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.

Bede and the final analysis - Part I

FRIEDRICH, Caspar David. Drifting Clouds.
c. 1820. Oil on canvas. Kunsthalle, Hamburg.

Professor Schlect comments on Bede's narrative style: "Most of Bede’s writings are commentaries on the Bible, many of which still survive today. We in our day are fascinated with his historical writing and easily forget that he saw himself primarily as a commen- tator on Scripture. In an important respect Bede thought of his Ecclesiastical History as a commentary on Scripture, for in it he narrated how the apostolic message spread after the age of the apostles—a sort of extension of the book of Acts. Therefore we should not be surprised when Bede describes people and events using biblical imagery. For example, when the evangelist Germanus sails the channel from Gaul (the ancient name for France), bringing sound teaching to England, we find him asleep in the ship tossed by stormy seas. After the sailors gave up, Germanus was awakened. He prayed, and the waters calmed (1.17). The story echoes the biblical account of Jesus calming the waters, and Bede writes in a way that underscores the similarities between these events, thereby reminding us that Christ continues to work in His people just as He did when He dwelt among us. Similarly, when Bede writes about King Oswald of Northumbria, he wants to remind us of King David. Thus, by identifying biblical patterns in post-biblical events, Bede’s history is a sort of commentary on Scripture. As a scholar who spent most of his life in a monastery, where the Scriptures were routinely read and chanted several times a day, Bede’s historical outlook was shaped by events recorded in the Bible."

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Bede Exam - Part I
3. Binder Check
4. Review HW:
1. Be perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

Bede: The Final Analysis

Jacob Philip Hackert. Italian Landscape.
1778. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

Professor Schect explains some background on The Ecclesiastical History of the English People: "Bede devotes much attention to Augustine and also to the visionary who sent Augustine to England, Pope Gregory the Great. Don’t be misled by the title “pope,” for in Gregory’s and Bede’s day that title did not carry the meaning that it has with us today. In fact, today’s notion of “pope” only began to emerge 500 years after Gregory. In Gregory’s day, scores of bishops all over Europe were called “pope” (Latin papa, which simply means “father”), and the bishop of Rome was one bishop among many. Pope Gregory did not see himself as supreme over the other bishops or “popes,” and he welcomed encouragement, correction and admonition from bishops in other cities. He condemned the idea that one bishop wielded authority over the whole church and stressed this point in several letters (Bede does not record these letters, but they are preserved elsewhere). Gregory even claimed that anyone who presumed to have such a lofty status in the church, or who calls himself a “universal” or “ecumenical” priest, is an antichrist. Why, then, did missionaries to England, such as Augustine, hold the popes of Rome in such high regard? Largely because Rome happened to be the place from where these missionaries were sent. When a missionary goes far off into the hinterlands, it’s only natural that he will seek the advice and counsel of the church which sent him out. This is a key reason why it was so natural for the English missionaries to submit themselves to the bishops of Rome the way they did. Of course, widespread respect for the great city of Rome also had something to do with the influence of that city’s bishop: the bishop of Rome was no ordinary bishop, because Rome was no ordinary place."
Agenda: 

1.  Pray
2. Finish Lecture on Book 4
3. Notes on Caedmon's Hymn
4. Lecture on Book 5 and Lindisfarne
5. Review HW:
1. Study notes on Bede for the exam on Friday (10/11). That includes Reading Journals!
2. Be perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

Bede, Books 1-5 Review and Study Guide

WITTEL, Caspar Andriaans van. St Peter's in Rome.
1711. Oil on canvas. Private collection.

Prof. Schlect notes, "Bede knew that kingdoms come and go, so he focused his attention on an institution that is truly lasting: the church. While he mentions many kings, his real heroes are churchmen. When he does describe kings, he is interested not so much in their political maneuvers as he is in how they affect the church. He also mentions war from time to time, but gives far more attention to the church’s warfare against heresy, schism, false worship and apostasy."
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Lecture on Book 4
1. Notes (10/9): Book 4
3. Review Bede Study Guide
4. Review HW:
1. Study notes on Bede. That includes reading journals.
2. Be perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

Ecclesiastical History, Books 2-3: Part II

WEYDEN. St Columba Altarpiece (detail)
c. 1455. Oil on oak panel
Alte Pinakothek, Munich

Consider St. Columba in this image of the stable and of Christ's birth. Here he is shown worshiping the Lord, though this is not historical. Nor does it need to be.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Finish Lecture on Books 2-3
1. Students take notes.
3. Read Bede silently
4. Reading Check Quiz: Book 4
5. Review HW:
1. Finish reading book 4 by tomorrow (10/8)
2. Study notes on Bede
3. Be perfect. (Matt. 5:48)

Ecclesiastical History, Books 2-3: Part I

WEYDEN. St Columba Altarpiece (detail)
c. 1455. Oil on oak panel
Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

Welcome. Hope your weekend was good, that you possibly found leisure in your sabbath and sabbath in your leisure. Today and the next few days we will be discussing the last key sections of Bede's Ecclesiastical History. Pay attention. There is an exam at the end of the week. Next week we are transitioning into Beowulf.

