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An Introduction to Beowulf. Anglo-Saxons. Anglo-Saxons: Germanic Settlers Pagan, until between the 7 th or 8 th century Past Times: Drinking Feasting Storytelling Fighting and doing great deeds. The Danes and Geats. Danes – Danish, people from Denmark
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Anglo-Saxons • Anglo-Saxons: Germanic Settlers • Pagan, until between the 7th or 8th century Past Times: • Drinking • Feasting • Storytelling • Fighting and doing great deeds
The Danes and Geats • Danes – Danish, people from Denmark • Geats – Swedes, people from Sweden
Anglo-Saxon Mead Hall
Oral Storytelling • One of the main forms of entertainment
The Beowulf Poet • Anonymous • Circa 700 CE/AD • Anglo-Saxon • Obviously learned • Christian
The Poem • Written circa. 700 CE/AD • Had two scribes • Events take place circa. 500 CE/AD • Epic poem • Written in England, set in Scandinavia • Alliterative verse • Written in Old English
Different Translations • Dozens of different translations into Modern English • Seamus Heaney’s most popular, controversial
Hwaet! • R.M. Liuzza – Listen! • Burton Raffel – Hear Me! • Michael Alexander – Attend! • Seamus Heaney – So.
The Manuscript • Only one • Was almost lost to a fire in 1731 • Currently preserved in the British Library, London
TheManuscript • HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearðfeasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendraofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone God sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme