I. DEFINITIONS

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I. DEFINITIONS

• A. EARLA NOBLEMAN A PERSON OF POWER
• B. THANEA WARRIOR LAND-HOLDER
• C. MINSTRELSONGWRITER, SINGER ONE WHO TRAVELS,
  TELLING STORIES
• D. MAIL--ARMOR
• E. EPICA LONG, NARRATIVE POEM ABOUT THE
  ADVENTURES OF A HERO
• 1. FOLK EPICSORIGINALLY ORAL STORIES WITH AN
  UNKNOWN AUTHOR
• 2. LITERARY EPICSMORE SOPHISTICATED AND
  LITERARY
• STORIES WITH A KNOWN AUTHOR

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II. COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF EPICS

• A. BEGINS IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS
• B. CONTAINS A CATALOGUE OF WARRIORS, SHIPS,
  ARMIES
• C. CONTAINS A BATTLE SCENE
• D. CONTAINS A LONG DESCRIPITION OF BATTLE GEAR
• E. SHOWS VAST SETTING INVOLVING RACES AND WORLDS
• F. HAS A HERO OF NOBLE BIRTH
• G. INVOLVES INTERVENTION OF SUPERNATURAL
  FORCESGODS, ANGELS, DEMONS
• H. HAS A HERO WITH SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH AND
  COURAGE
• I. CONTAINS ELEVATED LANGUAGE
• J. HAS AN OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW
• K. CONTAINS LONG SPEECHES BY MAIN CHARACTERS
• L. CONTAINS UNIVERSAL THEMES
• M. INVOKES THE MUSES (NOT IN BEOWULF)
• N. STATES THE THEME IMMEDIATELY (NOT IN BEOWULF)

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III. HISTORY OF POEM

• A. CREATED (ORALLY) AROUND 400 A.D. WRITTEN DOWN
  AROUND 800 A.D. IN OLD ENGLISH
• B. ANONYMOUS AUTHOR
• C. SCANDANAVIAN IN ORIGIN
• D. EMBODIMENT OF ANGLO-SAXON HEROIC
  IDEALSCOURAGE, STRENGTH, FAME-SEEKING ,
  WEALTH-SEEKING, SHARING OF PLUNDER WITH WARRIORS,
  LOYALTY TO KING, DEVOTION OF LIFE TO THE GOOD OF
  THE GROUP

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IV. ERA OF STORYS OCCURRENCE

• A. WARRIOR SOCIETY MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
  IS BETWEEN THANE (WARRIOR) AND HIS LORD BASED ON
  RESPECT AND TRUST
• B. KINSMEN SECOND MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
  IF KINSMAN IS KILLED, MAN MUST KILL THE SLAYER OR
  GET A PAYMENT (WERGILDMAN PRICE) EVEN IF
  KILLING WERE ACCIDENTAL FROM THIS CAME MANY
  TRIBAL OR BLOOD FEUDS
• C. AGE OF THE HEROBEOWULF WILL SAVE THE DAY

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V. COMPLETE TEXT

• A. BATTLE WITH GRENDEL
• B. BATTLE WITH GRENDELS MOTHER
• C. BATTLE WITH A DRAGON

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VI. CHRISTIANITY ASPECT

• A. PROBABLY WRITTEN BY A CHRISTIAN
• B. HAS REFERENCES TO THE BIBLE

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VII. THEMES

• A.UNENDING STRUGGLE OF GOOD VERSUS EVIL
• B. HOSTILE FORCE OF NATURE VERSUS ANGLO-SAXONS