Beowulf – an Introduction A “self-portrait of a culture” (our own culture?)

Origin and Setting Action is 6 th century Scandinavia Told in Old English between 500 and 1000 Beowulf, the Geat (Sweden) Danish King Hrothgar The monster, Grendel Herot (the mead hall) 3 mortal battles depicted in the epic poem

Terms Scops Epic The Iliad Kenning Caesura Sir Robert Cotton ( ) Seamus Heaney Burton Raffel

Readings Today – pg Homework – pg Be prepared to tell the plot in your own words In next class – pgs. 50 – 60 selected passages What “portrait” has been taken of Anglo- Saxon culture? What remains in our culture? Next – Medieval Ballads