Final Days

BASSANO, Jacopo.  
Adoration of the Shepherds.
1590-91. Oil on canvas.
San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.

Happy Advent. For our last Advent mediation, consider now the darkness of the world before Christ. Note in "The Adoration of the Shepherds" the contrast brought by the Light that ruptures the heavens and breaks open hearts of even the rustic shepherds. Consider the ancient night, the slumber of a dead world. Consider the distance Bassano portrays from heaven to earth.
For the Latin, make sure you study in these last days.  

Agenda:

1. Pray God to have mercy on you. 
2. Take Finals. 

Week III: Advent Meditation Part II

ALTDORFER, Albrecht. Nativity.
c. 1513. Linden panel, 36 x 26 cm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Yesterday we recalled the story of Moses and the golden calf at Sinai. How the people of Israel lost faith because of their impatience. And how many people still do this today and cannot wait for Christ to come back down the mountain of heaven. Let us today consider another aspect to that story. When Moses did descend the mountain and found the Israel breaking the first commandment he so recently received from God, broke the commandments themselves, almost as an object lesson for mankind. But what was it that he carried? Was it not the word of God? Whether or not they knew it, the Israelites were awaiting the word of God from Moses. But in Advent we wait for the Word of God Himself, who is Christ, waiting for his coming now in Christmas and for his return at the end of all things.    
 
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Review the end books of The Ballad of the White Horse. 
3. Study for Finals!
4. Review HW:
1. Study for Oral Exam for Monday!  
1. Recall keys ideas from all books thus far
2. Think of the common themes
2. Review and study notes on The Ballad:
1. Check the Essay Prompts for the Final
3. Be good.

Third Week of Advent

ANGELICO, Fra. Annunciation (Cell 3). 1440-42.
Fresco. Convento di San Marco, Florence.

The Advent meditation this week concerns the task of waiting. The practice of waiting is a spiritual discipline, for it involves the requisite fruit of the spirit, patience, which in Latin means at root "to suffer." Advent obliges us to practice patience in the opportunity of waiting for Christmas, the first coming of Jesus; it also obliges us us to wait properly for the second coming of Christ. In this sense it will be instructive to remember a time when people could not wait properly. Recall the story of Moses and the golden calf at Sinai. The people of Israel grew tired of waiting for Moses to come down the mountain, so they lost faith and Romans 1 is fulfilled. How many people, including Christians, do this today? They get tired of waiting for Christ to come back down the mountain as He promised, and so they make for themselves an idol.  
 
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Reviewed Essay Prompts for the Final:
3. Lecture on Book VI-VIII of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
4. Review HW:
1. Study for Oral Exam for Monday!  
1. Recall keys ideas from all books thus far
2. Think of the common themes
2. Review and study notes on The Ballad:
1. Check the Essay Prompts for the Final
3. Be good.

Angeli annutat ad Mariam. Ave Maria.

BOTTICELLI, Sandro.  Cestello Annunciation.
1489. Tempera on panel. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

Advent Meditation, day twelve: in this stunning image, one cannot help but be struck with the immediate and obvious contrast in forms. What suggests this heraldry? Consider today the the posture of Gabriel. Cur? The angel is lower than the woman. Angelus annutat Maria. What a glorious irony that this celestial being who stands daily for the throne of the Almighty God humbles himself in front of what will soon be the Mother of God. Consider this Advent our own humility. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Lecture on Book VI-VIII of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
3. Review HW:
1. Study for Oral Exam for Monday!  
1. Recall keys ideas from all books thus far
2. Think of the common themes
2. Review and study notes on The Ballad:
1. Check the Essay Prompts for the Final
3. Be good.

Ecce ancilla domini.

BORDONE, Paris. Annunciation.
1555. Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena.

Advent Meditation, day eleven: what does it mean for a word to change our lives? Consider the word of the angel to Mary. Consider the interruption it bears, its effect shown in her startled gesture. Consider the fire and explosion in the heavens as Gabriel descends. How have we also been interrupted, and are able to know, as Mary did, how recognize the goodness of such a portent?  
In Latin today, we continue our journey through dark labyrinth of pronouns; again, make sure keep track of your thread.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Reading Journal (12/11): Semester 1 Books
1. What are the books we've read the semester? Briefly summarize each book (2-5 sentences). 
2. List 3 important characters from each book. Why are they important? 
3. What are 2 common themes that we see throughout these works? 
4. List at least 2 "turning points" the history of Christian civilization we find in these works. Explain.
3. Lecture on Book IV-V of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
4. Review HW:
1. Review and study notes on The Ballad
2. Be good.

Maria, Dominus tecum.

BALDOVINETTI, Alessio. Annunciation.
1447. Tempera on wood.
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

Advent meditation, day ten: consider today's depiction of the annunciation. Consider the haste. Angeli currit. What does this rushing haste suggest? Consider, again, God's glory in the light that cuts through at oblique angles. Consider the dies serena. Consider how all these things work to glorify God?

