Reading Skills Part A Model 1
Medieval Icelandic Saga Scene
Saga
Read the passage carefully and answer the following questions:
Saga is the name given to a large body of literature written in Iceland between the 1100's and the 1300's. The word 'saga' is related to the Icelandic verb meaning 'to say' or 'to tell'. There are many kinds of sagas. The earliest sagas were biographies of Icelandic bishops and Norwegian kings. The greatest achievement in this early historical writing was a complete history of the Norwegian kings composed by Snorri Sturluson in 1200's.
The classic sagas were composed in the 1200's. These sagas are usually known in English as lcelandic Family Sagas and in Icelandic as Sagas of lcelanders. They are anonymous and vary in, length from brief stories to the equivalent of full-length novels. Scholars once believed these sagas were transmitted orally from generation to generation until scribes wrote them down in the 1200's. But most scholars believe the sagas were conscious artistic creations based on oral and written tradition.
The sagas were composed during a period of civil war and social decline. They glorified the moral and social codes of a 'golden age' that occurred between 850 and 1050 during the early settlement of Iceland. They are tales of legal disputes and blood vengeance, and provide a picture of social and cultural conditions at that time. The longest and finest of the classic sagas is Njal's Saga, a tale of honour, death and vengeance.
During the 1200's the European literature of chivalry began to influence Icelandic writers. Sagas became more romantic and fantastic. By the early 1300's the nature of sagas had completely changed. These later sagas described the adventures of many traditional Germanic heroes such as Sigurd the Dragon Slayer and Rollo. Generally, critics consider these sagas inferior to the earlier ones.
1. Answer any ten questions from the following: 1×10=10 a) What does 'saga' mean? b) How can you define literature? c) Where and when did saga originate? d) What are the forms of sagas? e) Why did saga become more-romantic and fantastic? f) Which sagas are superior? Write down the meaning of the following words in English and form your own sentences with the changed ones. g) Anonymous h) Vengeance Find suitable words to complete the sentences: i)Saga is a type of literature: that means------ j) 850 to 1050 is the time when -- Change the sentences as directed: k) The greatest achievement in this early historical writing was a complete history of the Norwegian kings composed by Snorri Sturluson in 1200s. (Complex) l) The classic sagas were composed in the 1200s. (Active)
Answer Sheet a) The word 'saga' is related to the Icelanclic verb meaning ,to say' or 'to tell'. b) Literature is the reflection of life. c) Saga was originated in Iceland between the 1100s and the 1300s J) The earliest sagas, classic sagas, the later sagas are the forms of sagas. e) Sagas became more romantic and fantastic because of the influence of European literature during the 1200,s . f) The earlier sagas are superior to the later sagas. g) Anonymous -Unknown: The poem is written by an unknown poet. h) Vengeance- Revenge: He took revenge against his father,s murderers. i) Saga is a type of literature that means to tell or to say. j) 850 to 1050 is the time when the saga writers glorified the moral and social codes of a 'golden age'. k) The greatest achievement in this early historical writing was a compiete history of the Norwegian kings that was composed by Snorri Sturluson in 1200's. l) The saga writers composed classic sagas in the 1200,s.
Word Meaning in Bangla
Saga- বক্তব্য/ গল্প a large body বেশ বড় মাপের literature সাহিত্য Iceland উত্তর মেরুর একটি বরফাচ্ছন্ন দ্বিপদেশ related সম্পর্কিত Icelandic আইসল্যান্ড সম্পর্কিত biographies জীবনী bishop যাজক/ পাদ্রী achievement অর্জন Norwegian নরওয়ের ( ইউরোপীয় একটি নরডিক দেশ) early পূর্বে writing লেখা compose লেখা/ রচনা করা/ সুর দেয়া classic যে সাহিত্য কর্ম বেচে থাকে বহুদিন/ ধ্রুপদী সাহিত্য usually সাধারণত known পরিচিত anonymous অজানা/ অচেনা vary ভিন্ন/ আলাদা হওয়া length দৈর্ঘ্য brief সংক্ষিপ্ত equivalent সমমান full-length পূর্নদৈর্ঘ্য novel উপন্যাস Scholar বিদ্বান ব্যক্তি transmit ছড়িয়ে দেয়া/ প্রচার করা/ স্থানান্তর করা orally মৌখিকভাবে generation প্রজন্ম until যতক্ষণ পর্যন্ত না scribes লেখা/ খোদাই করা/ লেখক conscious সচেতন artistic শিল্পসম্মত/ শিল্পময় creation সৃষ্টি based ভিত্তিক oral মৌখিক tradition ঐতিহ্য/ যা বহুদিন যাবত প্রচলিত আছে during কালে/ সময়ে/ এ/ তে/ য় period সময়/ কাল civil বেসামরিক social সামাজিক decline ক্ষয়/ অবক্ষয়/ হ্রাস/ পতন glorified গৌরবান্বিত করা moral নৈতিক social সামাজিক code বিধি/ নিয়ম/ মূল্যবোধ/ আইন occur ঘটা settlement আয়োজন/ সিদ্ধান্ত tale গল্প legal বৈধ dispute বিতর্ক blood vengeance রক্তক্ষয়ী প্রতিশোধ provide দেয়া/ সরবরাহ করা condition অবস্থা longest দীর্ঘতম finest সবচেয়ে সুন্দর/ সূক্ষ্ম vengeance প্রতিশোধ European ইউরোপীয় literature সাহিত্য chivalry বীরত্ব influence প্রভাব more আরও romantic রোমান্টিক fantastic চমৎকার completely পুরোপুরি later পরে These এগুলো described বরননা করা adventures দুঃসাহসিক অভিযান traditional প্রথাগত Generally সাধারণত critics সমালোচকেরা
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