Beowulf: The Beginnings of English Literature

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BeowulfThe Beginnings of English Literature
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Origins

• Unknown author possibly one Christian author in
  Anglo-Saxon England
• Unknown date of composition (roughly 8th-11th
  Century CE)

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Literary Devices

• Allusion Biblical, Germanic oral tradition,
  Norse myth and legend, historical Anglo-Saxon
  kings (eg. King Offa of Mercia)
• Alliteration (eg. Scylds strong son)
• 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
  (eg. whale-roadsea)
• Scop Anglo-Saxon composers and storytellers
  (like minstrels or bards)

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Warrior Code

• 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
• Wergild man-payment a fee paid to the family
  of a slain man to atone for his murder and to
  prevent the family from seeking revenge.

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Geats and Danes

• Beowulf was a war leader of the Geats, a group of
  people in what is now southern Sweden
• Hrothgar was king of the Danes

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Old English

• Beowulf was written in Old English, an early form
  of English
• Old English was spoken in the Middle Ages from
  about 6th century to 11th century CE
• In 1066, William the Conqueror successfully
  invaded England, bringing his Norman French
  language with him the nobility began to speak
  French, and gradually Old English evolved into
  Middle English (1100-1500) Whan that Aprill,
  with his shoures soote/The droghte of March hath
  perced to the roote
• Modern English has been spoken since the
  Renaissance Shakespeare is NOT Old English he
  is Early Modern English

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Elements of an Epic

• Epic hero an character with a trait or
  characteristic that is valued by his society.
• (E.g. Supermans bravery or valor)
• 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.

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2 Types of Epics

• Folk
• Told out loud first (usually by scops)
• Unknown author
• Unknown dates
• (E.g.Beowulf is a folk epic because we dont
  know who wrote it)
• Literary
• Known author
• (E.g. Paradise Lost, by John Milton is a
  literary epic because we know who wrote it.)

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3 Epic Conventions

• Invoke a muse
• Muse inspiration provided by the gods
• Plot begins in medias res
• In medias red In the middle of the action
• Serious tone
• Not necessary to have all on these, but need most
  at least

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Possible OER

• Evaluate a story youve read or seen as an epic
  story.
• O! Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Epic hero Ulysses Everett McGill
• Quest To seek the treasure
• Valorous deeds Singing the song, escaping the
  sheriff, saving Tommy from the KKK, et al.
• Divine intervention the flood
• Great events Helping elect Pappy ODaniel as
  governor of Mississippi instead of the KKK head
  dragon
• Literary epic Cohen brothers wrote it in 2001
• Invokes a muse at the beginning
• Begins in the middle of the story as they escape
  jail
• Serious tone? Notsomuch.

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Beowulfs Name

• Beowulfs father Edgetho
• In most cases, the son is named after the father
• Don
• Donald (son of Don)
• McDonald (son of son of Don)
• McDonaldson (son of son of son of Don)
• Proves Beowulf is own individual with own powers
  and abilities (and more important than his
  father)
• Beo Bear
• Bears are known as Great Protectors in Norse
  mythology
• Strong
• Wulf Wolf
• Wolves are also great protectors, but are also
  cunning and speedy