BEOWULF THE HISTORY AND THE LEGEND

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Thought to be written somewhere between 580 AD and 1000 AD Allusions to historical figures Many characters were real people: Hygelac, Hrothgar, Ongentheow, Haethcyn, Onela, and Heardred. Unknown if Beowulf was a real person. Probably not

DARK AGES: Main issues during the time period: Saxon invasions Barbaric people Kingdoms formed Christianity Viking raiders Scandinavia Plague of Justinian Greatest plagues in history Rats on grain boats 25 Million

BEOWULF Epic 3182 lines Old English Unknown Author 6 th Century Scandanvia Oral tradition Scops Changed and Grew

OLD ENGLISH HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah, oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone God sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme, A powerful monster, living down in the darkness, growled in pain, impatient as day after day the music rang loud in that hall, the harp’s rejoicing call and the poet’s clear songs, sung of the ancient beginnings of us all, recalling the almighty making the earth, shaping these beautiful plains marked off by oceans, then proudly setting the sun and moon to glow across the land and light it; the corners of the earth were made lovely with trees and leaves, made quick with life, with each of the nations who now move on its face. And then as now warriors sang of their pleasure: So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend Grendel who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell Not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished

TRANSCRIPTS Monks Christianity

DISASTER 1731 fire Transcript saved for the most part Edges were burned 2000 letters