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This is a place for us to discuss openly and honestly the literature we are reading. Here we are all just communicating our thoughts on what we are reading. There are no right and wrong answers. However, you are expected to be polite, mature, and on topic.
4 comments:
Of course as an English teacher, I think that that the most important element from the time period is the creation of the English language. Learning that many of the words we use each day, such as "the" "father" and "of," originated during this time fascinates me. The history buff in me also finds the belief in "divine right" of the ruler amazing. Today, we still honor this tradition in many ways. It is a custom over 1600 years old and I believe it will continue to the end of time.
One thing that I find very astonishing and interesting is that some of the government policies that they followed are still in use today. In America laws are always changing, for something to last thousands of years let alone something involving government is impressive. Reading the chapter on Anglo Saxons made me wonder if our policies on "personal rights and freedom" would be what they are today without them. Another thing that caught my attention was that in the Anglo Saxon society the poet was seen to be as esteemed and hono4able as any warrior. This is something that is not seen in the world today. Even in high school football is always emphasized while the arts are pushed to the side. Although they thought highly of the poets mostly for their ability to provide "immortality" in their work, I still think it was pretty neat that the Anglo Saxons could appreciate the poets.
In America laws are always changing, and**
honorable**
I, too, am greatly interested in the Anglo-Saxon period in history and agree to Tara's statements about the bards being held in such high esteem. Oral history was an important part of their culture and this leads to another part of the Anglo-Saxon history that fascinates me. Books were so expensive at this time because the printing press was still 800 years into the future and Monks had to record works by hand. To think how tedious and anguishing this would be! The ink would even freeze as the Monks would have to individually write down oral stories onto parchment. I think this is interesting because they loved their stories so much that Monks would take such delicate concentration and physical discomfort to record the oral stories.
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