Beowulf
 Epic tells of people
who lived in Denmark
or southern Sweden
between 550 & 600
AD.
 Poem made by tribes
of Angles, Saxons, &
Jutes to conquer
Britain.
History of Beowulf
 In Britain (England)
someone wrote
Beowulf down @
800-900 A.D.
 Used West-Saxon
dialect.
 1000 A.D. a single
copy was transcribed.
History of Beowulf
 People described in poem are Geats, Danes
& Swedes—living in Scandanavia @ 500600 A.D.
 Only one copy of the manuscript exists today
in the British Museum.
History of Beowulf
 Beowulf manuscript survived
Henry VIII’s destruction of all
the monasteries.
 Robert Cotton preserved the
copy.
 Two transcripts made by
Thorkelen, a Danish/Icelandic
scholar @ 1786-1787.
Image from
http://www.uky.edu/~kiernan/
eBeowulf/main.htm
Beowulf is important because:
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It’s the sole survivor of
great epic tradition.
It is great poetry.
It is an archaeological
relic.
Demonstrates linguistic
revelations.
It gives information
about Old English social
life & politics.
How does Beowulf qualify as an
Epic?
 Contains a national hero.
 Impersonal tone.
 Meant to be sung or
recited.
 Tells traditions of people.
 Long, dignified narrative
poem.
 Definite verse.
 Characters are of noble
birth.
Characteristics of Beowulf
 Describes stern,
barbarous life.
 Religious undertones,
fatalism.
 Mixtures of savagery,
sentiment, & nobility.
 Love of nature & sea.
 Common sense, power of
endurance.
 Emotional, imaginative,
sensitive.
Ideals of the
Epic Beowulf
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Love of glory
Allegiance to lord or king
Reverence for women
Love of personal freedom
Open-handed hospitality
Honors truth
Repression of too much
sentiment
Beowulf
 3,182 lines long
 Action described in four
episodes:
– 1. Purging of Herot, the
Danish Mead-hall of
Hrothgar, the king, from
Grendel, the monster/dragon.
– 2. The killing of Grendel’s
mother down in her watery
lair.
– 3. The triumphant return of
the hero to his homeland.
– 4. After fifty years of peace,
the hero king saves his people
by slaying the fire-drake, but
he dies in the attempt.
 1. Four stresses syllables with three
syllables alliterated.
 2. Verse does not rhyme.
 3. Lines have a pause—middle
called a caesura, or are end-stopped
(definite pause at end of line).
 4. Rhythm is free.
 5. Use of parallelism—ideas
expressed in same form or repeated
for emphasis.
 6. Use of epithets (kennings) (e.g.
shy-candle)
 7. Gnomic sentences—used for
emphasis, like “There was a king!”
 Written to be accompanied by a harp
with a person singing.
Poetic
Form of
Beowulf
Themes in Beowulf
 Pagan philosophy—belief
in Wyrd (Fate).
 Grim courage.
 Eagerness to brag about
great deeds.
 Admiration for generosity
& service shown by hero.
 Christian influence—God
leads Beowulf to victory.
Tone & Mood in Beowulf
 Mood is gloomy.
 Struggles and
conflicts are vigorous.
 Can be considered an
elegy—tells of times
gone by; describes
Beowulf’s death &
burial.
Influences
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Celtic legends
Pagan/Christian beliefs
(Beowulf influenced King Arthur legend)
Anglo-Saxon legends
Romans brought Christianity to British
culture in Caesar’s conquests of Britain.
The Anglo-Saxon Period
 The Angles and
Saxons invaded and
settled in Britain @ 57th century.
 Used language of Old
English (OE).
 Spoken & written in
various forms for 8
centuries (5-12).
Anglo-Saxon History
 Angles, Saxons, and Jutes
began invading Britain in
449.
 By middle of 7th Century,
land held by AngloSaxons.
 Celts are earliest
inhabitants of Britain.
 First Romans crossed
English channel in 55
B.C. First permanent
settlement was in 43 A.D.
Anglo-Saxon Culture
 Historical events of
Beowulf originate in
6th century or earlier.
 Great principles of
conduct in time of
Beowulf were loyalty
to King and Kin.
 Conscious of customs
and court etiquette.
 Each day’s work was
important.
 Eating, drinking, and
eternal combat were
“issues” of the day.
 Fierce idealism—”Death
is better for every man
than a life of shame!”
 Sincere & earnest
 Direct and sophisticated
thought that can strike
deep.
 Melancholy brooding, but
somberness leads to
healthy active pessimism
w/ grim & sardonic
humor.
Anglo-Saxon
Culture
Heroic Qualities of Beowulf
 Polite, gracious, and knows courtly customs.
 Has the grip of 30 men-physically and morally
strong.
 Generous with material things.
 Ambitious, but within reason.
 Never picked quarrels or swore false oaths.
Possible Defects of the Poem
 Stories within the story
may impede action of the
poem.
 Events are foreshadowed,
decreasing suspense.
 Frequent gaps in
meaning.
 Story often moves
backward and forward.
 Distinct lack of warmth in
the poem.
Old English
 Consisted of several
West Germanic
dialects.
 Beowulf is the longest
of the known poems
in OE.
 First major recorded
poem in a European
vernacular language.
Old English Readings
 Audio of readings of
the Old English from
Beowulf—wow! This
is cool!
 http://www.engl.virgi
nia.edu/OE/Beowulf.
Readings/Prologue.ht
ml
Beowulf Story
Summary
 Vassals of King Hrothgar
of Denmark fall victim to
Grendel, a monster who
resides beneath the water.
 Beowulf, a young noble
from Jutland, comes to
Hrothgar’s aid.
 Beowulf, after many trials
and battles, succeeds in
killing Grendel and
Grendel’s mothermonster.
Genealogy of Beowulf