BEOWULF: THE BEGINNINGS OF EUROPEAN LITERATURE

 Unknown author; possibly one Christian author in Anglo-Saxon England  Unknown date of composition  The Anglo-Saxon period ranges from and is the earliest recorded period of English history. ORIGINS

 The story had been in circulation as an oral narrative for approximately 300 years before it was written down.  Beowulf marks the beginning of English literature. ORIGINS

 Fierce, hardy life of warrior and sailors  Strength, courage, leadership abilities appreciated  Boisterous yet elaborately ritualized customs of the mead- hall  Expected the hero to boast ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE

 Good defeats evil  Wergild--restitution for murder or expect revenge from victim’s relatives  Boasts must be backed with actions.  Fate is in control  Fair fights are the only honorable fights ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE

 Strong  Courageous  Loyal  Desires fame  Generous ANGLO-SAXON HERO

Folk Epic  Told out loud, usually by scops  Unknown author  Unknown dates  Beowulf is a folk epic because we don’t know who wrote it Literary Epic  Known author  Paradise Lost, by John Milton, is a literary epic because we know who wrote it. TYPES OF EPICS

 Invokes a muse-inspiration provided by the gods usually in the form of a beautiful woman or through music  Plot begins in the middle of the action  Serious tone  Motifs – a motif is a recurring theme or image in a work of literature  Biblical and Christian Allusions  Pagan Customs  Social Customs EPIC CONVENTIONS

 Epic hero – a character with a trait or characteristic that is valued by his society  Quest – A journey through which the character or the reader learns something  Valorous Deeds – Doing something bravely  Divine Intervention – The hand of God (or gods) help the hero, proving his value  Great events – The hero has a hand in something important in the history or mythology of a culture. ELEMENTS OF AN EPIC

 Allusion : References to Germanic oral tradition, Norse mythology and legend, historical Anglo-Saxon kings  Alliteration: Repetition of a beginning syllable. Makes the poem easier to remember and read. (ex. S cyld’s s trong s on)  Epic poetry : a long narrative poem written in elevated style which celebrates the deeds of a legendary hero or god.  Kenning : two-word metaphorical name for something (ex. whale-road=sea) LITERARY DEVICES

 Caesura: pause or break in a line of poetry (ex. “Oft to the wanderer weary of exile”)  Epithet: descriptive name to characterize something (ex. “keen-edge sword”)  Hyperbole: exaggeration LITERARY DEVICES

 Beo means “bright” or “noble”; also means “bear”; can also mean “bee”  Wulf means “wolf” TITLE OF THE EPIC POEM

 He fights for personal honor, but is committed to service to his own people and humanity.  A superhuman  Epic hero  Geat (from southern Sweden)  Nephew of Higlac (King at story’s start)  Sails to Denmark to help Hrothgar THE CHARACTER OF BEOWULF

 Good vs. Evil  The influence of fate on one’s life outcomes  The importance of establishing an identity that will be remembered throughout history  Tension between Heroic Code and Christianity  Significance of artifacts and historical objects THEMES

 This tension is at the heart of the poem  Pagan history and myth are made to point to a Christian moral  Beowulf is poised between two value systems CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRISTIAN VALUES AND HEROIC VALUES

 Relationship between king and his warriors  The king rewards his warriors with gifts  If a kinsman is slain, obligation to kill the slayer or obtain payment, called Wergild, in compensation HEROIC VALUES

 Comitatus: Germanic code of loyalty  Thane: warrior – swears loyalty to the king for whom they fought and whom they protected  Kings: generous, protected thanes  Reputation: thanes were expected to be loyal, brave, courageous; kings were expected to be generous and hospitable WARRIOR CODE

 Star Wars  Lord of the Rings  Harry Potter MODERN EPICS