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Lecture on Book VI-VIII of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
3. Review HW:
1. Review and study notes on The Ballad
2. Be good.

Second Week of Advent: ad augustum per angustum

ANGELICO, Fra. The Annunciation. 1430-32.
Tempera on wood. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Advent meditation, day 9: consider the lux in Fra Angelico's Annunciation. Consider the divine light piercing through the garden and portico. Consider also Mary's figure as almost in pain. Consider how such news, such an experience, such a piercing revelation might bring the death of the Old Mary and birth of the New Mary.
It is also fitting for this season to meditate on the Incarnation. ad augustum per angustum. That is, "To honor through narrowness (being pressed)." When we think of the "scandal" of the gospel or the complete revolution of values for the world of classical antiquity, we often think of Christ's sermon on the mount or of his passion and sacrificial death. But the Christian revolution of classical values really begins with the Incarnation. It is truly a mystery that God became man. But it is also an offense that Omnipotence Itself pours out Its Strength into the limited, frail frame of a Baby. This offends every worldview where might makes right, every system that bases the Good on power. Every other set of values sees weakness as bad and strength as good. (This is why Feminism and Marxism is so flawed.) But the Christian story shows from its inception that God cares about the weak and lowly things. Attend to Mary's Magnificat. Christ is glorified, then, not because he comes as the strongest, most powerful thing in the universe; rather, Christ attains glory by his descent into the narrow limits of humanity's pressed being. For in this we see that out of the mouth of babe's Thou hast ordained praise. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Ad augustum per angustum
1. Literally: "To glory through narrowness." Augustum means "straits." Christ took on the definite form of a man and walked through the straits of human woe and the limits of hunger, temptation, and need, yet all the while without falling into sin.  
3. BWH Project: 
1. Presentations on a passage from The Ballad of the White Horse
4. Lecture on Book IV-V of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
5. Review HW:
1. Review and study notes on The Ballad
2. Be good.

Mundum olim erat obscurum.

BAROCCI, Federico Fiori. Annunciation.
1582-84. Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca, Vatican.

Yes. It's true. The world was once dark. Advent meditation, day five: consider the contrast of light and dark in Barocci's "Annunciation" and this should of course remind us of the primordial darkness before the light of Christ, through Mary, broke open ancient night of a fallen world.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. BWH Project: 
1. Presentations on a passage from The Ballad of the White Horse
3. Lecture on Book IV-V of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
4. Review HW:
1. Review and study notes on The Ballad
2. Be good.

Ave Maria Gratia Plena

ANDREA DEL SARTO. The Annunciation. 1512-13.
Oil on wood. Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.

Advent meditation, day three. Consider Del Sarto's background; consider the contrasts of turbulence and peace, the strange arches of heaven breaking up the distance of all the world. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Work on The Ballad of the White Horse Project
3. Lecture on Book IV-V of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes
4. Review HW:
1. Work on BWH Project. Due on Friday (12/6)!
2. Review and study notes on The Ballad
3. Be good.

Ave Maria

ALLORI, Alessandro. Annunciation. 1603.
Oil on canvas. Galleria dell'Accademia, Florence.

Advent meditation, day two: consider Allori's depiction of the divine interruption by Gabriel and the humble response of Mary. In this painting we are reminded of Mary's beautiful submission to the Divine calling on her life.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Improve and correct Beowulf exams for credit. You can show your mistakes and corrects in an oral interview for credit. Due by tomorrow. 
3. Ballad of the White Horse Project:
1. Choose any passage (1-3 pages, or 5-10 stanzas) that you particularly like. 
2. Read your passage in front of your fellow peeps (ante discipulos).
3. Discuss the meaning of your passage in the following ways:
1. What is the context of the passage?
2. What do you love about it?
1. Sonic Elements: beautiful lines (alliteration, rhyme, word choice)
2. Visual Elements: images of strong, beautiful, sad things
3. Intellectual Elements: arguments the poet is making, contrasts ("but" or "yet" or "turns" in the poem)
3. What does your passage add to BWH as a whole?
4. Work on The Ballad of the White Horse Project
5. Lecture on Book III of Ballad of the White Horse  
1. Take notes on the rap battle
6. Review HW:
1. Work on BWH Project. Due on Friday (12/6)!
2. Review and study notes on The Ballad
3. Be good.

Adventus Laetus.

ANDREA DEL SARTO. Annunciation.
1528. Oil on wood. Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.

Two days ago marked the beginning of the season of Advent, the new year of the Church calendar, that season of dark that precedes the light, that season of waiting of the LORD, that season of following the star to Christ. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Hand bank Beowulf exams. Discuss and review.
3. Work on notes for each book of The Ballad of the White Horse
4. Lecture on Book II of Ballad of the White Horse
5. Review HW:
1. Finish notes on Book I The Ballad
2. Be good.

