Introduction to Beowulf

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Introduction to Beowulf

• Story isnt about the Englishits about the
  Danes and the Geats. So whats it doing in
  England?
• Romans controlled England (up to Hadrians Wall)
  until the 5th century
• Waves of post-Roman invasions by Angles, Saxons,
  Jutes, Danes, and Irish
• Native Britons couldnt hold them off

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Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms
Map from C. Warren Hollister, The Making of
England, p. 64
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I. Historical background

• 400-600 A.D. -- Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invade
  (Beowulf set)
• 410 A.D. Rome renounces control of Britain
• 521 A.D. Hygelac invades the Netherlands
• 597 A.D. St. Augustine
• 625 A.D. Sutton Hoo
• 700-950 A.D. -- Christian poet composed the poem,
  setting it in the past

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The Danelaw

• Viking raids in late 8th century along East coast
  of England, Ireland, northern France
• In 850, Danish Vikings began to settle in Kent
• In 865, a large Danish army invaded and took
  control of nearly all of England except Wessex
• In 870, Danes attacked Wessex

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The Danelaw

• 871 Alfred the Great becomes king of Wessex
• Warrior, diplomat, administrator, scholar,
  Christian Greatest Anglo-Saxon king
• 872 Alfred had to bribe the Danes to stop the
  fighting
• Built a navy of 60-oared ships, bigger and faster
  than the Danes ships

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The Danelaw

• After almost losing his kingdom in 872, Alfreds
  military reforms allowed him to begin retaking
  land
• By 886, Alfred had retaken London and made a
  treaty with the Danes establishing their area of
  authority in Englandthe Danelaw
• By Alfreds death in 899, the Danish threat was
  over, and subsequent kings reconquered the Danelaw

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Sutton Hoo

• Ship burial of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon king,
  possibly Raedwald (d. 624/625)
• Found in 1939 at Sutton Hoo in eastern England,
  formerly the Danelaw
• Ship was nearly 80 feet long, laden with
  treasures and everyday equipment (even if it is
  everyday equipment made of gold)
• Window into the early Anglo-Saxon world

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Sutton Hoo
Photos from British Museum
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Sutton Hoo
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Sutton Hoo
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Introduction to Beowulf

• Oral vs. written text
• Many ancient works were memorized and recitedand
  were not written down until centuries later
  (Odyssey, Iliad, Beowulf)
• Only surviving Beowulf manuscript dates from late
  10th century
• Probably composed mid-8th century

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Introduction to Beowulf

• The scop Anglo-Saxon equivalent of a singing
  poet or bard
• Oral techniques used in the epic poem
  alliteration, repetition, variation, kennings,
  half-lines, metonymy (one thing substituted for
  another), synecdoche (part for the whole)

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Beowulf Manuscript(Note the burn marks on the
top and sidesthe ms. was severely damaged in a
fire while housed in a museum in London)
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Poetics
Hwaet! We Gar-Dena in geardagum þeodcyninga þr
ym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen
fremedon.   Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena
þreatum monegum mægþum meodosetla
ofteah, egsode eorlas syððan ærest
wearð feasceaft funden. He þæs frofre
gebad, weox under wolcnum, weorðmundum þah oð
þæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra ofer
hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan. Þæt wæs
god cyning!
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Kennings

• A metaphorical expression used in place of a noun
• Sea whale-road or swans way
• Joints, ligaments bone-locks
• Sun sky-candle
• Icicles water-ropes

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Metonymy and Synecdoche

• Metonymy Name of one thing is substituted for
  the name of something else that most people would
  associate with the first thing
• Iron for Sword
• Crown for king or monarchy
• Synecdoche Substitute a part for the whole
• keel for ship
• All hands on deck
• Heads of cattle

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Anglo-Saxon Society

• Tribal society with kinship bonds and a heroic
  code of behavior
• bravery
• loyalty to one's lord (thane), one's warband
  (comitatus), and one's kin based on mutual trust
  and respect
• willingness to avenge one's warband or lord at
  all costs death preferable to exile.
• generosity of lord to thanes and of hero to
  warband and lord--gift-giving

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Anglo-Saxon Society Contd.

• heroism (i.e., great deeds) brings honor, eternal
  fame, and political power
• Good king is referred to as the ring-giver, the
  helmet, or the shield of his people

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Key Vocabulary

• Wergild man price if kinsman is slain, a man
  had a moral obligation to kill the slayer or
  exact a payment to compensate for the loss of
  life the payment itself was less important than
  doing what they considered right

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Beowulf Vocabulary Contd.

• Comitatus Germanic warrior band (Tacitus)
• Scop poet in oral culture (shaper) bard
• Preserves history
• Entertains court
• Spreads heros fame
• Thane (thegn) warrior retainer/lord
• Wyrd fate (to the POET Gods will)

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Anglo-Saxon values

• Loyalty
• Fighting for ones king
• Avenging ones kinsmen (wergild man price)
• Keeping ones word
• Generosity -- gifts symbolize bonds
• Brotherly love -- not romantic love
• Heroism
• Physical strength
• Skill and resourcefulness in battle
• Courage
• Public reputation (boasting), not private
  conscience

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What about the women?

• Women make peace, bearing children who create
  blood ties
• Women pass the cup at the mead-hall, cementing
  social bonds
• Women lament loss, dont avenge

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Religion in Anglo Saxon Times

• Mix of pagan and Christian values--often in
  conflict.
• Pagan (secular (non-religious) lineage vs.
  Christian lineage)
• Eternal earthly fame through deeds vs. afterlife
  in hell or heaven
• honor gift-giving vs. sin of pride (hubris)
• revenge vs pacifist view (forgiveness)
• Wyrd (Anglo-Saxon "Fate") vs God's will, etc.

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Characteristics of an Epic

• most epics share certain
• conventions, which reflect the larger thanlife
• events that a hero might experience.
• The setting is vast in scope, often involving
• more than one nation.
• The plot is complicated by supernatural
• beings or events and may involve a long and
• dangerous journey through foreign lands.

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Characteristics Contd.

• Dialogue often includes long, formal
• speeches delivered by the major characters.
• The theme reflects timeless values, such as
• courage and honor, and encompasses
• universal ideas, such as good and evil or life
  and
• death.
• The style includes formal diction (the writers
• choice of words and sentence structure) and a
• serious tone (the expression of the writers
• attitude toward the subject).

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Epic hero traits

• Is significant and glorified
• Is on a quest/journey
• Has superior or superhuman strength,
  intelligence, and/or courage
• Is ethical
• Risks death for glory or for the greater good of
  society
• Is a strong and responsible leader
• Performs brave deeds
• Reflects ideals of a particular society

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Is Beowulf a hero?

• Does Beowulf act for selfish motives glory?
  treasure?
• Does Beowulf act for selfless motives
  preserving the community?
• Does Beowulf ever make a raid or start a feud?
• Does B stand for violence or civilization?
• Is Beowulf successful as a warrior? As a king?