1. How long can one keep out the dark?
Beowulf
How long can one keep out the dark?

2. Why Study Beowulf? Woody Allen’s opinion Seamus Heaney's opinion
In reference to Grendel
bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood
and gorged on him in lumps, leaving the body
utterly lifeless, eaten up
hand and foot.

3. J.R.R. Tolkien
A man of some fame who made his living teaching Beowulf at Oxford University in the early 20th century
He wrote a famous book about Beowulf, titled, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”

4. J.R.R. Tolkien
“A man inherited a field in which was an accumulation of old stone, part of an older hall. Of the old stone some had already been used in building the house in which he actually lived, not far from the old house of his fathers. Of the rest he took some and built a tower. But his friends coming perceived at once (without troubling to climb the steps) that these stones had formerly belonged to a more ancient building. So they pushed the tower over, with no little labour, and in order to look for hidden carvings and inscriptions, or to discover whence the man's distant forefathers had obtained their building material. Some suspecting a deposit of coal under the soil began to dig for it, and forgot even the stones. They all said: 'This tower is most interesting.' But they also said (after pushing it over): 'What a muddle it is in!' And even the man's own descendants, who might have been expected to consider what he had been about, were heard to murmur: 'He is such an odd fellow! Imagine using these old stones just to build a nonsensical tower! Why did not he restore the old house? he had no sense of proportion.' But from the top of that tower the man had been able to look out upon the sea.”

5. J.R.R. Tolkien Of the same scene previously mentioned:
“…biting the bone-joints, drinking blood from veins, great gobbets gorging down.
Quickly he took all of that lifeless thing to be his food, even feet and hands.”

6. So how do we approach Beowulf?

7. Background
An Epic, and one of the most important pieces of English literature
The oldest poem in the English language
Written in Old English (actually Anglo-Saxon)
The basis for English today; however, it is far removed from modern English
Written sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries CE
Significance of the dates?
Christianity comes to England as early as 171 CE, but doesn’t fully “take hold” until the 8th century
Later it the 10th century, Christianity would see a revival

8. Background
The actual story in Beowulf likely comes from the 5th century
There are real people in the poem, like Beowulf’s king Hygelac
From the amount of Christian references and the particular framing of the poem, the most likely author (the elusive Beowulf Poet) was a Christian monk
Why was it written down so much later?
Stories weren’t often written down in the far corners of the world (the British Isles) until after the Norman Invasion in CE

9. Importance of the author
Starts with the bard (scop) telling us we will listen to a story we already know
This is also the position of the Christian scribe
The “heathen hope” lines 175 – 180
Let us peer into a past that we all know, and take tonight to reflect on the culture that once waxed now waned
“I have heard it said…”, “It is said…”, “Let us remember…”
The scribe is telling his audience that if they would like to enjoy the story, proceed; if they want to find religious justification in the eradication of a pagan culture, go ahead

10. Oral vs. Literary Poem Oral composition vs. oral style
Repetition, alliteration of earlier epics
BUT an unbelievable amount of attention paid to specific words and verse
Did the poet try to imitate The Iliad / The Odyssey / The Aeneid?
The former two: no; the later: possibly
However, The Aeneid is a foundational history; Beowulf is a swan’s song

11. Who are the people in the text?
The Geats
People who originated from modern day Sweden
The Danes
People who originated from modern day Denmark
The Swedes

12. Confused?

13. Vikings!

14. What about the Anglo-Saxons?

15. And the Christians?

16. Back to Beowulf… Characters Beowulf (Geat) Grendel (Monster)
King Hygelac (Geat)
Grendel’s mother (Monster)
Wiglaf (Geat)
The Dragon (Monster)
Hrothgar (Dane)
Heorot (the mead hall/palace)
Unferth (Dane)
Wealhtheow (Dane)

17. Back to Beowulf… Beowulf is hugely creative and imaginative
3182 lines, 4000 unique words, 600 compounds that only exist in the text (kennings)
Beowulf the hero is every bit as imaginative as the poet
When talking to Hrothgar about the Grendel affair, Beowulf sticks to the truth
When speaking to his own king, Grendel now has spiked claws and a dragon-skin pouch
Beowulf the Boaster?

18. The Poetry in Beowulf Alliterative verse:
Repetition of initial sounds of words (occurs in every line)
Generally, four beats per line
A pause (caesure) between beats two and four
No rhyme

19. The Poetry in Beowulf Oft Scyld Scefing sceapena praetum,
An example of alliterative verse:
(There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes.
The terror of the hall-troops had come far.)
Oft Scyld Scefing sceapena praetum,
Monegum maegpum meodo-setla ofteah;
Egsode Eorle, syddan aerest weard.

20. The Poetry in Beowulf Kennings: Compound metaphor
Many were unique to Beowulf and used throughout the text (repletion)
With a partner, try to figure out the meaning of the following kennings
Bone-house
Ring-giver
Flashing-light
Wave-steeds
Whale-road

21. The Poetry in Beowulf Litotes:
A negative expression usually presented as an understatement
“Hildeburh had no cause to praise the Jutes”
Context – Hildeburh’s brother was just killed by the Jutes (Hildeburh hates the Jutes with a burning passion)

22. Structure of Beowulf
Critics are divided on how best to divide (hehe) the story of Beowulf
4 part structure
Grendel | Mother | Return Home | Dragon
3 part structure
Grendel | Mother and Return Home | Dragon
2 part structure
Grendel and Mother | Return Home and Dragon
Tolkien’s influence

23. Structure of Beowulf
Is Beowulf a story about man or a story about monsters?
What might the monsters represent?
If the story is about man, how do we interpret the poem?

24. Other themes and important aspects of Beowulf
Good vs. Evil (it’s an Epic after all)
Treasure and the importance of heirlooms
Religion
Loyalty and allegiance, kings and heroes
Heroism
Fate
Immortality