1. Beowulf
Lecture Notes

2. Epic Poems:
An epic is a long, narrative poem celebrating the feats of a traditional hero.
Other examples of epic poems:
Illiad
Odyssey

3. Characteristics of Epic Poems
About the adventures of larger-than-life characters
Hero is a great leader strongly identified with a particular people or society
Setting is broad and often includes the upper and lower worlds
Hero does great deeds in battle or undertakes an extraordinary journey
Sometimes the gods or other supernatural beings take part in the action
Story is told in heightened language

4. Beowulf – The Poem Epic poem about war heroes
First great work of English national literature
Mythical and literary record of a formative stage of English civilization
Uses many traditional motifs associated with heroic literature all over the world

5. Motifs: Stories of dream and legend
Of monster and of god-fashioned weapons
Of descents to the underworld
Of fights with dragons
Of the hero’s quest
Of a community threatened by the powers of evil

6. Plot Tells story of Beowulf (may mean “bear”)
Geat from Sweden who crosses the sea to Denmark on a quest to rescue King Hrothgar from the demonic monster Grendel

7. Beowulf – Epic Hero
Central figure in a long narrative that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society
Has superior strength
Supremely Ethical
Must defeat monsters that embody dark, destructive powers
At the end of his quest, is glorified by the people he has saved

8. Beowulf: an Epic that is:
Composed by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet
Thought to be composed in England, but set in Scandinavia
Originally composed in Old English, probably in northeast England

9. Composed sometime between the years 700-750 A.D.
Depicts the world of the 6th Century

10. Oral Story Telling
Handed down, with embellishments and changes, from minstrel to minstrel
A traditional oral epic familiar to the audiences who crowded around the bards in communal halls at night

11. Details of the Story
Many characters in the poem (Swedish & Danish royal family members) correspond to actual historical figures.
Much of it is based on early folk legends
Some Celtic
Some Scandinavian

13. Religious Aspects
Christian elements described lead us to believe the poet may have been a monk.
Poem is full of religious elements (both Christian and Pagan references)
Ex: Poet sings to the “Almighty”
Many references to God, his creation, and the need to thank God.
It is God who leads Beowulf to victory over Grendel’s Mother.

14. Warrior Culture Results from this early feudal arrangement.
Is important to the story and our understanding of Saxon civilization
Strong kings demand bravery and loyalty from their warriors; warriors then repaid with treasures won in war.

15. The Manuscript Dates from the year 1000
Now in the British Museum in London
Burned and stained
Discovered in the 18th Century

16. Background of the Plot
In Scandinavian world of the story, tiny tribes of people rally around strong kings.
Kings protect their people from danger, especially from confrontations with other tribes.