Lesson plan
Arvals
The Arval, Arvel or Arthel (Old Norse Arfr, "inheritance", and öl, Old English "Ale", a banquet) is a traditional funeral feast in Scotland, the North of England, and Norse culture. The word also refers, especially in the North of England, to a thin, light, sweet cake, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, served to the poor at such feasts. The funeral meal was called the Arvel-dinner. On such occasions, the custom seems to have been to hold an informal inquest, when the corpse was publicly exposed, to exculpate the heir and those entitled to the property of the dead from all accusations of foul play.
Article summary
The Arval, Arvel or Arthel (Old Norse Arfr, "inheritance", and öl, Old English "Ale", a banquet) is a traditional funeral feast in Scotland, the North of England, and Norse culture. The word also refers, especially in the North of England, to a thin, light, sweet cake, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, served to the poor at such feasts. The funeral meal was called the Arvel-dinner. On such occasions, the custom seems to have been to hold an informal inquest, when the corpse was publicly exposed, to exculpate the heir and those entitled to the property of the dead from all accusations of foul play.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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