1. EPIC

2. WHAT IS AN EPIC? A long narrative poem, that is usually about heroic deeds that are significant to the culture of the poet.

3. FAMOUS EPICS “Aeneid” – Virgil “Don Juan” – Lord Byron “Paradise Lost” – John Milton “ The Divine Comedy” – Dante “Metamorphosis” – Ovid “The Odyssey” – Homer “Beowulf” - ???

4. BEOWULF Beo – “Bee” Wulf – “Wolf”

5. BEOWULF Who wrote it? Who knows? When was it written?8 th century AD How was it written?Anglo-Saxon Old English – Written after oral tradition for 2 centuries. When did the story take place?6 th century AD

6. OLD ENGLISH HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearð feasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad, weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah, oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendra ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone God sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme,

7. EPIC HERO Definition: a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events: Beowulf, an epic hero with extraordinary strength. Their actions are central to their race, culture, or nation.

8. FAMOUS EPIC HEROES Achilles – “The Iliad” Odysseus – “The Odyssey” Beowulf – “Beowulf” Dante – “The Inferno”

9. BENJAMIN BAGBY READS OLD ENGLISH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmmPRG4smU Scop – Old English poet who recited poetry orally.

10. BEOWULF CONTEXT It’s an English (Anglo-Saxon) text, but is about Sweden and Denmark. Many of the characters correlate to real royalty of Sweden and Denmark. Anglo-Saxon writing glorifies a “history” of a bygone era: the hero.

11. PAGANISM V. CHRISTIANITY Beowulf was written at a time when Christianity just began to popularize in Europe. Story was probably written by a Christian scribe. The characters in the story follow pagan tradition (polytheistic).

12. GEATS North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now Sweden, or Gotaland. Beowulf was a Geat. Geats in blue. Swedes in Yellow.

13. DANES Danes are from what is now Denmark. Hrothgar was a Dane. Protector of Scyldings. A king who is too old to protect his people, and his sons are too young to take over.

14. BEOWULF: THE HERO Young BeowulfOld Beowulf -Fee Feats of Strength Contest v. Breca Courage Loyalty