Oft him an-haga are gebideþ
Metodes mildse þeah-þe he mod-cearig
Geond lagu-lade lange scolde
Hreran mid handum hrim-cealde sæ
Wadan wræc-lastas. Wyrd biþ ful aræd.
Swa cwæþ eard-stapa earfoþa gemyndig
Wraþra wael-sleahta wine-maga hryre.
Oft ic scolde ana uhtna gehwelce
Mine ceare cwiþan nis nu cwicra nan
ðe ic him mod-sefan minne durre
Sweotule asecgan. Ic to soþe wat
ðæt biþ on eorle indryhten þeaw
ðæt he his ferhþ-locan fæste binde
Healde his hord-cofan hycge swa he wille.
Old English: mid-Ve - 1066
Middle English: 1066 - late XVe
Modern English: XVIe - present
Old English: mid-Ve – 1066 (aka Anglo-Saxon)
•the language of Beowulf and the Wanderer
•Germanic, hence heavily inflected and synthetic
•special symbols invented by Latin-writing scribes:
•thorn(þ), eth(ð), asc(æ)
•many survivals (80+% of 1000 most common words)
Middle English: 1066 - late Xve
Modern English: XVIe – present
Roman invasion & occupation (43-c.410)
Germanic invasions (c.450):
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
Roman invasion & occupation (43-c.410)
Viking raids (9th c.)
Germanic invasions (c.450):
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
Roman invasion & occupation (43-c.410)
Viking raids (9th c.)
Germanic invasions (c.450):
Angles, Saxons, Jutes
Norman conquest (1066)
Roman invasion & occupation (43-c.410)
Old English: mid-Ve – 1066
•the language of Beowulf and the Wanderer
•Germanic, hence heavily inflected and synthetic
•special symbols invented by Latin-writing scribes:
•Thorn(þ), eth(ð), asc(æ)
•Many survivals (80+% of 1000 most common words)
Middle English: 1066 - late Xve
•Radical decline in inflections and declensions; hence
more analytic
•Extensive borrowings from French and Latin
•Chaucer / Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Modern English: XVIe – present
Old English: mid-Ve – 1066
•the language of Beowulf and the Wanderer
•Germanic, hence heavily inflected and synthetic
•special symbols invented by Latin-writing scribes:
•Thorn(þ), eth(ð), asc(æ)
•Many survivals (80+% of 1000 most common words)
Middle English: 1066 - late Xve
•Radical decline in inflections and declensions; hence
more analytic
•Extensive borrowings from French and Latin
•Chaucer / Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Modern English: XVIe – present
•Great Vowel Shift
•Shakespeare / Milton
•OE/ME/ModE compared
Old English Poetry
•roughly 30,000 lines survive, mostly in 4 MSS, all c. 1000
•Exeter Book (Wanderer, Seafarer, Deor, riddles),
•Junius MS (Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan)
•Vercelli MS (Dream of the Rood)
•MS Cotton Vitellius A.xv. (Beowulf, Battle of Maldon)
•originally oral poetry—hence formulaic, as we’ll see
•three main modes: heroic, elegiac, religious
•aa/ax pattern
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
•synonyms
•periphrasis
•variation
•kennings
The opening of The
Wanderer in the 10thcentury Exeter Book
(Exeter Cathedral
Library MS 3501)
The opening lines of Beowulf in
MS Cotton Vitellius A.x
ENGLISH 2310
FALL 2009
GRADY
QUIZ #1
Match the names with the correct descriptions. (5 pts)
____ 1. Wealtheow
A. Wife of Hrothgar
____ 2. Hygelac
B. Father of Beowulf
____ 3. Heorot
C. Thane of Hrothgar who insults Beowulf
____ 4. Unferth
D. King of Geats; uncle of Beowulf
____ 5. Ecgtheow
F. Mead-hall where Grendel attacks
Old English Poetry
•roughly 30,000 lines survive, mostly in 4 MSS, all c. 1000
•Exeter Book (Wanderer, Seafarer, Deor, riddles),
•Junius MS (Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan)
•Vercelli MS (Dream of the Rood)
•MS Cotton Vitellius A.xv. (Beowulf, Battle of Maldon)
•originally oral poetry, written down only later
•performed by a scop (Beowulf, 866-73)
•formulaic, as we’ll see
•three main modes: heroic, elegiac, religious
•aa/ax pattern
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
•synonyms
•God = God, dryhten, frea, hlaford, þeoden, wealdend, metode, weard,
scyppend
•Man = man, wer, gesið, ceorl, eorl, beorn, guma, hæleð, rinc, secg
•periphrasis
•variation
•kennings
Old English Poetry
•roughly 30,000 lines survive, mostly in 4 MSS, all c. 1000
•Exeter Book (Wanderer, Seafarer, Deor, riddles),
•Junius MS (Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan)
•Vercelli MS (Dream of the Rood)
•MS Cotton Vitellius A.xv. (Beowulf, Battle of Maldon)
•originally oral poetry, written down only later
•performed by a scop (Beowulf, 866-73)
•formulaic, as we’ll see
•three main modes: heroic, elegiac, religious
•aa/ax pattern
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
•synonyms
