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Anglo-Saxon and Beowulf Background. Background Information. 30,000 lines of Anglo-Saxon poetry survive today 3, 182 (10%) of the lines are from Beowulf Setting - Denmark and Sweden Author - Unknown, probably a monk Composed in the 7th or 8th century Oldest surviving English poem.
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Background Information • 30,000 lines of Anglo-Saxon poetry survive today • 3, 182 (10%) of the lines are from Beowulf • Setting - Denmark and Sweden • Author - Unknown, probably a monk • Composed in the 7th or 8th century • Oldest surviving English poem
Anglo-Saxon Culture • Belief in fate (Wyrd) • Accumulated treasures amount to success • Fame and fortune zealously sought after • Loyalty to one’s leader crucial • Importance of pagan, Germanic, and Christian ideals to people whose lives were often hard and uncertain
Anglo-Saxon Culture • Fierce, hardy life of warrior and seamen • Strength, courage, leadership abilities appreciated • Boisterous yet elaborately ritualized customs of the mead-hall • Expected the hero to boast
Anglo-Saxon Ideals Codes of Conduct • Good defeats evil • Wergild--restitution for murder or expect revenge from victim’s relatives • Boasts must be backed with actions. • Fate is in control • Fair fights are the only honorable fights
Epic Poem • Long narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a hero. • Elevated language • Does not sermonize • Invokes a muse • Begins in media res • Mysterious origin, super powers, vulnerability, rite of passage
The Epic Hero • Actions consist of responses to catastrophic situations in which the supernatural often intervenes. • Code of conduct forces him to challenge any threat to society • Destiny discovered through a series of episodes punctuated by violent incidents interspersed with idyllic descriptions.
Elements of Anglo-Saxon Poetry • Chant-like effect of the four-beat line • Alliteration (“Then the grim man in green gathers his strength”) • Caesura-pause or break in a line of poetry (“Oft to the wanderer weary of exile”) • Kenning-metaphorical phrase used instead of a name (“battle-blade” and “ring-giver”) • Epithet-description name to characterize something (“keen-edge sword”) • Hyperbole-exaggeration
Title of Epic Poem • Anglo-Saxon word Beo means “bright” or “noble” • Anglo-Saxon word wulf means “wolf” • Beowulf means bright or noble wolf • Other sources say Beo means “bear”
How we date Beowulf Some Important Dates: 521 A.D. – death of Hygelac, who is mentioned in the poem 680 A.D. – appearance of alliterative verse 835 A.D. – the Danish started raiding other areas; after this, few poets would consider them heroes SO: This version was likely composed between 680 and 835, though it may be set earlier
The Poetry in Beowulf 1. Alliterative verse • Repetition of initial sounds of words (occurs in every line) b. Generally, four feet/beats per line c. A caesura, or pause, between beats two and four d. No rhyme
The Poetry in Beowulf 2. Kennings a. Compound metaphor (usually two words) b. Most were probably used over and over For instance: hronade literally means “whale-road,” but can be translated as “sea”
More Kennings • Other kennings from Beowulf: “bone-house” = body “gold-friend of men” = generous prince “ring-giver” = lord “flashing light” = sword
Setting: Beowulf’s time and place Insert: Time of Beowulf Europe today
Some terms you’ll want to know scop A bard or story-teller. The scop was responsible for praising deeds of past heroes, for recording history, and for providing entertainment
Terms: Thane and Mead-Hall thane A warrior mead-hall The large hall where the lord and his warriors slept, ate, held ceremonies, etc.
Term: Wyrd wyrd Fate. This idea crops up a lot in the poem, while at the same time there are Christian references to God’s will.
Beowulf • Epic hero • Geat (from southern Sweden) • Nephew of Higlac (King at story’s start) • Sails to Denmark to help Hrothgar
Hrothgar • Danish king • Builds Herot (banquet hall) for men • Tormented by Grendel for 12 years • Loses many men to Grendel • Joyless before Beowulf’s arrival
Grendel • Referred to as demon and fiend • Haunts the moors (swampy land) • Descendant of Cain • Feasts on 30 men the night of 1st attack
Grendel’s Mother • Referred to as she-wolf • Lives under a lake • Challenges Hrothgar when she kills one of his best men
Fire Dragon • Lives in Beowulf’s kingdom • Wakes up when thief steals cup • Guards countless treasures
Works Cited • Intro to Beowulf