Ballad of the White Horse, Book I: notes on setting

Welcome back. I hope you are rejuvenated not merely from the time off but also by a renewed sense of thankfulness. Perhaps that is asking too much. The week before last, if you can think that far back, we began The Ballad of the White Horse. This week we shall endeavor to finish it. Each day this week we shall discuss a section of the poem. On Monday of next week you will have you exam.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Destituis ventis remos adhibe.
1. Literally, "When the winds fail, take to the oars." This statement carries with it the idea that we mustn't sit on our hands and simply wait for opportunities; we must act. Colloquially, we might translate it, "Don't just sit there; do something!" 
3. Work on notes for each book of The Ballad of the White Horse
4. Lecture on Book I of Ballad Ballad of the White Horse
5. Review HW:
1. Finish notes on Book I The Ballad
2. Be good.

Chesterton, Alfred, and The Ballad

G. K. Chesterton, by Ernest Herbert Mills, 1909.

Today we are beginning our study of a different poem, a poem which is written many years later than Beowulf but one that concerns the life Anglo-Saxon culture just as Beowulf does. This new poem concerns the life of what might be the greatest king England has ever seen. But half way through his life this would not be evident, for he was a much battle-weary and much defeated king in his early reign. But he was a stout-hearted and learned king, whose strength lay in the fact that he was a stout-hearted and learned Christian. This is in part why G. K. Chesterton chooses him as the hero of his poem, The Ballad of White Horse, which celebrates the victory over the viking raiders of the 9th century. "Alfred," as Chesterton tells us, "defended the Christian civilization against the heathen nihilism." That is why we remember him. In this poem, Chesterton does not merely recount the nature of an important battle; he illustrates the antithesis between light and darkness and elucidates the stark difference between pagan nihilism and Christian wisdom.   

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read "Genius With a Message" by Deb Elkink
3. King Alfred Unit:
1. Who is G. K. Chesterton?
2. Who is Alfred? 
3. What is a ballad?
4. Read and discuss "Prefatory Note" by Chesterton
1. What hath legend to do with history?
5. Review HW: 
1. Be good.

The Ballad of the White Horse

King Alfred at Winchester.

Yesterday we looked at the author of The Ballad of the White Horse. Today let us focus the main character of this poem. Our objective is to understand the both the significance of this great man, what it meant he means to England, and what we as Christians can learn about how we can preserve the culture.
 
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read the "Dedication" of The Ballad
3. Lecture on Setting and Characters (take notes):
1. What is the setting of the poem?
2. What is the White Horse all about?
3. Who is Alfred/characters in poem, and what is the battle of Ethandune? 
4. Read The Ballad together.
1. Love it and discuss it.
5. Review HW: 
1. Study notes.
2. Be good.

Beowulf Exam - Part II

Northern Antiquities,
English translation of the Prose Edda, 1847.
Painted by Oluf Olufsen Bagge.

Today we do battle. We slay monstrous questions and dragonish queries with the sword of truth. Be on your guard, and work quickly and completely. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Weekly Latin Proverb: Ab una disce omnes.  
1. "From one, learn all." From Virgil's Aeneid (Book II, 65), this phrase reminds us that conformity unavoidable and that learning by example happens for good or ill. This relates to education is the sense that in spite of our "learning differences" we still need a standard to which we can look and model. Is not the inevitable effect of education? Even if you "differentiate instruction," the child still conforms to something, but the question is to what is he conforming?  
3. Finish Beowulf Exam
4. Begin Unit on King Alfred and The Ballad of the White Horse.
5. Review HW:
1. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf Exam - Part I

ALTDORFER, Albrecht. St George. 1511
Woodcut, 197 x 152 mm
Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna

Today we do battle. We slay monstrous questions and dragonish queries with the sword of truth. Be on your guard, and work quickly and completely. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Beowulf Exam
3. Review HW:
1. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf Study Sessions - Part IV

Norse Cosmology. Illustrated by

We have been studying Norse culture and history, which is a series of violent actions and reactions of a brave and strong and cold people. Our objective today is to see the universe and its cosmology the way the medievals themselves saw it, both pagan and Christian. Here we have an illustration of the Norse cosmology.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read the "Worldview" section of Beowulf in the Omnibus Reader (p. 4).
3. Study Packet: review, discuss, and take notes on the major sections of Beowulf:
1. Session XIIII
2. Session XIV
3. Session XV
4. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam Friday (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check Friday (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Medieval Cosmology: Beowulf study session - Part III

Norse Cosmology

We have been studying Norse culture and history, which is a series of violent actions and reactions of a brave and strong and cold people. Our objective today is to see the universe and its cosmology the way the medievals themselves saw it, both pagan and Christian. Here we have an illustration of the Norse cosmology.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read the "Worldview" section of Beowulf in the Omnibus Reader (p. 4).
3. Study Packet: review, discuss, and take notes on the major sections of Beowulf:
1. Session XIIII
2. Session XIV
3. Session XV
4. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam Friday (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check Friday (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf study session - Part II

The Oseberg ship prow,
Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway.

