Fast facts on Beowulf
1. Oldest surviving epic in the English language
(composed as early as c. 700)
2. Only one copy of it exists
3. Contains Pagan/Folkloric/Christian elements
4. In its entirety is more than 3,000 lines long
Original…
1-21
HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum,
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon!
oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð
feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,
oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning!
Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned
geong in geardum, þone God sende
folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat,
þe hie ær drugon aldorlease
lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea,
wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf,
Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in.
Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean,
fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme,
Old English
Eft he axode, hu ðære ðeode nama wære þe hi of comon.
Him wæs geandwyrd, þæt hi Angle genemnode wæron. Þa
cwæð he, "Rihtlice hi sind Angle gehatene, for ðan ðe hi
engla wlite habbað, and swilcum gedafenað þæt hi on
heofonum engla geferan beon."
Again he [St. Gregory] asked what might be the name of
the people from which they came. It was answered to him
that they were named Angles. Then he said, "Rightly are
they called Angles because they have the beauty of angels,
and it is fitting that such as they should be angels'
companions in heaven."
For you to translate…
Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor— (hrandeor-deer used to pull vehicles)
Næfde þæt nieten unsciende næsðyrlas! (næsðyrlas-nostrils)
Glitenode and gladode godlice nosgrisele.
Ða hofberendas mid huscwordum hine gehefigodon; (hofberendas-hoofbeats)
Nolden þa geneatas Hrodulf næftig
(gehefigodon-taunted)
To gomene hraniscum geador ætsomne. (to join in the mirth-making of fellow deer)
Þa in Cristesmæsseæfne stormigum clommum, (stormigum-stormy)
Halga Claus þæt gemunde to him maðelode: (the evening of Christ’s mass)
‘Neahfreond nihteage nosubeorhtende!
(nosubeorhtende-nose bright one)
Min hroden hrædwæn gelæd ðu, Hrodulf!’ (my adorned, rapid wagon you will lead)
Ða gelufodon hira laddeor þa lyftflogan -Wæs glædnes and gliwdream; hornede sum gegieddode (glædnes –gladness)
‘Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor,
(readnosa-red nosed)
Brad springð þin blæd: breme eart þu!’ (breme eart þu!-renowned art thou)
For you to translate…
Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor— (hrandeor-deer used to pull vehicles)
Næfde þæt nieten unsciende næsðyrlas! (næsðyrlas-nostrils)
Glitenode and gladode godlice nosgrisele.
Ða hofberendas mid huscwordum hine gehefigodon; (hofberendas-hoofbeats)
Nolden þa geneatas Hrodulf næftig
(gehefigodon-taunted)
To gomene hraniscum geador ætsomne. (to join in the mirth-making of fellow deer)
Þa in Cristesmæsseæfne stormigum clommum, (stormigum-stormy)
Halga Claus þæt gemunde to him maðelode: (the evening of Christ’s mass)
‘Neahfreond nihteage nosubeorhtende!
(nosubeorhtende-nose bright one)
Min hroden hrædwæn gelæd ðu, Hrodulf!’ (my adorned, rapid wagon you will lead)
Ða gelufodon hira laddeor þa lyftflogan -Wæs glædnes and gliwdream; hornede sum gegieddode (glædnes –gladness)
‘Hwæt, Hrodulf readnosa hrandeor,
(readnosa-red nosed)
Brad springð þin blæd: breme eart þu!’ (breme eart þu!-renowned art thou)
Translated…
Lo, Hrodulf the red-nosed reindeer –
That beast didn't have unshiny nostrils!
The goodly nose-cartilage glittered and glowed.
The hoof-bearers taunted him with proud words;
The comrades wouldn't allow wretched Hrodulf To join the reindeer games.
Then, on Christmas Eve bound in storms
Santa Claus remembered that, spoke formally to him:
"Dear night-sighted friend, nose-bright one!
You, Hrodulf, shall lead my adorned rapid-wagon!"
Then the sky-flyers praised their lead-deer –
There was gladness and music; one of the horned ones sang
"Lo, Hrodulf the red-nosed reindeer, Your fame spreads broadly, you are renowned!"
Primary Characters
• Beowulf
• The hero for whom the untitled poem
was later named, Beowulf is the
perfect warrior -- brave, strong, and
honorable. While he displays enough
bravado to inspire hope in the
Scyldings, he is still courteous. He uses
both his wits and brute strength to
defeat his foes. Beowulf's only flaw
manifests in the latter part of the
poem, when he decides to face the
dragon alone instead of delegating the
task to a younger man, and in so doing
leaves his kingdom without an
experienced ruler, vulnerable to its
enemies.
