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Beowulf

Beowulf. A View of Anglo-Saxon Culture.

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Beowulf

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  1. Beowulf A View of Anglo-Saxon Culture

  2. “Beowulf is to English what the Odyssey and the Iliad are to Greek language and literature. The oldest piece of vernacular literature of any substance not only in England but the whole of Europe; it breathes the whole spirit of the northern Heroic Age.”~ Beowulf scholar Michael Swanton

  3. The Manuscript • Only one copy still survives • It is housed in the British museum • The copy is dated about 1000 AD before the use of the printing press • It was hand copied by monks in a monastery • It was nearly lost when King Henry VIII closed all the monasteries • It was saved by a collector and survived the great London fires with minimal damage.

  4. Language • Beowulf is written in Old English • It was composed between 700 and 950 AD. • It is more than 3000 lines long.

  5. Language Continued • More than 80% of our words are derived from Old English • The poem contains caesura- a midline pause to help poets remember their lines • The poem was originally told orally and was not written down until much later • It also contains many kennings, or an epithet that is made up of two word metaphors, usually connected by a hyphen: ex. - a dragon is a cave-guard or a hoard-guard, armor is war-gear or battle-dress • These are just a few examples found in Beowulf • moder = mother • Hond = hand • Lif = life • Man = man • Hus = house • Eald = old • Swearde = sword • Londe = land • Worulde = world • Wundor = wonder

  6. History • The poet is writing in the English period following the collapse of the Roman Empire (about 400 AD) referred to as the Anglo-Saxon period • After the Romans left England Northern Germanic tribes began to invade, the strongest being the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. They conquers the Celtic inhabitant of the island (about 500 AD)

  7. History Continued • These groups set up small kingdoms or realms also know as city-states • The kingdoms lived in constant fear of invasion. • In the 8-9 c. the island was constantly warring with the Vikings, who managed to conquer most of England, leaving only the West Saxon kingdom. • This culture was marked with a persistent fear of their group being swallowed up and assimilated into another culture. This fear is echoed in Beowulf. • After settling England, the Anglo-Saxons became a Christian agricultural society.

  8. The Poem • Beowulf is written by an Anglo-Saxon but takes place in Scandinavia • It tells the story of a warrior from Geatland, Beowulf, and his battles with 3 monsters. • Beowulf travels from Geatland (modern day Sweden) to assist the Danish King Hrothgar in ridding his kingdom of the man-eating monster, Grendel.

  9. The Poem Continued • He is then faced with Grendel’s mother. • Upon slaying her, Beowulf returns home to Geatland to rule for 50 years. • He meets his death while trying to defend his kingdom against a fire-breathing dragon.

  10. Themes • Tribal warfare • The kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England live in constant fear of invasion • A revenge ethic exist, an eye for an eye mentality • Princesses were given as peace-weavers, that is they were given in marriage by their fathers to other rules to settle conflicts between kingdoms • The Sword is more than just a weapon. It is symbolic of past conquests, and is handed down from father to son. Swords in this era were very elaborate and often told the story of legendary family victories in scroll work and jewels.

  11. More Themes • Wyrd • Meaning fate. For most Anglo-Saxon warriors the ultimate wyrd is death. One of the ways for a warrior to escape death and gain immortality was to create a name for himself through heroic acts. • These acts would allow the warrior’s name to live on in the stories of others.

  12. Themes Concluded • Scop • The poem was most likely told by a scop, or oral poet who told legendary stories to the aristocracy • A scop is the same as a Greek rhapsod • The poem has several digressions that tell the stories of famous rulers and warriors, many of which we only have knowledge of from the text of Beowulf

  13. Guiding Questions(Things to keep in mind while reading) • Does the narrator interject his own judgments on Beowulf or is he neutral? Is he a reliable narrator? • Are there any connections between individual characters? How? • Is Beowulf a hero?

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