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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is embedded in the hilt of the sword of Constantine the Great?

2. Who "asked" the best known riddle of the Anglo-Saxon riddles?

3. What is "elf-shot"?

4. What kingdom does the author of the introduction to "Greetings in Christ" say the "boys" came from?

5. Whose power does the opening line of "For a Swarm of Bees" recognize?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the three sections of "Bald's Leechbook".

2. In the beginning, when Latin was still a widely used language, what was English primarily used for?

3. In what ways was the "Exeter Book" used prior to the book's importance being known?

4. What happened to the letters that survived pre-Conquest England?

5. Why did Pope Gregory I write a letter to Candidus?

6. What was the purpose of "An Estate Memorandum"?

7. According to the author of the introduction to "I Saw A Creature...," what "relief" does the author state is found in Anglo-Saxon riddles?

8. What does the hunter receive in return for the beasts that he slays for his king?

9. Why does the author to the introduction of "I Saw a Strange Creature..." state that Anglo-Saxon riddles "satisfy us both as enigmas and as poems"?

10. What are the twelve charms?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kennings and alliteration were used throughout Beowulf and the Elegies. Why was the use of both poetic devices important to the oral tradition of Anglo-Saxon literature? In what ways did the use of kennings and alliteration help to insure the passage of the tales throughout time?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Beowulf and Grendel. How do each epitomize good and evil?

Essay Topic 3

Many of the Anglos were by trade seafarers. What did a typical seafarer face during their lives? What were the highlights of being a seafarer? What were the pitfalls of being a seafarer?

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