1. Beowulf

2. Beowulf Introducing the Epic
Beowulf is
the first great work of
English national literature.
the only surviving substantial example of Old English heroic poetry. Its 3,182 lines make up 10% of the whole body of Old English poetry.
the epic story of the hero Beowulf, who fights the demonic monster Grendel.

3. Beowulf Background Beowulf is an oral
tale that was passed from bard to bard.
Bards, or scops, told the familiar story for audiences in the communal halls at night.
It was written down sometime between 7th and 10th century.
Reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village in West Stow, England, with communal hall on the left.

4. Beowulf Background Who wrote it down?
Theory:
The poet who recorded Beowulf may have been a Northumbrian monk.
Evidence:
scenery described resembles Northumbria (northeastern England)
Christian elements in epic

5. Setting for Beowulf
Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia (northern Europe: Denmark, Norway, Sweden) in the 5th or very early 6th century.
Scandinavia
Britain
Scholars think Herot, the main hall described, might have been built on the coast of Zealand, in Denmark. Evidence of a great hall exists.

6. Setting of Beowulf
Herot: the golden guest hall built by King Hrothgar where warriors gathered to celebrate. It represents prosperity, peace, and victory for Hrothgar and his men.
Evidence of a King Hrothgar exists in records from this time.

7. People in Beowulf Hrothgar: king of the Danes; built Herot.
Beowulf: a Geat, son of Edgetho, nephew of Higlac, king of the Geats (Geatland is present day Sweden.)
Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulf’s select band and the only one to help him in his final fight with the dragon.

8. Monsters in Beowulf
Grendel: man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake. Mere is symbolic of the human subconscious.
Grendel’s mother: water-witch who seeks revenge for her son; represents pagan people who opposed Christianity
Dragon: guardian of the grave mound; living embodiment (personification )of evil and death. Vikings sailed in boats with dragons carved into the prow.

9. Epic Poem
Long narrative work that tells the story of a larger-than-life hero, known as an epic hero.
Plot usually involves supernatural events, long time periods, distant journeys, and life and death struggles between good and evil.

10. Epic Hero
Man of high social status, often important in the history of his people
Always represents good, while forces that threaten represent evil. The defeat of evil forces determines the fate of a nation/group.
Has great physical strength, very attractive, quick-thinking, and willing to sacrifice self to save others

11. Anglo-Saxon Hero
Displays courage, strength, loyalty, wisdom, and self-confidence; will brag of his accomplishments to show commitment to action
Does not show fear and is in control of his emotions
Understands that fate will determine the outcome, but the underlying belief is that good will win over evil.

12. Archetypal Hero Perfect model of a hero
Often what society works to achieve
Embodies the values of a society

13. Epic Hero=Superhero
Epic poems
Oral tales
Movies
Cartoon
Comics

14. The Poetry of Beowulf
Beowulf was composed in Old English, which uses a caesura, or rhythmic pause, to create unity.
ða com of more         under misthleoþum Grendel gongan,         godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða         manna cynnes sumne besyrwan         in sele þam hean.

15. The Poetry of Beowulf
Here are the same lines in modern English from Burton Raffel’s translation:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.
Punctuation reproduces pause effect of the caesura.

16. Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
The Poetry of Beowulf
Find examples of alliteration in Burton Raffel’s translation of lines 1-5:
Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

17. The Poetry of Beowulf Out from the marsh, from the foot of misty
Hills and bogs, bearing God’s hatred,
Grendel came, hoping to kill
Anyone he could trap on this trip to high Herot.

18. The Poetry of Beowulf
The kenning is another poetic device that was used by the oral poet. It is a descriptive combination of words used to replace another word to avoid repetition.
Examples of kennings from Beowulf:
gold-shining hall= Herot
guardian of crime = Grendel
strong-hearted wakeful sleeper = Beowulf
cave-guard and sky-borne foe = dragon

19. The Poetry of Beowulf
Beowulf is an elegy, a poem with a mournful, reflective tone. This elegiac tone is characteristic of Anglo-Saxon literature, as their lives were uncertain and constantly threatened.

20. Old English Reading Male voice:
Female Voice: