What method did scops not use to help them remember the stories?
Answer:
C phrases
Explanation:
Scops were reciters of poetry within Old English literature in Anglo Saxon times. Their function was to travel and tell the tale of the great heroes. The poems were preserved in an oral tradition until they were finally written down.
Let’s analyse some lines from “The Seafarer” a 125 line piece of such oral poetry and discover what method scops did use to help them remember their story.
Line 15
winter wunade
wræccan lastum,
shows a clear alliteration (repetition of a consonant sound)
Lines 1 and 2
Mæg ic be me sylfum
soðgied wrecan,
siþas secgan,
hu ic geswincdagum
are regular rhythms and help with memorization.
Finally, kennings (a metaphor used to elevate and beautify the language) are used for imagery and memorization. “Sea-path” in line 29 is the ocean.