Beowulf

1
Beowulf

• Written in Old English

2
Brief History of Text

• One copy of the text remains
• Scientists have dated the copy that exists to
  around 1000 AD
• Probably hand copied by two monks

3
Texts survival

• Preserved in a monastery
• Early 16th Century--the reign of Henry VIII put
  it in danger
• Survives probably by being taken into private
  collection
• Emerges in 1563, moved to Cotton and then to
  British Museum

4
What we know--next to nothing!

• Scholars have inferred
• Consistent style suggests single author
• Use of conventional poetic devices suggest
  educated author
• Repeated phrases and formula words suggest oral
  composition
• References to God and Bible suggest Christian
  author

5
Things that are still unclear

• Place of origin
• Studying Anglo Saxon dialect has been
  inconclusive
• Date of poem
• Anywhere from 700-1000 AD
• Details about the author
• Scop?

6
Structure of the poem
7
Use of caesura

• Break (caesura) divides each line into two
  half-lines
• Each half line contains 2 stressed words or
  syllable with remaining syllables left unstressed

8
Alliteration

• Used within lines to link important words
• Consists of a consistent consonant beginning to
  words within a line or beginning the words with a
  vowel
• All vowels were treated the same

9
Set metrical combinations to fit needs

• Example On the sea can be said a couple of ways
• On hranrade (on the whale-road)
• On seglrade (on the sail-road)

10
Kennings

• Metaphorical phrase used in place of a noun
• Sun candle of the sky

11
Anglo Saxon world

• Roman roads and oxcarts
• Villages wooden houses
• Communal farmland
• Stone churches
• Soldiers in armor
• Mead halls--communal banquet halls

12
Anglo Saxon world (cont)

• Harsh environment
• War!
• Few comforts
• Religion
• Gods neither all good nor all powerful

13
Heroes

• Could attain some immortality through fame--be
  remembered for honor and heroic deeds
• Boasting was heros dare to destiny
• Fighting was the proper business of man
• Only respectable way to die was in battle

14
Oral tradition

• Hunters, fisherman, farmers--relaxed by eating,
  drinking, listening to songs
• Scops or bards created songs or poems celebrating
  heroes