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Finish Reading Check Quiz on Book III: 10 minutes
1. Who is king Oswald? What deeds does he perform?
2. Who is Brother Aidan?
3. Who is Columba?
4. Which king of the East Angles becomes a monk? How does he die?
5. What was the basic problem at the Synod of Whitby?
3. Announcements: 
1. On reading for this course and how we shall now read
2. On this week and exams
3. On the next week
4. Lecture on books 2-3 of Bede.
1. Notes (10/7): books 2-3
5. Review HW:
1. Finish reading book 4 by tomorrow (10/8)
2. Study notes on Bede
3. Be perfect. (Matt. 5:48)
   

Book II of Bede: Church Polity

Mount Grace Priory.

One of the wonderful things that Bede communicates, Prof. Schlect explains how our modern, divided churches today could quite a bit from the Ecclesiastical History, for it demonstrates how two churches with different customs can work out their differences together in caritas. 

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Read Bede silently. 
3. Correct reading quizzes for Book II.
4. Reading Check Quiz Book III.
5. Lecture and discuss
6. Review HW:
1. Read Book IV of Bede (10/7). 
2. Be perfect.

Bede and Culture: How to build a Christian society and culture.

Whitby Abbey.

Much of Bede's history is exciting. Far from a boring historical document, Prof. Schlect reminds us, "Bede tells the story of the expansion of the gospel among the English. This expansion moves forward over time, but (like real history) is full of potholes, hills and obstacles. At some points it seems that paganism will push the gospel back into Ireland and back to mainland Europe, but in times of great need God raises up fearless men and women, and Christ’s kingdom expands."

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Finish Lecture on Book I: 
1. In Chapter 30, Bede records a letter from Pope Gregory advising Augustine of Canterbury how to build a Christian culture. The philosophy that supports Gregory's response comes from the Biblical idea of "spoiling the Egyptians," which the Fathers of the Church have formulated well and from which we can learn much to RE-build our Christian culture. 
3. Read Bede silently. 
4. Review HW:
1. Read Book IV of Bede (10/7). 
2. Be perfect.

Bede and his characters - Part III

The King David Inn. on the site of the Priory of St Mary Madalen.

Speaking of the Church as a "character," Profressor Schlect, "The other church that is featured is the Roman/English Church. The visionary leadership of Gregory I, bishop of Rome, led him to send Augustine of Canterbury (this is not the Augustine of Confessions and City of God fame) to England to plant the gospel among the pagan kingdoms in places like Essex and Northumbria."
 
Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Latin Proverb: "Sine doctrina vita est quasi mortis imago." 
3. Read Bede silently.
4. Finish Lecture on Book I: Review and discuss
1. What else Pope Gregory eventually send Augustine to aid the mission in Britain?
5. Review HW:
1. Read Book IV of Bede (10/7). 
2. Be perfect.

Bede and his characters - Part II

Burnham Abbey. Augustinian Canonness.

"The other most notable character," writes Professor Schlect, "is the church, for it is the church and its ministers that bear the gospel. Notably, there are two distinct churches in this work that are working to bring the pagan Britons, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Celts and Picts to faith in Christ. One group is the Irish Church, founded by St. Patrick and led by inspiring leaders like St. Columba and Aidan of Iona. The Irish Church thrives on the edges of a continent that is reeling from massive barbarian invasion. Yet, the Irish are (as they so often are in history) undaunted, and they carry the gospel back to the pagans, risking life and limb."

Agenda:

1. Pray
2. Poetry Recitations: "The Ladder of St. Augustine" by Longfellow.
3. Read Bede silently.
4. Finish Lecture on Book I: Review and discuss
1. Describe the early stages of Augustine's mission in Britain.
2. What advice does Pope Gregory give Augustine regarding his relationship to the rest of the clergy?
3. What else Pope Gregory eventually send Augustine to aid the mission in Britain?
5. Review HW:
1. Read Book III of Bede (10/2). 
2. Be perfect.