Beowulf
Text and Context
Beowulf
► The
Old English language was mostly spoken, but
it did have highly developed poetry and prose; the
most famous of course, being the epic ballad of:
BEOWULF
► Beowulf: the earliest known recorded (written
around 8th century) epic ballad. Since the poem
takes place in Scandinavia, it provides some
information about customs and traditions of the
people of this time and place:
► http://faculty.virginia.edu/OldEnglish/Beowu
lf.Readings/Prologue.html
Background
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Unknown date of composition (roughly 8th-11th
Century CE) around 700 A.D.
The story had been in circulation as an oral narrative for
many years before it was written.
The action of the poem takes place around 500 AD
Poet is reviving the heroic language, style and values and
pagan values of ancient Germanic oral poetry
Unknown author; possibly one Christian author in
Anglo-Saxon England
….Background
•Only a single manuscript of the
poem survived the Anglo-Saxon
era. In the 1700’s it was nearly
destroyed in a fire
•It was not until 1936 when the
Oxford scholar J.R.R Tolkien
published a paper on the poem
that it became popular.
…Background
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Was bound together with 4 other works in
Old English.
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The Passion of St. Christopher
The Wonders of the East
Alexander’s Letter to Aristotle
Judith (a poem)
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All have the presence of monsters, so this suggests
that was the common thread.
Today, the manuscript is in the British Library in
London
Beowulf’s Name
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Beowulf’s father– Edgetho
 In most cases, the son is named after the father
► Don
► Donald
(son of Don)
► McDonald (son of son of Don)
► McDonaldson (son of son of son of Don)
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Proves Beowulf is own individual with own powers and
abilities (and more important than his father)
Beo– Bear
 Bears are known as Great Protectors in Norse mythology
 Strong
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Wulf– Wolf
 Wolves are also great protectors, but are also cunning and speedy
Geats and Danes
• The poem deals with
ancient Germanic
forebears, the Danes
and the Geats
 Beowulf was a war
leader of the Geats,
a group of people in
what is now
southern Sweden
 Hrothgar was king of
the Danes
The Beowulf Poet
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The poet is Christian
The poem reflects established
Christian tradition
Allusions to the Old Testament
Beowulf is a Redeemer who is
sent by God to save man from
sin
The price of salvation is life
itself
Correspondences between
Beowulf’s death and the death
of Christ
Elements of an Epic
1.
•
Epic hero– an character with a trait or
characteristic that is valued by his society.
(E.g.– Superman’s bravery or valor)
Quest– A journey through which the character
or the reader learns something
3. Valorous Deeds– Doing something bravely.
4. Divine Intervention– The hand of God (or
gods) help the hero, proving his value.
5. Great events– The hero has a hand in
something important in the history or mythology
of a culture.
2.
2 Types of Epics
Folk
1.
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Told out loud first (usually by scops)
Unknown author
Unknown dates
(E.g.—Beowulf is a folk epic because we don’t know
who wrote it)
Literary
2.
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Known author
(E.g.– Paradise Lost, by John Milton is a literary epic
because we know who wrote it.)
3 Epic Conventions
1.
Invoke a muse
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2.
Plot begins in medias res
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3.
Muse– inspiration provided by the gods
In medias red– “In the middle of” the action
Serious tone
Heroic Values in Beowulf
► Relationship
between
king and his warriors
► The king rewards his
warriors with gifts
► If a kinsman is slain,
obligation to kill the
slayer or obtain
payment (wergeld) in
compensation
Warrior Code
Comitatus: Germanic code of loyalty
 Thane: warrior – swears loyalty to the king
for whom they fought and whom they
protected
 Kings: generous, protected thanes
 Reputation: thanes were expected to be
loyal, brave, courageous; kings were
expected to be generous and hospitable
 Wergild: “man-payment”; a fee paid to the
family of a slain man to atone for his
murder and to prevent the family from
seeking revenge.
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Conflicting Christian Values and
Heroic Values
► This
tension is at the
heart of the poem
► Pagan history and
myth are made to
point to a Christian
moral
► Beowulf is poised
between two value
systems
The Character of Beowulf
► He
fights for personal
honor, but is
committed to service
to his own people and
humanity.
► A superhuman who
remains recognizable
► Contrast old and
young Beowulf
► Beowulf as savior
Theme Topics
► Good
vs. Evil
► Fate
► The
Importance of
Establishing Identity
► Tension between
Heroic Code and
Christianity
► Significance of
artifacts
► The past
Important Elements of the Poem
► Elegaic
tone
► Heroic poem
► Contrasts
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Christian and pagan
Youth and old age
Rise and fall of nations
Joy and sorrow
Fate and God’s will
Violence
Irony
Literary Devices
Allusion: Biblical, Germanic oral tradition,
Norse myth and legend, historical AngloSaxon kings (eg. King Offa of Mercia)
 Alliteration (eg. Scyld’s strong son)
 Epic poetry: a long narrative poem written
in elevated style which celebrates the deeds
of a legendary hero or god.
 Kenning: two-word metaphorical name for
something (eg. whale-road=sea)
 Scop: Anglo-Saxon composers and
storytellers (like minstrels or bards)

Sutton Hoo
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Near Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, is the site of two
Anglo-Saxon cemeteries of the 6th century and early 7th
century. One contained an undisturbed ship burial
including a wealth of Anglo-Saxon artifacts of outstanding
art-historical and archaeological significance, which are
now held in the British Museum in London. Other sites
before then had already produced significant finds, but
many had been looted.Burial site discovered in 1939
► Important links to Anglo-Saxon world and Beowulf
► Remains of a boat were discovered and large burial
chamber containing numerous artifacts
► Artifacts suggest a distinctly Christian element intermingled
with pagan ritual.
► Episodes in Beowulf now have tangible archaeological
evidence to add credibility to the blend of customs in the
text.
Sutton Hoo Artifacts
Suggested Further Reading
► Beowulf,
A Verse Translatioin. Trans. Seamus
Heaney. Ed. Daniel Donaghue.
Norton
Critical Edition. 2002.
► http://www.lnstar.com/literature/beowulf/beowulf.
html
► http://greenehamlet.com/beowulfresources/#suttonhoo
► http://www.blinkx.com/watch-video/anglo-saxontreaure-hoard-found-in-staffordshirefield/AOyZvCEUOPurd3cSGJ05ZQ