Anglo-Saxon Poetry

An Anglo-Saxon helmet

Much of what you can learn about past cultures and values is found within the traditional literature of a given culture. Stories that were first passed down orally and later transcribed into written texts hold the keys to understanding how historical and cultural events impacted people's lives.

In this topic, you read passages from two important Anglo-Saxon poetic works: Beowulf and the Exeter Book. In Beowulf, you explored the characteristics of an epic story, touched on some common character archetypes, and learned about literary devices typical of Anglo-Saxon poems sang by scops. By examining three stories from the Exeter Book, you saw a snapshot of some of the hardships that people endured during the Anglo-Saxon period. And in both literary works, you uncovered some of the major influences on Anglo-Saxon literature, such as Scandinavian ancestry, Christianity, warfare, and the struggle to survive in a sometimes unforgiving world.