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Beowulf: An Introduction

Beowulf: An Introduction. The History Behind Beowulf. Scholars believe Beowulf was composed anonymously around the first half of the 8 th century. The title was assigned by modern editors, seeing it shown no evidence of one, as was common for old manuscripts.

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Beowulf: An Introduction

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  1. Beowulf: An Introduction

  2. The History Behind Beowulf • Scholars believe Beowulf was composed anonymously around the first half of the 8th century. • The title was assigned by modern editors, seeing it shown no evidence of one, as was common for old manuscripts. • Beowulf is the longest surviving poem from Anglo-Saxon England. • The language is a Germanic language, related to Old Saxon, related to Old High German, related to Old Dutch. • Beowulf never appears anywhere else in the literature of Anglo-Saxon England, or of the Germanic peoples.

  3. The History Behind Beowulf • It is unknown where the manuscript presided during the five-hundred years after it was written. • In 1563, it is known that Lawerence Nowell owned it long enough to put his name and the date on the first page. • It is likely that Nowell saved it from destruction during the fall of the monasteries and their libraries due to Henry VIII during that time period. • By some unknown fate, the manuscript then ended up in the famous library belonging to Sir Robert Bruce Cotton.

  4. The History Behind Beowulf • In 1731, the manuscript was nearly destroyed in a fire that destoyed the library it was housed in. This building also housed a huge collection of medieval manuscripts, made by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. • As a result, many lines and words within Beowulf have been lost, causing some of the poem to be confusing.

  5. The History Behind Beowulf • Beowulf may have started out as an oral poem, only being able to be passed down by singers from generation to generation. • It is possible that some of the story may have been altered before someone finally decided to write it down around 1000 A.D. • This may be the reason for the fusion of Pagan and Christian thoughts: The story could have been orally introduced in the Pagan world, but physically written down in the time of the Christian world. • One historical event is proved in Beowulf and gives us a possible time period which that portion is set in. (Yeager 1-3)

  6. Anglo-Saxon Culture • Belief in fate (Wyrd) • Accumulated treasures amount to success • Fame and fortune zealously sought after • Loyalty to one’s leader crucial • Importance of pagan, Germanic, and Christian ideals to people whose lives were often hard and uncertain

  7. Anglo-Saxon Culture • Fierce, hardy life of warrior and seamen • Strength, courage, leadership abilities appreciated • Boisterous yet elaborately ritualized customs of the mead-hall • Expected the hero to boast

  8. Themes of Beowulf • Revenge/Avenging One’s Death • Fate/God Almighty • Christianity and Paganism • Courageous Heroes/Glory • Hell/The Devil • Death is INEVITABLE • Using Power for Good

  9. The Time of Glory • The most important relationship was between the warrior and the king. • The warrior took pride in defending him in wars. • The king was therefore expected to take care of his warriors and reward them. • Relationships of kinsmen were also held in high regard. If one of their kinsmen were slain, the man had a moral obligation to avenge their kinsmen’s death. • The failure to do so was considered to be shameful and unforgivable. (Norton 30)

  10. Why the Fusion of Christianity and Paganism? It was written in "a period in which the virtues of the heathen 'Heroic Age' were tempered by the gentleness of the new belief; an age warlike, yet Christian. As a good Christian, the poet found himself faced with the task of treating this originally pagan material in a manner acceptable to a Christian audience“ (Brodeur 183).

  11. Understanding the Terms Christian~ 1. Professing or following the religion of Christ; affirming the divinity of Christ. 2. Relating to or derived from Christ or his doctrine. 3. Characteristic of Christianity or Christendom. 4. Human; civilized;decent. 5. One who believes or professes belief in Jesus as the Christ; a member of any of the Christian churches. 6. A civilized, decent, or respectable person. Pagan~ • One who is neither a Christian, a Jew, nor a Moslem; a heathen. • In early Christian use, an idol worshipper. • An irreligious person. Heathen~ • One who has not adopted Christianity, Judaism, or Islam. • In the Old Testament, a non-Jew; Gentile. • Any irreligious or cultivated person. (Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary)

