View a FREE sample

Heroic Poems

• "Heroic Poems" addresses fragments of heroic poems with commonly held themes.
• "Deor," a first-person narrative, tells of how he is feeling given the loss of all of his possessions.

• "The Finnesburh Fragment" speaks to the joys associated with physical combat and the heroic code.
• "Waldere" consists of two fragments and tells of the Germanic legend of Walther and Hildegund.

• "The Battle of Maldon" recalls the memory of a survivor of a battle.

• "The Battle of Brunanburh" is a documentary poem that addresses the concept of nationalism.

Laws, and The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

• The "Laws" section of the text details several laws and letters written regarding codes of the times.

• "The Laws of Withred" address the specific laws that the people of Kent were required to follow.

• "Trial of Ordeal" describes the punishments (this excerpt details trial by fire) that those found guilty of crimes were required to...

(read more Chapter Abstracts)

This section contains 1,384 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample