Mead Hall Feud • Host Master Reference Cards (Page 1 of 5) Next: Double Points Rounds
Host Master Cards • Rounds 3 & 4 (Double Points 2X)
Double Point Multipliers • 200 Pts per Board
Double Point Notice: Multiply base scop survey count by 2. Steals claim the full doubled point pool. 200 Pts Max Each
ROUND 3 • 2X
200 Pts Total
| # | Survey Answer & Student Variations | Pts (2X) | Definition & Textual Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kenning (Compound metaphor) | 64 (32) | “Whale-road” (sea), “sky-candle” (sun). |
| 2 | Wyrd (Fate, inescapable destiny) | 46 (23) | Cosmic force governing life and mortal doom. |
| 3 | Comitatus (Lord-thane loyalty bond) | 36 (18) | Thane defends lord to death; lord rewards loyalty. |
| 4 | Wergild (“Man-price”, feud compensation) | 24 (12) | Legal payment paid to avoid endless clan war. |
| 5 | Caesura & Alliteration (Metrical pause) | 16 (8) | Oral poetry structure aiding scop memory. |
| 6 | Flyting (Ritual poetic insult duel) | 14 (7) | Formal verbal duel (Beowulf vs. Unferth). |
ROUND 4 • 2X
200 Pts Total
| # | Survey Answer & Student Variations | Pts (2X) | Thematic & Textual Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beowulf’s Strength Snaps Blade (Naegling breaks) | 68 (34) | Human metal cannot withstand his colossal blows. |
| 2 | Grendel Bewitched Mortal Blades (Spell on iron) | 56 (28) | Blades glance off skin; forces bare-handed fight. |
| 3 | Victory Belongs to God/Fate (Tools cannot save) | 38 (19) | Relying on mortal iron over divine grace is doomed. |
| 4 | Venomous Monster Blood Melts Blade (Giant sword) | 22 (11) | Demonic blood melts iron like spring icicles. |
| 5 | Hrunting Betrays Hero (Unferth’s sword fails in mere) | 16 (8) | Symbol of Danish martial inadequacy. |
Mead Hall Feud • Host Master Reference Cards (Page 2 of 5) Next: Triple Points & Fast Money
Round 5 (3X) • Fast Money Bonus • Tiebreaker
Championship Rounds • 300 Pts
ROUND 5 • TRIPLE POINTS (3X)
300 Pts Total
| # | Survey Answer & Student Variations | Pts (3X) | Literary Significance & Textual Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoarding Gold / Refusing Ring-Giving (Greed) | 108 (36) | King Heremod: hoarding gold breaks loyalty and destroys hall. |
| 2 | Pride & Hubris (Forgetting mortality) | 84 (28) | Hrothgar’s sermon warns Beowulf of fleeting youthful strength. |
| 3 | Reckless Warrior Over Ruler (Solo duel) | 48 (16) | A king must safeguard folk; Beowulf’s death dooms Geats. |
| 4 | Leaving Realm Without Successor (No heir) | 36 (12) | Invites imminent invasion by Swedes and Franks. |
| 5 | Betraying Kin / Breaking Blood Oaths (Fratricide) | 24 (8) | Unferth killing brothers and failed tribal peace-weavings. |
FAST MONEY MASTER
Bonus Win
1. Animal Symbol/Kenning: Raven (42), Boar (34), Whale (28), Eagle (18), Wolf (12).
2. Defeated Monster/Foe: Grendel (49), Dragon (38), Grendel’s Mother (31), Sea-Beasts (14).
3. Loyal Companion/Thane: Wiglaf (58), Breca (22), Hygelac (19), Hondscio (8).
4. Item Buried with Hero: Dragon Gold (39), Mail-Armor (32), Helm (21), Ash (14).
5. Named Woman / Peace-Weaver: Wealhtheow (44), Hildeburh (28), Freawaru (18), Hygd (15).
Tiebreaker Prompt: “Name one historic tribal feud mentioned in the poem’s digressions.”
Geats vs. Swedes • Danes vs. Frisians • Heathobards
Mead Hall Feud • Host Master Reference Cards (Page 3 of 5) Next: Cut-Out Team Cards
Cut-Out Prompts for Small Groups, Stations, or Podium Play
Cut along dashed lines • Team discussion prompts
Card A • Round 1 Virtues
Clan Discussion: Predict the top 2 answers. Connect one virtue directly to Beowulf’s formal boast to King Hrothgar upon arriving at Heorot.
6 Board Answers 100 Pts Total
Card B • Round 2 Monsters
Clan Discussion: Why does the scop emphasize Grendel’s descent from Cain? How does his hatred reveal Anglo-Saxon fears of social banishment?
5 Board Answers 100 Pts Total
Card C • Round 3 (2X) Literary Terms
Clan Discussion: Define comitatus, wergild, or create an authentic kenning for a warrior or battle.
6 Board Answers 200 Pts (Double)
Card D • Round 4 (2X) Weapons
Clan Discussion: Analyze Hrunting’s failure against Grendel’s Mother vs. Naegling snapping against the dragon. What does iron symbolize?
5 Board Answers 200 Pts (Double)
Card E • Round 5 (3X) Kingship
Clan Discussion: How does King Heremod contrast with good kings like Scyld Scefing and Hrothgar? Why is gold-sharing crucial?
5 Board Answers 300 Pts (Triple)
Card F • Tiebreaker Sudden Death
Clan Discussion: Why does the poet continually interrupt the main monster fights with tragic historical digressions about wars?
First correct buzz Sudden Death Match
Mead Hall Feud • Printable Team Discussion Cards (Page 4 of 5) Cut & Distribute
Team Score Tracker & Synthesis Reflection Writing
Name: ______________________ • Date: __________
| Round & Topic | Clan Geats | Strikes | Clan Danes | Strikes | Plunder Steal? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1: Heroic Virtues (1X) | [ ] [ ] [ ] | [ ] [ ] [ ] | Geat [ ] Dane [ ] | ||
| R2: Grendel’s Rage (1X) | [ ] [ ] [ ] | [ ] [ ] [ ] | Geat [ ] Dane [ ] | ||
| R3: Literary Terms (2X) | [ ] [ ] [ ] | [ ] [ ] [ ] | Geat [ ] Dane [ ] | ||
| R4: Failed Swords (2X) | [ ] [ ] [ ] | [ ] [ ] [ ] | Geat [ ] Dane [ ] | ||
| R5: Kingly Flaws (3X) | [ ] [ ] [ ] | [ ] [ ] [ ] | Geat [ ] Dane [ ] | ||
| TOTAL HALL POINTS | -- | -- | Fast Money: ____ |
1. Comitatus vs. Individual Glory: How does Beowulf’s final battle against the dragon expose both the triumph and the ultimate collapse of the Germanic heroic code? Cite Wiglaf’s speech to the fleeing thanes.
2. Pagan Wyrd and Christian Providence: Trace how the anonymous poet weaves Christian allusions into an undeniably pagan Germanic warrior epic. Does Beowulf trust in God, his own arm, or fate?
Mead Hall Feud • Clan Score Ledger & Critical Debrief (Page 5 of 5) High School English Literature
