1 Beowulf

2  Anonymous  Composed between AD  Beowulf is the oldest known English epic Page one of the “Nowell” manuscript. Source

3 Epic  Epic – a story with the following elements: 1. aristocratic (upper class) persons 2. developing their nation 3. united by a central hero

4  Only one surviving manuscript  Fiction, but mentions people that were perhaps real Anglo Saxon Warrior in traditional gear (above) and helmet (right).

5 People in Beowulf Geats (of Sweden) also called “weather-geats”:  Beowulf  Ecgtheow - Beowulf‘s father  Hygelac - his King  Danes / Shieldings:  Hrothgar the King  Halfdane - Hrothgar’s father  Shield Sheafson - a former king

6 Warrior Society  Thane - one in the service of the king (later called knights)  Thanes fight for the king and receive rewards: weapons, armor, gold, silver, food, drinks  Bravery is more important than life  Beowulf is fierce yet compassionate

7 Other Terms  Scop - storyteller  Mead Hall - social hall, center of activity, and kingly festivals Golden Hall of Edoras in The Lord of the Rings

8 Religion and Fate  The author has a Christian perspective  Yet Beowulf lives in a Pagan culture  Wyrd = fate; a common Anglo- Saxon attitude is that one should embrace one’s fate

9 Biblical Allusion  Allusion – a reference to something in history, myth, or religious tradition  Grendel is described as a descendent of Cain in the Bible

10 Beowulf’s Legacy

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13 The History of English In Three Slides

14 Old English / Anglo Saxon  Beowulf was written in Old English, also called Anglo Saxon  Old English comes in with the Anglo Saxon invasion of England 449 A.D.  Sample: “Hwaet! We gardena in garage”  “So, we the Spear-Danes in the days before”

15 Middle English  Begins with the Norman (French) Conquest of England 1066 A.D.  Sample: “Taketh the moralite, goode men (Chaucer)”  “Take the moral, good men”

16 Modern English  Beginning around the time of Shakespeare (1500)  Sample: To be or not to be, that is the question. that is the question.

17 Anglo Saxon Poetry  Alliteration – repetition of sounds in a line So tell us if what we have heard is true About this threat, whatever it is, This danger abroad in the dark nights, This corpse-maker mongering death In the Shieldings’ country, I come to proffer My wholehearted help and counsel. I can show the wise Hrothgar a way To defeat his enemy and find respite— If any respite is to reach him, ever. I can calm the turmoil and terror in his mind.  Caesura - a break in the middle of a line of poetry

18 Anglo Saxon Poetry  Kenning – a metaphorical name for something; often a hyphenated compound word Whale road = ocean Ring Giver = king  Beowulf might be derived from bee- wolf, a kenning for "bear" (due to their love of honey) kenning

19 Key Questions  What is heroism?  What is the world like as depicted in Beowulf?

20 “The worth of defeated valor in this world is deeply felt.” - J.R.R. Tolkein “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”

21 Trivia  In the video game Final Fantasy Tactics, the main character meets a knight named after the hero who, ironically, is in love with a woman who is really a dragon. Beowulf and the player embark on a quest to restore her to her human form. video gameFinal Fantasy Tacticsvideo gameFinal Fantasy Tactics  Beowulf was important in the career of J.R.R. Tolkein author of Lord of the Rings and professor of Anglo- Saxon at Oxford.