1a. Who is Paulinus? What does he say has happened to King Edwin recently? What does Paulinus say he wants Edwin to do?
2a. What are Coifi's reasons for wanting to reject the old religion?
3a. To what does another of the king's advisors compare the swift flight of a sparrow through a room?
4a. What details about the old Germanic religion are presented in this historical writing? What details about Christianity are presented? In what ways are the two religions similar? In what way do the two religions seem to differ?
5a. Explain what you believe the king's chief priest Coifi saw as the purpose of religion. Why might he have felt this way? Explain how his views are similar to or different from your own.
1b. Explain what Paulinus is asking King Edwin to do. To what does Paulinus attribute recent events in Edwin's life? Explain what makes Paulinus's request persuasive.
2b. What do Coifi's reasons for wishing to abandon the old religion reveal about the type of person he is? Explain whether his reasons are good ones. Are his reasons selfish or selfless?
3b. In what way are the two things being compared alike? What view of life and the afterlife is presented in this comparison?
4b. Based on the differences between the two religions presented in this historical account, why might the new religion have been appealing to the king's advisors and the king?
5b. Explain why the decision Edwin makes in the selection might have been difficult for him. Why might he have felt the need to call together his advisors and friends before making such a decision?
Allegory. The last paragraph of this historical account contains an allegory comparing human life to the flight of a sparrow. The allegory mentions a sparrow, a dining room with a door, supper, winter storms, commanders and ministers, a fire, and our sight. What do these elements of the allegory represent in the human world?
Aim. Explain what you think the aim or aims of Bede were when writing "The Conversion of King Edwin." Based on the selection, how can you tell that Bede was a Christian? How might his purpose have been different if he were not a Christian?
1. Write a statement of belief in which you include ten to twenty items reflecting what you believe or value.
2. Write a persuasive speech in which you try to convince your audience to adopt your viewpoint and respond in some way. Your speech can express your viewpoint on a social or political issues and provide compelling reasons for others to share your opinion, or your speech can tackle issues such as who is the best sports hero of all time and how this person should be honored. Your speech should clearly state your position and provide arguments or reasons to support your opinion, as well as some call to action.
3. Write an allegorical paragraph. Each element in your allegory should represent something about your chosen topic. For example, if you are comparing working hard to accomplish something to climbing a tall mountain, the sharp rocks on the mountain might represent some of the unexpected obstacles in your way. Topics include working hard to accomplish something, saying goodbye to a friend or loved one, or developing your own skills, interests, and talents.
Correcting Run-Ons. Rewrite and revise the sentences below by changing punctuation and capitalization and adding words as necessary.
1. Bede's history of Britain was not the first, it was partly based on On the Fall of Britain, written by Gildas, a Welshman, in ad 550.
2. According to stories told by early Welsh historians, one of the soldiers who fought against the Anglo-Saxons was named Arthur such stories gave rise to legends about King Arthur and the knights of the round table.
3. The early Germanic peoples, including the Anglo-Saxons, used alphabetic characters called runes to write inscriptions on stones, the runic alphabet is known as futhark.
4. The treasure of Sutton Hoo was found in 1939, at Sutton Hoo a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon king had been buried with a large number of jewels, coins, weapons, and tools he was entombed in a ninety-foot-long ship that had been hauled to the top of a one-hundred-foot-high cliff.
5. Our knowledge of the Anglo-Saxons comes from many sources these sources include inscriptions, histories, literature, and archeological finds like Sutton Hoo.
