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Introduction to Beowulf

Introduction to Beowulf. Transitioning from Old English to Modern English from the Oral Tradition to the Written Tradition. Why is Historical Context Important?. Historical Context: British Timeline. Historical Context: British Timeline. Anglo-Saxon Period. Language. 449 C.E.-1066 C.E.

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Introduction to Beowulf

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  1. Introduction to Beowulf Transitioning from Old English to Modern English from the Oral Tradition to the Written Tradition

  2. Why is Historical Context Important?

  3. Historical Context: British Timeline

  4. Historical Context: British Timeline Anglo-Saxon Period Language • 449 C.E.-1066 C.E. • First time England has solidarity • King Alfred the Great, first great Anglo-Saxon King • Led his people against the Danes/Vikings • For the first time, England became a nation (in any true sense) • Old English • Angle-Ish = English • Angle-land = England

  5. Etymology Genealogy n. n. • The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed or developed over time. “Etymology”. Wikipedia.org • The study of families and their lineage through history. • “Genealogy” Wikipedia.org

  6. Beowulf Genealogy

  7. Divisions of the English Language • Old English (450-1066 C.E.) • Beowulf • Middle English (1066-1485) • Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales • Modern English (1485-present) • Shakespeare • 1st play Comedy of Errors (1590)

  8. Transitioning Language

  9. Historical Context: British Timeline • Anglo Saxon Religion • Prospered over Christianity • Similar to Norse mythology • Belief in Dragons • Value bravery, loyalty, friendship • Met in Great Halls for storytelling • Polytheistic (many gods) • Woden- • god of death, poetry, & magic, • Woden’sDay (Wednesday) • Thor/Thunar • god of thunder and lightening • Thor’s Day (Thursday)

  10. Historical Context: Beowulf • Strong belief in fate (wyrd) • Juxtaposition of church and pagan worlds • Admiration of heroism and warriors who prevail in battle • Express religious faith and give moral instruction through stories

  11. Historical Context: Anglo-Saxon Literature • Characteristics: • Oral Tradition • Repetition • Stock scenes: points of a scene that are repeated to serve in memorization of plot lines for oral tradition, common characteristics (i.e. once upon a time), narrative landmark • Foreshadowing: clues to future elements • Flashbacks: reverting back to past events, non-linear chronology • Epithets: Alternative names for people • Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds • Kennings: hyphenated Germanic compound words (whale-road, life-house) • Litotes: Ironic understatements (i.e. He cared not for battle) • Caesura: Break in a line or verse • Confluence of Christian and Pagan Beliefs • Metonymy: a specific symbol or concept that represents something larger (the giver of rings) • Synecdoche: a figure of speech in which a more inclusive term is used instead of a less inclusive one (i.e. a part represents the whole, or a whole represents its parts)

  12. Historical Context: Beowulf • Oldest text in English • by Anonymous Oral Tradition • Composed in Anglo-Saxon (Old English) between 600 and 700 C.E. • Written down in 1000 C.E. • Translated by Christian monks –introduces Roman alphabet to Britain because monks wrote it down. • Hero’s journey • Epic • Transition of the heroic world to medieval world • The world of violence and ruined civilization fades with the old gods and is replaced with the promise of Christian virtue and mortal valor overcoming the forces of evil.

  13. Historical Context: Beowulf • Beowulf as the Hero • Beowulf the hero embodies virtues that are emblematic of the shift in times • (humility, loyalty, selflessness before personal glory) • Judged by honor as much as his deeds • Illustrated clash between Pagan and Christian tensions. • Illustrates constant and unresolved tension between glory of warrior on earth versus Christian virtues

  14. Oral Tradition Literary Techniques • Kennings- compounding that are metaphoric in meaning. (I.E. bone-house, sky’s candle, whale road) • Alliteration- repetition of stressed sounds, specifically consonants. (I.E. She sells sea shells…) • Caesura- indentation in verse which signifies a pause or break in a line. • Assonance-repetition of vowel sounds

  15. How would these devices help memory when telling an oral story? • Alliteration? • Kennings? • Caesura? • Assonance ?

  16. Your Turn! • Examine the use of each literary device in Beowulf. • Highlight use of alliteration and assonance. • Circle use of caesura. • Underline Kennings

  17. Homework: • Create your own poem, to be performed in the Oral Tradition. • Be sure to use caesura, kennings, alliteration, and assonance. • Be prepared to memorize and present these poems in the form of oral tradition.

  18. Good luck & God’s Speed • spēdan

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