Beowulf

who composed the Celtic tribes and when

Brits and the Picts (700-100BC)

who invaded Britain, and what happened

Romans invaded Britain, Julius Caesar writes that they’re barbaric, first notes of religion arrive but then they leave for Italy

what happened after the invasion of the Romans

there was an inter-celtic war between the Brits and Picts, the Brits hired Germanic tribes to fight for them

who comprised the Germanic tribes

Anglos, Saxons, Friesians, and Jutes

what happened after Germanic troops were hired

they took over the Brits who originally hired them, pushed out the Celtic people to the ocean (400-500CE)

what is the composition of English that we speak today

80% of the words today are Old English, some others are French

when was Beowulf thought to be written

1000AD/CE

when was Beowulf set

500AD/CE

where was Beowulf set

Denmark, Beowulf thought to have come from Sweden (the Geats)

who wrote Beowulf

no known author, 2 scribes copied it down

why was Beowulf written down

because the English people saw themselves in the Germanic people and mapped that onto Beowulf (?)

what is the origin story of Caedmon’s hymn

everyone had to sing at parties and this one guy couldn’t, so he ran and hid + fell asleep —> someone came to him in his dream and told him to sing about creation, then he was magically able to sing and compose —> used germanic poetic style to talk about God

Nu

now that

sculon

must

herigean

to praise

heofen-rices

kingdom, power

weard

warden, protector

Meotodes

creator’s, God’s

meante

power, virtue

mode-gepanc

spirit, courage

weorc

action, task

wuldor-Fæder

glory, heaven

swa he

when he of

wundra

wonder, miracle

gehwæs

each one

ece

eternal

drihten

Lord

or

beginning

onstealde

established

ærest

first

sceop

created

eorpan

(for) world’s

bearnum

children

heofen

heaven

hrofe

ceiling

halig

divine

scyppend

creator

pa

then

midden

middle

geard

enclosure

æfter

afterwards

teode

created

firum

men

foldan

earth

Frea

the Lord

sē

that

ðone

that

gomelan

old man

grētan

to approach

sceolde

had to

sēcean

to seek

sāwle

soul

hord

hoard

sunder

asunder

gedælan

to part

līf

life

wið

from

līce

limb

nō

not at all

pon

for

lange

long

wæs

was

feorh

the life

æpelinges

prince

flæsce

flesh

bewunden

impressed in, entwined