| A | B |
|---|
| Kenning | Compound words |
| Rood | The Cross |
| Caesura | Dramatic pause |
| Nagling | Beowulf's sword |
| Alliteration | Primary literary device in Anglo-Saxon poetry |
| Heroic Code | Bravery, sacrifice, allegiance |
| Hrunting | Unferth's sword |
| Old English | Replaced Gaelic |
| scop | Anglo-Saxon poet |
| Foil | Dramatic opposite |
| Beowulf | Geatish hero |
| Grendel's arm | Beowulf's trophy |
| Grendel | Cain's decendant |
| Grendel's mom | Avenged the death of her son |
| Wiglaf | Helps Beowulf fight the dragon |
| Dragon | Beowulf's final foe |
| Pagans | Pre-Christian spiritualists |
| Christian church | Influenced early literature |
| Hrothgar | Danish king |
| Giant's sword | Grendel's mom's death weapon belonged to them |
| Wyrd | Fate |
| Higlac | King of the Geats |
| Herot | Hrothgar's mead hall |
| Runes | Symbolic writing |
| Friesland | Home of the Germanic invaders |
| Alfred | "Great" king who saved English |
| Vikings | Danish invaders |
| Old French | Norman language |
| Celts | Original Englishmen |
| Romans | Conquered England before the Saxons |
| Edgetho | Beowulf's father |
| Wergild | Blood money or man money |
| Hrothgar's throne | Protected by God |
| Giants | Beowulf claimed he killed them all |
| Hrothgar's best friend | Killed by Grendel's mother |
| Glee-beam | Kenning for harp |
| Wig-board | Kenning for shield |
| Swedes | Enemies of the Geats |
| Healfdane | Hrothgar's father |
| Litotes | Affirmative expressed through negation |
| Elegy | A serious poem of mourning |
| Anonymous | Beowulf poet |
