2. Where Did Beowulf Come from?
Beowulf is an oral epic- a story about a hero that was told aloud in long ago times
We don’t know who made up the story; It was probably more than one person adding on to the story as time went by
First hero story from Europe
It was first written down about 1000AD
It tells a story from about 500 AD

3. Beowulf The story mixes Christian and non-Christian world views
The poem, filled with biblical allusions to the Old Testament, is also influenced by Germanic oral tradition and Old Norse myths and legends
It was first published in modern times in 1815
It is written in a style of writing known as “Old English”

4. Old English
The Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples had invaded the island of Britain and settled there several hundred years earlier than Beowulf began, bringing with them several closely related Germanic languages that would evolve into Old English.
Old English is nothing like modern English!

5. Old English Prologue from Beowulf
Sample text in Old English (Prologue from Beowulf)
                                                                                                                                                                                   
Modern English version

6. Which Means…
Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped, we have heard, and what honor the athelings won! Oft Scyld the Scefing from squadroned foes, from many a tribe, the mead-bench tore, awing the earls. Since erst he lay friendless, a foundling, fate repaid him: for he waxed under welkin, in wealth he throve, till before him the folk, both far and near, who house by the whale-path, heard his mandate, gave him gifts:

7. Which Really Means…
Listen to my story! We have heard of the long-ago years, of the glory of the Danish kings. We have heard how they swung their mighty swords in brave deeds. In those days Scyld Scefing made slaves of enemy soldiers and terrified their nobles. The Danes had found him helpless as a child. He had been floating on the sea in a ship, surrounded by gifts, a strange kingchild. He grew tall, sailed the seas, rode through the land, till other kings sailed the whale-paths to seek him, offer him gold and bow to him. He ruled lands on all sides. That was a brave king!

8. Literary Devices in Beowulf
Beowulf is noted especially for three literary devices : caesura, alliteration and kenning
Remember that a literary device is a way of writing to produce a special effect

9. Caesura A break or a pause in the middle of a verse
Helps in reading and give special effects to a word or phrase- often marked with a double line (ll)
Example from Beowulf
Hwæt! we Gar-Dena || on geardagum
("Lo! we Spear-Danes, in days of yore).

10. Alliteration
the repetition of similar sounds, especially the initial consonant sound of a word or of a stressed syllable
Examples from Beowulf (there are three alliterations in every line )
Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Scyldings, Leader beloved, and long he ruled In fame with all folk since his father had gone . . .

11. Kenning two-word metaphorical name for something Examples in Beowulf
Ship:  "the bent-necked wood," "the ringed prow," "the foamy-necked," "the sea-wood," "the sea-farer"
Sea:   "the swan-road"   "the whale-road" "the sea-bird's baths"
Sword: "the leaving of the file"   "battle-lightning“
Dragon: "the twilight-spoiler“
Battle:  "the storm of swords"
Queen:  "peace-bringer among nations"
Lord/king:   "the protector of warriors;" "ring-giver;"  "dispenser of treasure

12. Beowulf Themes
Goodness conquers evil. Beowulf, of course represents goodness; the three monsters that he slays represent evil.  
Actions (Beowulf's) speak louder than words (Unferth's).  
Judge the greatness of a human being by the greatness of his deeds and his noble ancestry.  
Help thy neighbor. (Beowulf risks his life to help a neighbor, King Hrothgar, in trouble.)  
Forces of darkness–irrational, menacing–are always at work in society.
Life is a continuing struggle. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, Grendel's mother seeks revenge. Beowulf kills her. Eventually, in old age, he faces still another challenge, this time from a dragon. He kills the dragon, too, but suffers a mortal wound. After he dies, new troubles loom on the horizon in the form of wars with neighboring tribes. 

13. Beowulf Pronunciation Guide
It might be of some help in reading Beowulf to know how to pronounce some of the names. The accent always falls on the first syllabus of a name. The "sc" that starts many of the names is pronounced  "sh."  The "e" is usually pronounced as an independent vowel, so "Beowulf" sound like "Bay'-oh-wolf," "Heorot" is "Hay-oh-roht," and "Geats" are Gay'ahts."  The letter "h" at the beginning of a name is aspirated (strongly-breathed).  Old English Name:   Pronounciation:Ælfhere  alf hair uh
Æschere  ash hair uh
Beanstan  bayan stahn
Dæghrefn   day hreven
Eadgils  ayad gils (hard g)
Eanmund  ayan mund 
Earnaness  er nuh ness
Ecgtheow  edge thayo
Eofor   ayo ver
Freawaru  fraya wah roo
Geat  gayat
Geatas  gayat as
Hæthcyn  hath kin
Healfdene  half day nuh (pronounce the l)
Heardred   har dred
Heorogar  hair uh gar
Heorot  hay oh roht
Herebeald  hair uh bald
 Heremod   hair uh mode
Hildeburh  hil duh burch
Hnæf  hnaff
Hoc  hoke
Hreosnabeorh  hrayos nuh bairch
Hrothgar  hroth gar
Hronesnes  hron us ness
Hygelac  hee yuh lahk
Nægling  nail ing
Ohthere  ocht hair uh
Ongentheow  on gen thayo (hard g)
Scefing  shay ving
Scop shope
Scyld  shay ld
Wealhtheow  walch thayo
Weohstan  wech stahn
Wiglaf  wee lahf

14. Quick Summary
Written: Between down around 1000 A.D., in England; had been a story told out loud for centuries
Author: Unknown
Type of Work: Epic poem
Setting: in Denmark and Geatland ( what is now southern Sweden) in about 500 A.D.
Tone: Exciting, action, foreboding
Protagonist: Beowulf
Antagonist: Grendal, Grendal’s mother