eg. John Lennon)3)Arthurian Legend: A group of tales (in several languages) that developed in the Middle Agesconcerning Arthur, semi-historical king of Britans, and his knights. The legend is a complex weaving of ancient Celtic mythology(神话) with later traditions around a core of possible historical authenticity(真实性).Geoffery Chaucer 杰弗里•乔叟1340(?)~1400Reference: 1)首创“英雄双韵体”Heroic Couplet，英国文学史上首先用伦敦方言写作。