1. Beowulf Literary Unit Two Texts We’ll Study: 1. Epic Poem- Beowulf
Poet- unknown Anglo-Saxon
2. Elegy- “The Seafarer”
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*Let’s Meet our Translator, Dr. Burton Raffel
The focus of this presentation!

2. The Beowulf Text
First work ever recorded in Old English- The Ancestral Language of English speakers.
Surviving version of text composed around 750 and written down in in the 11th century.
Originated as a FOLK EPIC, presented by scops.
Referred to as a “self-portrait” of a culture.
Viewed mostly as an historical text until the 20th century.
Considered England’s National Epic.

3. England- The Name Says it All!
Britain’s Invaders- Britons, Gaels, Celts, Romans, and eventually the Anglo-Saxons.
Anglo-Saxons: pagan tribes from the area we know today as Germany.
Invasion Motivation: deep-Sea fishermen and farmers seeking new land and better waters.
Britain acquires the name “Angle-Land” from its Scandinavian invaders.

4. A Snapshot of Beliefs and Cultures
Christianity and Pagan culture battle for victory in this newly invaded country.
The text Beowulf represents both belief systems and cultures.
“Good” vs. “Evil” dominate the plot.
Depicts warrior culture and a very hierarchical social structure (kings, warriors, commoners, servants/peasants).

5. Anglo-Saxon Literature Basics
Poetry (their good stuff)
-heroic: recounts the achievements of warriors (Beowulf).
-elegiac: laments the loss of people and
the past (“The Seafarer”).
Prose- Composed in Latin b/c the vernacular was viewed as a “vulgar tongue”.

6. Epic Poetry
Basic Elements: Epic Hero, a quest, valorous deeds, divine intervention, and great events.
Showcases characteristics such as: courage, strength, and dignity.
Begins usually “in medias res”.
Tone is serious.
Style is lofty.
Long speeches that catalog battles, weapons, and royal gifts.
Function as entertainment and an education.

7. Epic Hero High Social Status and/or standing.
Larger-than-life figure who nonetheless is mere mortal…interesting!
Is the “good guy”.
Important to his culture and his people!
The epitome of what it means to be part of its culture and its time.
This guy (and it usually is) is making it rain mead!

8. Things to Consider… Paraphrasing vs. Summarizing Poetry
Indirect vs. Direct Characterization
Elements of Christian and Pagan Beliefs and Cultures
What is good and what is evil?
Allusions- the Creation story, Cain and Abel
Why is Grendel so angry?
What does the description of Hrothgar tell us about Anglo-Saxon Warrior kings?