Beowulf

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• Beowulf

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BeowulfBackground Notes

• Unknown author/poet
• Likely composed between 700-750 A.D.
• Written in Old English, a language spoken by the
  Anglo Saxons during their rule of England
• Anglo-Saxons Germanic peoples of three different
  tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) that ruled England
  during the 5th Century A.D.

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BeowulfBackground Notes

• Epic poem a long narrative centering around a
  single hero and his/her heroic adventures
• Epic hero is usually a person of great strength,
  wit or skill (Beowulf)

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Anglo-Saxon Riddles

• Along with poetry recitations, it is likely that
  Anglo-Saxons kept themselves entertained with
  riddles
• Nearly all the riddles that have survived are
  preserved in the Exeter Book (10th century
  compilation of Old English works)
• To better understand some literary techniques
  used in Beowulf, we will read and try to solve
  some of these riddles

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Anglo-Saxon Riddles

• Literary techniques used in Anglo-Saxon Riddles
  and in Beowulf
• Alliteration A figure of speech in which
  consonants, especially at the beginning of words,
  are repeated
• Kennings metaphorical compound words or phrases
  used in Old English (i.e., swanroad ocean
  helmet-bearer warrior)
• Caesura A break or pause in a line of poetry

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Can you solve the riddle? (68)

• Who am I who stand so boldly by the sea road--
•  Hightowering, cheek-bright, useful to men?
• Identify alliteration, kenning, caesura

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Can you solve the riddle?

• On earth this warrior is strangely born
•  Of two dumb creatures, drawn gleaming
•   Into the world, bright and useful to men.
•   It is tended, kept, covered by women--
•  Strong and savage, it serves well,
•  A gentle slave to firm masters
•   Who mind its measure and feed it fairly
•   With a careful hand. To these it brings
  life.    
•  Warm blessings to those who let it run
• Wild it brings a grim reward.

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Beowulf Notes

• Setting
•  The first part of the epic poem Beowulf takes
  place in Denmark.
• The second part is set in Geatland, Beowulfs
  homeland.
• Christian/Pagan Influences
• q Possibly the strangest thing about Beowulf is
  its combination of Christian and pagan themes.
• q The poem was composed by a Christian, which is
  evidence though the biblical references made
  throughout the poem.
• q  Wyrd is an Anglo-Saxon word that means
  fate.
• q   Christianity and paganism blend most
  strikingly in the storys monsters, especially
  Grendel and his mother.
• Find and underline one reference to the bible in
  the first section.

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• Characters Plot Introductions
• v Grendel is a powerful monster who terrorizes
  Herot, Hrothgars Hall, for 12 years.
• v  Hrothgar, King of the Danes, cannot do
  anything to stop Grendel.
• v  Even though Grendel killed Hrothgars
  warriors, he never dared touch King Hrothgars
  throne because it was protected by God, whose
  love Grendel could not know.
• Underline/Highlight the line that explains this
  in your text (lines 83-85).

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Vocabulary

• Hrothgars men drink in the mead hall. What is
  mead? 
• Grendel would likely be considered a heathen.
  What is a heathen?
• List any other words that you are not familiar
  with from the first section