We have been studying Norse culture and history, which is a series of violent actions and reactions of a brave and strong and cold people. Our objective for this week is to prepare for this week's exam at the end of the week.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read the "Worldview" section of Beowulf in the Omnibus Reader (p. 4).
3. Study Packet: review, discuss, and take notes on the major sections of Beowulf:
1. Session XIIII
2. Session XIV
3. Session XV
4. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam Friday (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check Friday (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf, Dragons, and the Resolution and my birthday.

Today I am 35.

We have been studying Norse culture and history, which is a series of violent actions and reactions of a brave and strong and cold people. Our objective for this week is to prepare for this week's exam at the end of the week.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Non scholae, sed vitae discimus. 
1. This proverb contains the purposive essence of classical education: "Not for school, but for life do we learn." School is not job training, nor is it to perpetuate the "system" of school. Knowledge is valuable, and is not utilitarian. We should be life-long learners, not merely because our knowledge has use. We learn because it conforms to those transcendent qualities of being, Truth, Beauty, and Goodness, which Christ our Lord made incarnate.
3. Review and discuss RJ: Beowulf, lines 2070-3182
1. How does Beowulf fight and slay the "fire-drake"?
2. What happens in the end? Explain the resolution. 
4. Review, discuss, and take notes on the following comparison of Christian and Anglo-Saxon Society:
1.  In lines 2020-2068, Beowulf foresees the grim consequences of a proposed marriage between the Danes and Frisians. How does this inform and foreshadow the ending of the poem?
2. In lines 2911-2927, what does the messenger who tells the Geats of Beowulf's death predict?
3. What do these episodes tell us about the pagan culture of death before the conversion to Christianity? 
5. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam Friday (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check Friday (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

   

Beowulf and the end: Resolution, Paganism, & Christianity - Part I

The Gokstad Viking ship,
Viking Ship Museum, Oslo, Norway.

Professor Merkle notes: "Beowulf’s translator, Seamus Heaney, gives us an excellent summary of the Germanic warrior culture enshrined in Beowulf. It is “a society that is at once honour-bound and blood-stained, presided over by the laws of the blood-feud, where the kin of a person slain are bound to exact a price for the death, either by slaying the killer or by receiving satisfaction in the form of wergild (the ‘man-price’), a legally fixed compensa- tion.” The “claustrophobic and doom-laden atmosphere” of this culture “gives an intense intimation of what wyrd (fate) meant.” Everyone thinks of themselves as “hooped within the great wheel of necessity, in thrall to a code of loyalty and bravery, bound to seek glory in the eye of the warrior world. The little nations are grouped around their lord, the greater nations spoil for war and menace the little ones..."

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Review and discuss RJ: Beowulf, lines 2070-3182
1. When Beowulf returns from his exploits in Daneland, what does he do with his treasure haul, and how has Beowulf's status changed as a result?
2. What happens for the next 50 years?
3. Cur draco oppugnat? (Why does the dragon attack?) How does this fit with fairy tales?
4. Why didn't Beowulf gather an army to fight the dragon?
5. How does Beowulf fight and slay the "fire-drake"?
6. What happens in the end? Explain the resolution. 
3. Review, discuss, and take notes on the following comparison of Christian and Anglo-Saxon Society:
1.  In lines 2020-2068, Beowulf foresees the grim consequences of a proposed marriage between the Danes and Frisians. How does this inform and foreshadow the ending of the poem?
2. In lines 2911-2927, what does the messenger who tells the Geats of Beowulf's death predict?
3. What do these episodes tell us about the pagan culture of death before the conversion to Christianity? 
4. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam Friday (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check Friday (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf and the Fire-Drake

CARPACCIO, Vittore. St George and the Dragon.
1502. Tempera on canvas, 141 x 360 cm.
Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice

Today we shall begin our work with study and discuss the final act of Beowulf. This will involve the draco, and the "fire-drake" is not mere literary convention. It has great significance and worth on many levels. In addition, we shall present our Anglo-Saxon poems. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Reading Journal (11/8): Beowulf, lines 2070-3182
1. When Beowulf returns from his exploits in Daneland, what does he do with his treasure haul, and how has Beowulf's status changed as a result?
2. What happens for the next 50 years?
3. Cur draco oppugnat? (Why does the dragon attack?) How does this fit with fairy tales?
4. Why didn't Beowulf gather an army to fight the dragon?
5. How does Beowulf fight and slay the "fire-drake"?
6. What happens in the end? Explain the resolution. 
3. Present Anglo-Saxon Poetry Project
4. Review HW:
1. Beowulf Exam next week (11/15). Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England and your RJs on Beowulf.  
2. Binder Check next week (11/15). 
3. Finish reading Beowulf. If you haven't already.Take notes as you read.
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf, heroism, and poetry.