  12. Is Beowulf a Christian or a Pagan poem? Christian Points • The Old Testament character of Cain • The idea of Hell/The devil • The protection of God • All earthy gifts flow from God • Man should be unselfish • All good derives from God • Earthly power is only an illusion: Real power exists with God (http://csis.pace.edu) Pagan Points • The pagan idea of fate • Revenge and avenging one’s death • Feelings of blood-thirst are sometimes most important • Beowulf’s funeral is of pagan tradition (burning of the body on a pyre) • The people pray in pagan shrines and give offerings to idols (http://csis.pace.edu)

  13. Epic Poem • Long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a hero. • Elevated language • Does not sermonize • Invokes a muse • Begins in media res • Mysterious origin, super powers, vulnerability, rite of passage

  14. The Epic Hero • Actions consist of responses to catastrophic situations in which the supernatural often intervenes. • Code of conduct forces him to challenge any threat to society • Destiny discovered through a series of episodes punctuated by violent incidents interspersed with idyllic descriptions.

  15. Elements of Anglo-Saxon Poetry • Chant-like effect of the four-beat line • Alliteration (“Then the grim man in green gathers his strength”) • Caesura-pause or break in a line of poetry (“Oft to the wanderer weary of exile”) • Kenning-metaphorical phrase used instead of a name (“battle-blade” and “ring-giver”) • Epithet-description name to characterize something (“keen-edge sword”) • Hyperbole-exaggeration

  16. Elements of Beowulf In the Modern Translation: Then as dawn brightened/and the day broke, Grendel’s powers of destruction were plain: Their wassail was over, /they wept to heaven And mourned under morning. /Their mightyprince, The storied leader, /sat stricken and helpless, (126-130) Pauses (caesura) in lines = / Two stresses per half-line Alliteration = note alliterative connection between the half-lines Note how the stresses and alliteration emphasize thematic aspects of the poem: the sense of doom, temporality, and mutability

  17. Elements of Beowulf Elegiac aspects of the poem Elegy = “a mournful poem; a lament for the dead” = a poem or other work of literature that laments that passing of a time Elegiac = “Of, relating to, or involving elegy or mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past” Theme of temporality and mutability Memento mori = remember death—even during celebrations, the characters hear stories of death

  18. The Poetry in Beowulf 2. Kennings a. Compound metaphor (usually two words) b. Most were probably used over and over For instance: hronade literally means “whale-road,” but can be translated as “sea”

  19. More Kennings • Other kennings from Beowulf: “bone-house” = body “gold-friend of men” = generous prince “ring-giver” = lord “flashing light” = sword

  20. How we date Beowulf Some Important Dates: 521 A.D. – death of Hygelac, who is mentioned in the poem 680 A.D. – appearance of alliterative verse 835 A.D. – the Danish started raiding other areas; after this, few poets would consider them heroes SO: This version was likely composed between 680 and 835, though it may be set earlier

  21. Setting: Beowulf’s time and place Insert: Time of Beowulf Europe today

  22. Some terms you’ll want to know scop A bard or story-teller. The scop was responsible for praising deeds of past heroes, for recording history, and for providing entertainment

  23. Terms: Thane and Mead-Hall thane A warrior mead-hall The large hall where the lord and his warriors slept, ate, held ceremonies, etc.

  24. Term: Wyrd wyrd Fate. This idea crops up a lot in the poem, while at the same time there are Christian references to God’s will.

  25. Main Characters

  26. Beowulf • Epic hero • Geat (from southern Sweden) • Nephew of Higlac (King at story’s start) • Sails to Denmark to help Hrothgar

  27. Hrothgar • Danish king • Builds Herot (banquet hall) for men • Tormented by Grendel for 12 years • Loses many men to Grendel • Joyless before Beowulf’s arrival

  28. Grendel • Referred to as demon and fiend • Haunts the moors (swampy land) • Descendant of Cain • Feasts on 30 men the night of 1st attack

  29. Grendel’s Mother • Referred to as she-wolf • Lives under a lake • Challenges Hrothgar when she kills one of his best men

  30. Fire Dragon • Lives in Beowulf’s kingdom • Wakes up when thief steals cup • Guards countless treasures

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