Primary Characters
• Hrothgar
• The king of the Scyldings is a wise
and venerable leader weighed
down with sorrow and loss. Placed
in the unenviable position of
requiring outside help to solve his
deadliest problem, Hrothgar
nevertheless stands proud as he
decides to accept Beowulf's help.
Before the hero returns home,
Hrothgar has wisdom to share with
him about kingship, for which he
believes Beowulf is eminently
suited.
Primary Characters
• Unferth
• Unferth is one of Hrothgar's Scyldings, and like all the
other Scyldings, he has failed to defeat Grendel, and
will not face the fiend. When Beowulf arrives and is the
focus of his comrade's hopes, Unferth grows jealous,
and, having indulged in too much drink, he taunts the
hero. Unferth's resentment and inferiority serve to
throw Beowulf's greatness into sharper relief. Yet he is
the one character who exhibits any growth, humbled
by Beowulf's defeat of Grendel and lending his prized
sword to the hero when he fights Grendel's mother.
However, he understands -- as does the reader -- that
he will never be a true hero.
Primary Characters
• Wealhtheow - walch thayo
• Hrothgar's wife and queen is
Wealhtheow. Her appearance in
Heorot lends a certain grave
splendor to the festivities. It is
Wealhtheow to whom Beowulf
makes his pledge to kill Grendel or
die in the attempt, and it is
Wealhtheow's confirmation of
Hrothgar's adoption of Beowulf that
seems to legitimize the act. In a
sense, Wealhtheow symbolizes all
that is fine and good in women,
especially women of rank and
sensibility.
Primary Characters
• Grendel's Mother
• A swamp-fiend like her son, Grendel's
mother -- who is never named -- is
just as fierce and dangerous as
Grendel. Understandably enraged by
the death of her offspring, the hag
attacks swiftly and flees, killing
Hrothgar's advisor Aeschere. But
when Beowulf comes after her, she
faces him willingly, dragging him into
her lair and attacking him viciously.
Just as much a monster as Grendel,
the mother shares a very human
desire for vengeance. She can be
contrasted with Wealhtheow,
symbolizing evil in womanhood.
Primary Characters
• Hygelac - hee yuh lahk
• Hygelac is the King of the Geats.
He is fond of Beowulf, yet
surprised that he has triumphed
over such a deadly foe. By
bestowing gifts and honors on the
returning hero, Hygelac reveals
how Beowulf's victories have
earned him respect among the
Geats. When Hygelac dies,
Beowulf refuses to take the
throne; only when Hygelac's son
is killed does Beowulf take on the
responsibility of ruling Geatland.
Primary Characters
• The Dragon
• An ancient creature, the
Dragon has made his home in
an even more ancient barrow,
where the treasure of a longdead pagan chieftain was
hidden. When its lair is
accidentally discovered, and
when only one item is taken
from its hoard, the Dragon
awakens to bring fiery
devastation to Geatland.
Beowulf's battle with the
Dragon will be his last.
Primary Characters
• Wiglaf - wee lahf
• A kinsman to Beowulf, Wiglaf
is one of the warriors that the
hero brings with him to seek
out the Dragon, and the only
one who joins Beowulf in his
hour of need instead of
fleeing. For his loyalty and
courage, Wiglaf is made
Beowulf's heir, signifying that
the valued qualities of the
warrior live on in the next
generation of Scandinavian
manhood.
Heorot
Kennings – metaphorical compound word
or phrase substituted for a noun or name
The sea – whale-road (hron-rade)
swan-road (swan-rade)
Ligaments – bone-locks (ban-locan)
Helm of the Scyldings (helm Scyldinga)
Deer – heath-stepper (haeP-stapen)
Grendel’s Mother – mere-woman strong (mere-wif mihtig)
or water-hag
Hrunting – battle-torch (beado-leoma)
Waitress – food-bringer
Student – knowledge-seeker
Judge – justice-maker
Caesura
A pause dividing each line, which each part having
two accented syllables to help maintain the rhythm of
the lines.
He took what he wanted, all the treasures
Alliteration
The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning
of words, which helps unify the lines
So mankind’s enemy continued his crimes.
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