CARAVAGGIO. David and Goliath
1600. Oil on canvas. Museo del Prado, Madrid

This week we have looked into the concept of heroism as it relates not only to this poem but to our lives as Christians and to the culture. Yesterday we considered the Biblical understanding of heroism, and that however different the hero may look, Sampson or Rehab or Jacob or David, the essential trait that the Scripture praises is "faith." The writer of Hebrews makes this clear. Today we shall consider further wisdom of the poem.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Work on Anglo-Saxon Poetry Project:Write 20 lines of poem in Anglo-Saxon style. It can be on any subject, but try to relate it themes in Beowulf. Battle glory. Courage. Manliness. Slaying of monsters and dragons. Vengeance. God's providence in sending a deliverer. Et cetera. Your poem must contain 5 kennings at minimum. You can use the kennings you already made or make up new ones. 
3. Lecture on Poetry and Image: Abstract and Concrete Language
4. Discuss RJ on Beowulf, lines 1500-1800
1. What advice does Hrothgar give Beowulf after he slays Grendel's mum? How does he admonish him? 
5. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf. All of it. (11/8).
2. Anglo-Saxon Poem Project (11/8). Due tomorrow!
3. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf and Heroism - Part II

MICHELANGELO Buonarroti. 1509.
David and Goliath (detail). Fresco.
Cappella Sistina, Vatican

Today and this week, we shall look into the concept of heroism as it relates not only to this poem but to our lives as Christians and to the culture. And remember our Latin Proverb of the week, Ignavum fortuna repugnat. Just as God "resists the proud," so does fortune "resist" the lazy. Think of this also in terms of heroism; the real hero is not passive, lazily waiting for fortune to make him a hero. The real hero makes himself a hero, proving it by his works. Today we shall also consider what makes a Biblical hero. Consider David here.


Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Discuss RJ on Beowulf, lines 1062-2489
1. What does Hebrews 11 say about the qualities of a hero?
2. What advice does Hrothgar give Beowulf after he slays Grendel's mum? How does he admonish him? 
3. Work on Anglo-Saxon Poetry Project:Write 20 lines of poem in Anglo-Saxon style. It can be on any subject, but try to relate it themes in Beowulf. Battle glory. Courage. Manliness. Slaying of monsters and dragons. Vengeance. Et cetera. Your poem must contain 5 kennings at minimum. You can use the kennings you already made or make up new ones. 
4. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf. All of it. (11/8).
2. Anglo-Saxon Poem Project
3. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf and Heroism - Part I

Today and this week, we shall look into the concept of heroism as it relates not only to this poem but to our lives as Christians and to the culture. And remember our Latin Proverb of the week, Ignavum fortuna repugnat. Just as God "resists the proud," so does fortune "resist" the lazy. Think of this also in terms of heroism; the real hero is not passive, lazily waiting for fortune to make him a hero. The real hero makes himself a hero, proving it by his works.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Discuss RJ on Beowulf, lines 1062-2489
1. According to Anglo-Saxon culture as seen in Beowulf, what are the qualities for a hero?
2. Grendel is strong and subdues the Danes. What makes him not a hero? 
3. From what you've read in popular stories, legend, myth, etc. what are the common traits of a hero? 
4. What does our Modern culture say a hero is or must be? 
5. What does Hebrews 11 say about the qualities of a hero?
3. Review Anglo-Saxon Poetry Project:Write 20 lines of poem in Anglo-Saxon style. It can be on any subject, but try to relate it themes in Beowulf. Battle glory. Courage. Manliness. Slaying of monsters and dragons. Vengeance. Et cetera. Your poem must contain 5 kennings at minimum. You can use the kennings you already made or make up new ones. 
4. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf. All of it. (11/8).
2. Anglo-Saxon Poem Project
3. Norse Mythology Project
4. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
5. Be wise; be perfect.

Happy All Saints Day!

This image depicts the Biblical promise to the Church:
"God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet,"
which is one of the celebratory purposes of Halloween.

Happy All Saints' Day! Last week was "All Hallows Eve" (the day before All Saint's Day). It is essential to remember that Halloween was and still ought to be a Christian "holy-day." The problem is that we have let the World redefine it;  because the Church has lost its voice, lost its love of the calendar, lost its militant power, we have forgotten the true significance of many such holidays. We are supposed to worship in spirit and in truth; we must, therefore, return once more to the true meaning of things. Remember, any calendar and the significance of its events shows the cultus of a culture, that is, the thing that binds a culture together in worship. The Christian calendar saw fit that it should tell a story, the story of the life, death, resurrection of Christ. Friday was All Saint's Day, the last day on the Church Calendar, where we celebrate the final victory of Christ over the devil through his saints.

