Question

read the passage from beowulf.

the hero arose, surrounded closely
by his powerful thanes. a party remained
under orders to keep watch on the arms;
the rest proceeded, led by their prince
under heorots roof.
and standing on the hearth
in webbed links that the smith had woven,
the fine-forged mesh of his gleaming mail-shirt,
resolute in his helmet, beowulf spoke:

which word from the passage is a feature of anglo-saxon culture?

powerful
thanes
roof
gleaming

Explanation:

Identify cultural terms in the passage

The passage mentions "thanes," which refers to the loyal retainers or noble warriors who served a Germanic king or lord in Anglo-Saxon society.

Evaluate the multiple-choice options

• "powerful": A general adjective, not specific to Anglo-Saxon culture.
• "thanes": A specific socio-political term representing the warrior class and the comitatus relationship in Anglo-Saxon culture.
• "roof": A common architectural term.
• "gleaming": A general descriptive adjective.

Select the correct option

The word "thanes" is the distinct cultural feature of Anglo-Saxon society.

Answer:

• powerful
• thanes (Correct answer)
• roof
• gleaming