•God = God, dryhten, frea, hlaford, þeoden, wealdend, metode, weard,
scyppend
•Man = man, wer, gesið, ceorl, eorl, beorn, guma, hæleð, rinc, secg
•periphrasis
•variation
•kennings
Specialized poetic vocabulary and style in
Anglo-Saxon verse
•Synonyms
•Periphrasis
•Variation
•Kennings
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
Synonyms
•God = God, dryhten, frea, hlaford, þeoden, wealdend, metode, weard,
scyppend
•Man = man, wer, gesið, ceorl, eorl, beorn, guma, hæleð, rinc, secg
Periphrasis
Variation
Kennings
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
Synonyms
Periphrasis
Variation
Kennings, i.e., metaphors, sometimes recondite
Whale-road (10)
Swan’s road (200)
Unlocked his word-hoard (258)
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
Synonyms
Periphrasis, i.e., paraphrase of names/titles
A fiend out of hell (101)
This grim demon (102)
The God-cursed brute (121)
The hall-watcher (142)
That dark death-shadow (160)
These reavers from hell (163)
The Lord’s outcast (169)
Variation
Kennings
•Specialized poetic vocabulary and style
Synonyms
Periphrasis
Variation, i.e. repetition of sentence elements in apposition
Then a powerful demon, a prowler through the dark,
nursed a hard grievance. It harrowed him
to hear the din of the loud banquet
every day in the hall, the harp being struck
and the clear song of the skilled poet….
(Beowulf 86-90)
Kennings
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
The Wanderer:
“So this middle-earth wind-blown walls stand covered with frost-fall, storm-beaten dwellings.
Wine-halls totter, the lord lies bereft of joy, all the company has fallen, bold men beside the wall.”
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
The Wanderer:
“Where has the horse gone? Where the young warrior? Where is the giver of treasure? What has
become of the feasting seats? Where are the joys of the hall? Alas, the bright cup! Alas, the mailed
warrior! Alas, the prince's glory!”
Beot (formal boast)
Beowulf 631-41
Beowulf 2510-15
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
The Wanderer:
“So this middle-earth wind-blown walls stand covered with frost-fall, storm-beaten dwellings.
Wine-halls totter, the lord lies bereft of joy, all the company has fallen, bold men beside the wall.”
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
The Wanderer:
“Where has the horse gone? Where the young warrior? Where is the giver of treasure? What has
become of the feasting seats? Where are the joys of the hall? Alas, the bright cup! Alas, the mailed
warrior! Alas, the prince's glory!”
Beot (formal boast)
Beowulf 631-41
Beowulf 2510-15
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
Beowulf 499-601
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
Beot (formal boast)
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
“beasts of battle”
The Wanderer:
War took away some, bore them forth on their way; a bird carried one away over the deep sea; a wolf shared one with Death;
another a man sad of face hid in an earth-pit.
Battle of Maldon:
Now was combat near, glory in battle. The time had come when doomed men should fall. Shouts were raised; ravens circled,
the eagle eager for food. On earth there was uproar.
Beowulf, 3021-27
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
Beot (formal boast)
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
“beasts of battle”
“shaking the spear”
Battle of Maldon:
Birhtnoth spoke, raised his shield, his slender ash-spear, uttered words, angry and resolute gave
him answer: “Do you hear, seafarer, what this folk says? They will give you spears for tribute,
poisoned point and old sword…”
Offa spoke, shook his ash-spear: “Lo, you, Ælfwine, have encouraged us all, thanes in need…”
Then Dunnere spoke, shook his spear; humble churl, he cried over all, bade each warrior avenge Birhtnoth.
Beowulf, 234-6
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
Beot (formal boast)
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
“beasts of battle”
“shaking the spear”
“hero on the beach”?
Beowulf, 569-81
Beowulf,-1963-1970
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
Beot (formal boast)
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
“beasts of battle”
“shaking the spear”
“hero on the beach”?
arming of the warrior?
Beowulf 1441-64
Formulae and other motifs in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Ruin
Ubi sunt (“where are they?”)
Beot (formal boast)
Flyting (charge/defense/countercharge)
“beasts of battle”
“shaking the spear”
“hero on the beach”?
arming of the warrior?
The opening lines of Beowulf in
MS Cotton Vitellius A.x