Today and this week, we shall look into the concept of heroism as it relates not only to this poem but to our lives as Christians and to the culture.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Ignavum fortuna repugnat. Literally, "Fortune disdains the lazy." Let consider this as we continue on our journey. If you wish to do well but are slothful, then do not expect fortune to help you. Just as God "resists the proud," so does fortune "resist" the lazy. 
3. Reading Check Quiz: Beowulf, lines 1278-1491
4. Discuss RJ on Beowulf, lines 1062-2489
1.  According to Anglo-Saxon culture as seen in Beowulf, what are the qualities for a hero?
2. Grendel is strong and subdues the Danes. What makes him not a hero? 
3. From what you've read in popular stories, legend, myth, etc. what are the common traits of a hero? 
4. What does our Modern culture say a hero is or must be? 
5. What does Hebrews 11 say about the qualities of a hero?
5. Review Anglo-Saxon Poetry Project:Write 20 lines of poem in Anglo-Saxon style. It can be on any subject, but try to relate it themes in Beowulf. Battle glory. Courage. Manliness. Slaying of monsters and dragons. Vengeance. Et cetera. Your poem must contain 5 kennings at minimum. You can use the kennings you already made or make up new ones. 
6. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf, lines 1061-2489. And then keep reading.
2. Anglo-Saxon Poem Project
3. Norse Mythology Project
4. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
5. Be wise; be perfect.

All Hallow's Eve and The Cold Gods of Norse Mythology

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane.

There is no Latin word for "Halloween" because it is an English compound for "All Hallows Eve," that is the day before "All Saints' Day." It is essential to remember that Halloween is a Christian "holy-day." The problem is that we have the world redefine it; we have forgotten it's true significance. We are supposed to worship in spirit and in truth, we must return once more to the true meaning of things. Tomorrow is All Saint's Day, the last day of the Church Calendar, where we celebrate the final victory of the Christ and his saints over the devil.

In Humanities, we are continuing our study of Beowulf; today we shall learn more of Anglo-Saxon paganism. In every culture there are gods, who are worshiped with some form of sacrifice. Today, even in our scientism, we still have gods, though no one acknowledges them as such, but the gods of our age are not transcendent; our gods are ourselves, which is why we have no great men anymore, no heroes.  

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Read Beowulf individually.
3. Kennings Project:
1. Present kennings orally. 
2. Write 20 lines of poem in Anglo-Saxon style. It can be on any subject, but try to relate it themes in Beowulf. Battle glory. Courage. Manliness. Slaying of monsters and dragons. Vengeance. Et cetera. Your poem must contain 5 kennings at minimum. You can use the kennings you already made or make up new ones. 
4. Hand back and discuss Reading Check Quiz on lines 491-1061 of Beowulf.
5. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf, lines 1061-2489. And then keep reading. Quiz on Monday!
2. Anglo-Saxon Poem Project
3. Study and review notes (then repeat).
4. Be wise.

Beowulf, lines 1062-1491

Anglo-Saxons, 500-1000 CE.

We are continuing our study of Beowulf; today we shall review the key sections before and after the slaying of Grendel, the hell-fiend, the kin of Cain, the malignant murderer. Let us also learn more about the society of the Anglo-Saxons.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Reading Journal (10/28): Beowulf, lines 1062-2489
1.  According to Anglo-Saxon culture as seen in Beowulf, what are the qualities for a hero?
2. Grendel is strong and subdues the Danes; is he a hero? Why/why not?
3. From what you've read in popular stories, legend, myth, etc. what are the common traits of a hero?
4. What does our Modern culture say a hero is or must be? 
5. What does Hebrews 11 say about the qualities of a hero?
3. Review HW:
1. Finish reading Beowulf, lines 1278-1491. Quiz tomorrow!
2. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
3. Be wise; be perfect.

Beowulf Review: lines 258-1061

Grendel's Arm.

We are continuing our study of Beowulf; today we shall review the key sections before and after the slaying of Grendel, the hell-fiend, the kin of Cain, the malignant murderer. Let us also learn more about the society of the Anglo-Saxons.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Reading Check Quiz: Beowulf, lines 490-1061
1. Why and how does Hrothgar know of Beowulf, the Geat?
2. What was Beowulf's one request to King Hrothgar?
3. Why Unferth skeptical about Beowulf?
4. What does Hrothgar promise Beowulf if he defeats Grendel, and in what does he place his trust for such this battle?
5. How does Grendel approach Beowulf to attack him, and what does Beowulf display to prove his victory? 
3. Reading Journal (10/28): Beowulf, lines 1062-2489
1. Was Beowulf’s desire to take on Grendel motivated by revenge or vengeance? 
2. In the so-called “Finnsburg episode,” the story of the feud between the Danes and the Frisians under King Finn is recalled by the court poet at the celebration feast after Beowulf’s victory over Grendel.What motivated the Danes to break the truce with the Frisians, kill Finn, loot his strong- hold and take Hildeburh, his wife, back to Daneland?
3. After the Finnsburg episode, what does the Beowulf poet tells us of the future fate of the Geat king Hygelac?
4. Review HW:
1. Read Beowulf, lines 1062-2114.
2. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
3. Be wise; be perfect.

