Last week we read Seamus Heaney's poem that captures the main theme of most of his work: digging. This week we will explore two of his later poems that explore this idea of digging.
Please complete the following steps by the end of today's class:
1. On this post I would like each of you to post your new vocabulary words and definitions for Antaeus and Bog Queen as a comment. (10 points)
2. Using the internet explore the term "bog bodies" and how it relates to northern Europe, particularly Ireland. Also research allusions from "Antaeus. "Report your findings on this post as a comment. Be sure to read and respond to others students as they share their findings. (10 points)
*Note: You can make as many comments as you like in response to other's findings. Treat this assignment as a chat environment. You can share and learn from each other.
3. On your own blogs answers the questions related to interpreting and responding to poetry from Monday's handout. Be sure to answer all 9 questions for each poem. I would prefer it you responded to each poem in a separate post. Please title your posts: My Interpretation of Seamus Heaney's Poem "Antaeus" and My Interpretation of Seamus Heaney's Poem "Bog Queen." (20 points)
Questions related to interpreting and responding to poetry:
1. Who is speaking?
2. What characterizes the speaker? What is the speaker like?
3. To whom is he or she speaking?
4. What is the speaker's emotional state?
5. Why is he or she speaking?
6. What situation is being described?
7. What are the conflicts or tensions in this situation?
8. How is the setting--social situation, physical place, and time--important to the speaker?
9. What ideas does the speaker communicate?
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Vocab:
demense-legal possesion of land
moraines-accumulation of earth deposited by a glacier
fledge- capable of flying
coomb- deep narrow valley
skull ware- headgear
groped: to search blindly or uncertainly
seep: to pass, flow, or ooze gradually through a porous substance
illiterate: unable to read and write
ponder: To reflect or consider with thoroughness and care.
Demesne-A manor house and surrounding lands
Baltic-Realting to the Baltic sea
Diadem-A crown or head band
Moraines-An accumulation of bowlders, stones, or debris
Veiled-Covered or cobcealed
Plait-Abraid of hair/straw
Bog Queen:
1. Demesne- A manor house with the adjoining lands.
2. Braille- system of printing for blind.
3. Spawn- The eggs of fish or other water animals.
4. Crock- Earthen ware pot or jar most often used for cooking.
5. Moraines- Accumulation of earth and stones carried and finally deposited by a glacier.
Antaeus:
1. Flushed- To glow, especially with a reddish color.
2. Girded- to encircle or bind with a belt or band.
3. Nurtured- to feed and protect.
4. Hillock- a small hill.
5. Renew- to restore or replenish.
6. Elevation- the height to which something is elevated or to which it rises.
hoard: a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded for preservation, future use
crock: 1. an earthenware pot, jar, or other container. \
2. a fragment of earthenware; potsherd.
carious: having caries, as teeth; decayed.
I just read that most bog boddies are found by people cutting peat. I thought this was cool because one of his poems is about bog boddies and one is kinda about digging peat.
Apparentyly those who died in the bogs were thrown in either as immolates or for social crimes such as homosexuality.
Bodies are still being found to this day in the bogs of Ireland! Its crazy. Two bog bodies were found and it is known that they lived with wealth and were tortured and essentially sacrificed than thrown into the bog 2,000 years ago!
Since there is merchandised peat cutting in modern times, bodies are now showing up in segmented parts.... thats gross!
Elixer- a substance held capable of changing base metals into gold a substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely cure-all a medicinal concoction
Operative-1 a: producing an appropriate effect efficacious most significant or essential the operative word in a phrase
exerting force or influence operating
having to do with physical operations as of machines working an operative craftsman
Wrestle-to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance
Sky-born-???
Elixer- a substance held capable of changing base metals into gold a substance held capable of prolonging life indefinitely cure-all a medicinal concoction
Operative-1 a: producing an appropriate effect efficacious most significant or essential the operative word in a phrase
exerting force or influence operating
having to do with physical operations as of machines working an operative craftsman
Wrestle-to contend by grappling with and striving to trip or throw an opponent down or off balance
Sky-born-???
Bog Bodies retain skin and internal organs due to the way they are preserved.
peat: a highly organic material found in marshy or damp regions, composed of partially decayed vegetable matter: it is cut and dried for use as fuel.
floe: a detached floating portion of such a sheet.
Baltic-Sea in north Europe
diadem-crown
moraines-area covered by rock
Antaeus-was a giant of Libya, the son of Poseidon
contour-curved shape
Atlas-the son of the Titan Iapetus and Clymene (or Asia), and brother of Prometheus
bog bodies are bad bags of bones and bubbles? bauble! be like that!
It appears that the majority of bog bodies were uppper class, healthy people.
There recently was a bog body so well preserved that when it was found the police started their investigation for a murderer before archaelogists were called in.
The first bog body called the Kibbelgaarn body was found in 1791.
This is probable not the first body found but it is the first to be recorded. Bogs are lard waterlogger areas of land with tones of organic acids. This works to preserve them. I once saw a documentary that said they found a bog body with its tatoos still intact after 100's of years.
why were they willing to sacrafice healthy and wealthy bodies. why not the poor and sick?
they usually were brutally murdered stabbed, bludgeoned, hanged and strangled more than once by all means.(bog bodies)
Some bag bobies have dated back to prehistoric time!
Bog bodies-people thrown into the bogs in response to the bog for crimes and were well preserved even over the thousand of years that passed.
what would a God prefer in sacrifice? a weak,sick and poor or a rich and healthy one?
that is cool stuff, about the skin, tatoos, and inards. has anyone discovered anything about chokers or gold neck braces?
who is the tolland man?
good point, paulo. thanks!
Some think that the healthy, arristocratic bog people were political prisners, and some think that they were kings sacrafices to the god's of fertility.
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