Epic Poetry - Anglo-Saxon Culture - Emerging Christianity Beowulf Epic Poetry - Anglo-Saxon Culture - Emerging Christianity

Epic Poetry Epic poetry began as an oral tradition Poets would recite great stories in a rhythmic fashion to entertain people These stories would often be of some cultural or national importance Epic poems also discussed heroic deeds Epic poems exist in various cultures around the globe

Epic Poetry Ramayana The quest of Rama (an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu) to rescue his wife Sita. The story explores humanity and the concept of dharma (duty)

Epic Poetry Iliad Greek epic poem about the Trojan War. Contains the hero Achilles, Helen of Troy, and the Trojan Horse

Epic Poetry Os Lusíadas Portuguese epic about exploration during the 15th and 16th Centuries

Epic Poetry Beowulf English epic detailing Anglo-Saxon culture The oldest existing document written in English Recorded on paper sometime between 700 and 750 Oral tradition most likely existed much earlier

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons lived in England from 550-1066 They were made up of Germanic tribes that settled in modern day England and Scotland Anglo-Saxon culture was violent and men actively sought fame through battles and races with each other Social life revolved around communities that lived in great Mead Halls (big barns where people drank lots of mead)

Mead Hall

Emergence of Christianity Anglo-Saxon culture also began to adapt the Christian faith into society This is reflected in the many references to God and stories of the Old Testament that exist in Beowulf

The Legacy of Beowulf Beowulf has become to England what the Iliad and Odyssey are to Ancient Greece Beowulf serves as the prototype for a national hero and can be seen in characters like King Arthur