Kennings - Part II

We are continuing our study of Beowulf; as we shall look deeper into the poetic merits of this most amazing work, let us focus on an important element of Anglo-Saxon poetry: the kenning.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Latin Proverb: Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges.
3. In the most corrupt state are the most laws.
4. Extra Credit: Memorize Caedmon's Hymn in Anglo-Saxon
5. Read Beowulf, lines 1062-1278
6. Beowulf Kennings Project 
1. Review Exercise 1 & other kennings from Beowulf. 
1. Take Notes. 
2. Begin Exercise 2: Create at least 10 of your own kennings.
1. Review and discuss
7. Review HW:
1. Quiz on lines 490-1061 of Beowulf (10/29).
2. Finish reading Beowulf, lines 1061-1278.
3. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Battle-sweat, Bone-lappings, Iron-shower, and other Kennings.

War-mask.

We are continuing our study of Beowulf; as we shall look deeper into the poetic merits of this most amazing work, let us focus on an important element of Anglo-Saxon poetry: the kenning.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Discuss Reading Journal Beowulf, lines 1-490
1. What is the sin of Anglo-Saxon culture? The blood-feuds and vengeance created a cycle of violence was never completely healed. Though Hrothgar "healed" the blood-feud with the Wulfings, in reality he only paid them off. This system of justice is ultimately broken. 
2. What does Scripture say about our systems of justice and vengeance? Rom 3; Jer. 17: 9; Isa. 64; Rom. 12:9; Rom 13:1-7.
3. What about virtue?  Although the Anglo-Saxon culture demonstrated the cardinal virtue of Courage, it did not emphasize the other cardinal virtues of Prudence and Temperance that should balance out that courage. For by itself virtue becomes swollen and lopsided, but kept in check by the others, each virtue is given that attention that it deserves.  
3. Finish Poetry Assignment Presentations:
1. Perform a dramatic reading of your passage. 
4. Beowulf Kennings Project 
5. Review HW:
1. Quiz on lines 490-1061 of Beowulf (10/29).
2. Read Beowulf, lines 1061-1278.
3. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
4. Be wise; be perfect.

The poet reads his poetry.

King David composing the Psalms.
From Folio 30V of The Vespasian Psalter,
English circa 750

Today we are going to present our poetic passages as if we the poet ourselves. Remember what Yeats says, "how shall I tell the dancer from the dance?"  Today and the next few days, as we continue our study of Beowulf, we shall look deeper into the poetic merits of this most amazing work.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Latin Proverb: "Semper gaudete. Sine intermissione orate."
1. Rejoice always. Pray without intermission. (1 Thess. 5:16-17)
3. Poetry Assignment Presentations:
1. Perform a dramatic reading of your passage. 
4. Review HW:
1. Study Beowulf notes.
2. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
3. Be wise; be perfect.

The Scop and his Song: Poetry as performance

In his celebrated "How a Poem Means," John Ciardi, arguing against much of the free-verse nonsense that goes under name of Modern poetry, says that poetry is "a performance." He likens it to dance, wherein all the parts of form and content cohere in beauty, as Yeats says, "how shall I tell the dancer from the dance?"  Today and the next few days, as we continue our study of Beowulf, we shall look deeper into the poetic merits of this most amazing work. 

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Latin Proverb: "Semper gaudete. Sine intermissione orate."
1. Rejoice always. Pray without intermission. (1 Thess. 5:16-17)
3. Poetry Assignment:
1. Choose at least 20 lines that you like from lines 490-1061 of Beowulf.
2. Practice reading them out loud. Get your rhythm and pronunciation down.
3. Perform a dramatic reading of your passage tomorrow.
4. Hand back work and discuss:
1. Essays: Bede
2. Exams: Bede
3. Quizzes: Beowulf
4. HW/CW: RJ on Beowulf
5. Review HW:
1. Practice reading them out loud. Get your rhythm and pronunciation down. Perform a dramatic reading of your passage tomorrow.
2. Read Beowulf, lines 489-1061. Study Beowulf notes.
3. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
4. Be wise; be perfect.

Hrothgar and his Mead-Hall.

Hrothgar, the builder of Heorot, is king of the Danes and the son of Healfdene. "He was once a great warrior," writes Professor Merkle, "but he is now old and can no longer fight." Grendel attacks. No one to defend. Enter Beowulf.

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Read and study Beowulf (Sessions I and II in Omnibus)
1. Reading Journal (10/18): Lines 1-490
1. How does he describe the 12-year reign of Grendel over Heorot? Why doesn't attack the throne?
2. To whom do the Danes turn for help in this bitter time of Grendel's harassing?
3. Who comes to their aid? What do we learn of him? From whence does he come? What heroic deeds are attributed to him?
4. What does the Scripture say about heroism? Look up 2 Sam. 23:8-39.
5. What does the Bible say about monsters? Are or were there monsters really? Give references. 
6. What is the cultural evil inherent in Hrothgar's story about how he "healed the feud" started by Beowulf's father?
7. What does the Bible say about vengeance and settling feuds?
3. Review HW:
1. Read Beowulf, lines 258-490
2. Study & review Anglo Saxon England Notes.
3. Be wise.

Grendel: nobody knows where these reavers from hell roam on their errands.

An illustration of Grendel
by J.R. Skelton from Stories of Beowulf. 

