Beowulf

1
Beowulf

• The Grandaddy
• of all
• English Language Texts

2
Old English (Anglo-Saxon) 600-1100A Sample Can
you guess what this is?

• ....g fæder, þu þe on heofonum eardast,
  geweorðad wuldres dreame. Sy þinum weorcum
  halgad noma niþþa bearnum þu eart nergend
  wera. Cyme þin rice wide, ond þin rædfæst willa
  aræred under rodores hrofe, eac þon on rumre
  foldan. Syle us to dæge domfæstne blæd, hlaf
  userne, helpend wera, þone singalan, soðfæst
  meotod. Ne læt usic costunga cnyssan to swiðe,
  ac þu us freodom gief, folca waldend, from yfla
  gewham, a to widan feore.

3
Middle English1100-1500 A Sample Can You Guess
What This Is?

• Oure fader that art in heuenis halowid be thi
  name ...
• Poul, the seruaunt of Jhesu Crist, clepid an
  apostle, departid in to the gospel of God which
  he hadde bihote tofore bi his profetis in holi
  scripturis of his sone, which is maad to hym of
  the seed of Dauid bi the flesch, and he was bifor
  ordeyned the sone of God in vertu, bi the spirit
  of halewyng of the ayenrisyng of deed men, of
  Jhesu Crist oure Lord, bi whom we han resseyued
  grace and the office of apostle, to obeie to the
  feith in alle folkis for his name, among whiche
  ye ben also clepid of Jhesu Crist, to alle that
  ben at Rome, derlyngis of God, and clepid hooli,
  grace to you, and pees of God oure fadir, and of
  the Lord Jhesu Crist.

4
Modern English1500-present Sample Can You
Guess What This Is?

• Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy
  name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth
  as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
  bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we
  forgive them that trespass against us. And lead
  us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.
  Amen.

5
Beowulf Its Epic!

• Before the tenth century in OLD ENGLISH
• Adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the
  sixth century.
• Oldest surviving epic in British literature.
• Beowulf exists in only one manuscript.
• Survived lots of history, including a fire
• Its in the British Museum
• Its NOT about British people and events.

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Beowulf Genre

• Its an EPIC (long)
• Its a POEM (not prose)
• Its an EPIC POEM
• Its an ELEGY
• (nostalgic poem often sad)
• HEROic style (long, formal, heroic figure
  determines the fate of the tribe)
• Takes place in Norway and Denmark
• Elements of German and Norse history, folk tales
  and mythology
• Pagan tale transSCRIBEd by a Christian.

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Beowulf Two Parts

• Part One Young Beowulf's successful fights with
  the water monster Grendel and with Grendel's
  mother
• Part Two Beowulfs victory in his old age over a
  dragon and his subsequent death and funeral at
  the end of a long life of honor.

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BeowulfCharacteristics

• Depicts HEROIC CODE OF HONOR strength, courage,
  bravery, loyalty, respect
• Not read widely until the 1800s
• Not respected until the 1930s
• Didnt affect Shakespeare or any of the other
  respected British writers before the twentieth
  century.
• J.R.R. Tolkien loved it, wrote about it, and
  eventually he was inspired by it The Lord of the
  Rings

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Beowulf Structure

• Strongly alliterative, called Alliterative verse
• Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
• Each line is divided into two halves. Break in
  each line is called a caesura.Lade ne letton
  Leoht eastsn com
• Featured rhetorical devices (writers tools and
  tricks).
• One featured rhetorical device is kenning which
  is giving one thing another name ship sea rider

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A Few Helpful Hints

• Heorot Mead Hall Pub in the castle
• Grendel big scary monster who doesnt like
  overhearing fun in Heorot above him. May be
  descended from biblical Cain.
• Hrothgar King of Denmark cant stop Grendel
• Beowulf Young, bold warrior from Geatland king
  of Geatland in later life.
• Unferth Part of Hrothgars posse jealous of
  Beowulf
• ? Grendels mother, a swamp hag
• Aeschere Advisor to Hrothgar swamp hag kills
  him.
• Hygelac and Hygd King and Queen of Geatland
• Shylfings Enemy of Geats kill Hygelac
• Wiglaf Has Beowulfs back when Beowulf is old
  and kills the dragon

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Sources

• Breeden, Dr. David. Beowulf http//www.lone-star
  .net/literature/beowulf/index.html (09/11/03)
• Stanford Unversity Libraries Resources and
  Academic Information Resources. English Language
  and Literature Medieval Studies
  www.bible-researcher.com/versions.html (09/12/03