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Beowulf: History

Beowulf: History. Beowulf is the first great work of English literature Oral epic handed down by story-tellers Composed sometime between 700 A.D. and 750 A.D., although the setting is much older Setting is Northumbria (Northeastern England).

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Beowulf: History

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  1. Beowulf: History Beowulf is the first great work of English literature Oral epic handed down by story-tellers Composed sometime between 700 A.D. and 750 A.D., although the setting is much older Setting is Northumbria (Northeastern England)

  2. The only written manuscript was discovered in the 18th century. • Preserved by Christian Monks. • Somehow survived Henry VIII’s destruction of all the monasteries only 200 years before…

  3. It dates from the year 1000 A.D. • Burnt and stained • It’s approximately 3,200lines. • The author is unknown; however, some believe it may have been a Christian monk who recorded this version.

  4. Anglo-Saxons • Angles and Saxons from Germany invade Britain in A.D. 449 and overthrow Roman occupation • “Engla – land” becomes “England” • They bring their culture, warfare lifestyle, and language • which eventually evolved into the “English” we use today. • much of our vocabulary comes from Anglo-Saxon roots.

  5. Anglo-Saxon Culture • Core Values: bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship • Dark Religion • Worshipped “Warrior-Gods” • Woden – God of death, poetry, and magic – “Woden’s-day” = “Wednesday” • Thunor – (Thor) God of thunder and lightning – “Thor’s-day” = “Thursday” • No hope in after-life, only fame in this life and being remembered by society for heroic acts

  6. Anglo-Saxon Culture “Scops” – (skäps) also called bards, were story-tellers who sang poetic songs to a harp about the Gods and heroes Esteemed in society – to Anglo-Saxons, creating poetry was just as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving. Clans met in the Great Hall to hear the scops tell the stories

  7. Anglo-Saxon Culture • Huge focus on heroes and bravery • Tight-knit clans with focus on loyalty to the leader • Anglo-Saxon literature is mostly elegiac: • Sad, mournful strain • Life is hard and ends only in death • “The Seafarer”

  8. Anglo-Saxon Culture • 871 A.D. – King Alfred the Great converts to Christianity and begins to unite England • Because of this, Christian monks begin to write down and preserve much of the Anglo-Saxon literature • The Danes (Viking people) from the north invade England and fight for years • In 1066 A.D. William – Duke of Normandy invades and conquers both sides

  9. Beowulf Part I: Burton Raffel’s translation, 1963. Part II: Seamus Heaney’s (Irish poet) translation, 2000.

  10. Characters Beowulf: a Geat, son of Edgetho (Ecgtheow) and nephew of Higlac (Hygalac), king of the Geats. Grendel: man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake. Herot: golden guest hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler. It was decorated with the antlers of stags. Hrothgar: king of the Danes, builder of Herot – he had once befriended Beowulf’s father. Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band and the only one to help him in his final fight.

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