As we conclude our study of the history of England, we learn that the the history itself of this mysterious island is a history of the success of the monastery, especially in Anglo-Saxon culture. Within that culture, we also find that certain things are very important: family, food, feasting, battle, war-deeds, and poetry. With Modern and misguided assumptions, we might be tempted to think that poetry doesn't belong there, but that's only because the fault lies with us. We are the lame ones, who only think poetry belongs to the limp-wrist, effeminate, "sensitive" types. It does not and it did not. Let Beowulf and the strong beauty of the Anglo-Saxon convince you of this. We first see this in Caedmon, the author of the first recorded English poem. But we see it continue and flourish--largely, I think, due to the influence of the Church, which is salt and light to the preservation of that distant twilit world of heroes and monsters. Of such monsters, the poet tells us that Grendel is from the "kin of Cain" and is " which is why he "harasses the halls of Heorot."

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Reading Check Quiz: Lines 1-257
3. Read and discuss Beowulf (Sessions I and II in Omnibus)
1. Reading Journal (10/18): Lines 1-490
1. How does he describe the 12-year reign of Grendel over Heorot? Why doesn't attack the throne?
2. To whom do the Danes turn for help in this bitter time of Grendel's harassing?
3. Who comes to their aid? What do we learn of him? From whence does he come? What heroic deeds are attributed to him?
2. Review HW:
1. Read Beowulf, lines 258-490
2. Study & review Anglo Saxon England Notes.
3. Be wise.    

Introduction to Anglo-Saxon, Poetry, and Beowulf - Part II

Danish Seafarers.  
Miscellany on the life of St. Edmund.
12th century.

The poem ultimately tells the story of, according to Professor Ben Merkle, "a famous Geat warrior named Beowulf. The G in “Geat” is actually pronounced more like a Y, and so the name 'Geat' is actually pronounced more like how we would say the word 'yacht.' The Geats lived in the south of modern Sweden. From there Beowulf visits the famous mead-hall Heorot, the pride of the Danes, found in northern Denmark. Both the Danes and the Geats are forefathers of what would become the Vikings, who would later raid England, and it is difficult to think of why an Anglo-Saxon poet would want to write a poem glorifying the heroes of these tribes. In order to understand this, we need to know a little something about the history of early England." We have studied that history in our careful reading of Bede's Ecclesiastical History. "Only a generation before," writes Professor Merkle, "the Anglo-Saxons had been Germanic Vikings themselves. They still remembered their previous pagan ways, listened to tales of the great warriors of previous generations and even traded with their Norse pagan neighbors.This sets the stage for a very curious sort of poem: a poem full of Christian allusions, written by a Christian about a pagan culture and a pagan hero, which sometimes pretends that they are worshipers of God and sometimes admits that they are all pagans."

Agenda:

1. Faeder ure.
2. Read Intro in the Omnibus together
3. Read Seamus Heaney's Introduction
4. Continue Lecture on Anglo-Saxon, England, and Beowulf:
1. Notes (10/16): Anglo-Saxon England
5. Read and discuss Beowulf:
1. Reading Journal (10/17): Beowulf, lines 1-257
1.  
6. Review HW:
1. Read Beowulf, lines 1-257.
2. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
3. Be wise; be perfect.

Endings and beginnings: From Bede to Beowulf

"Halig" (holy) Bede, transmitting culture.

Today we are writing on the theme of the preservation and transmission of culture, of real culture, not merely those things which mask as culture--mass entertainment, mass education, mass politics. I am speaking of the cultus that belief or set of beliefs that binds a people together and animates their society. Feasting and fasting, farming and fighting, blessing and cursing--what gives shape to these things? What mythology? Such things are the questions we shall at last consider today in our essays on the mission to Britain as noted in Bede. 
 
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Bede Exam - Part II
1. Essay on the wisdom of Pope Gregory
3. Begin reading Beowulf together.
4. Review HW:
1. Study your Notes on Anglo-Saxon England
2. Be wise; be perfect.

Introduction to Anglo-Saxon, Poetry, and Beowulf - Part I

First page of Beowulf. 10th century.

Today we conclude our study of Bede and move further on in history of England. Bede has provided us with the solid foundations of the Church as it spreads, and now we look to the manner in which the Church continues to preserve culture. Today we pleased to have a guest lecturer.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: Festina Lente
1.  "Make haste slowly" = this paradox expresses the need for both urgency and vigilance. Rather than speed, which is careless and reckless, urgency is the key here. Rather than delay or slowness, which is tardy and is also not careful because it is not punctual, carefulness is the key, or punctiliousness. Keep this in mind as we continue on in the year, and let these words come to you at moments when you under the limits of time, when you are taking exams, for instance.
3. Review and discuss answers to Bede Exams:
1. Short-Short Answers
2. Short Answers
4. Lecture on Beowulf with guest lecturer, Mr. Cain
1. Notes (10/16): Anglo-Saxon England
5. Review HW: 
1. Study, review, become friends with your notes.