Beowulf review

what are the major issues

• set in Denmark/ Scandinavia (not England)

• early English poem not set in England

• narrative is consciously set in a prechristian past but the narrator is a Christian

critical date

8 century

what is the overarching view of Beo.

a flawed hero

is this a monster tale?

• NO

• monsters are the manifestation of human violence

• these are more than monsters

oral formulaic theory

• modern theory that explains how long oral poems could be composed through the use of stock phrases or formulae

anglosaxon poetry format

2 half lines separated by a caesura and “joined” by alliteration

alliteration

• repetition of consonant sounds

• in this poem, initial vowels can count as alliteration for the poetic purposes

critical date

1000 AD

what is significant about the scribes

• 2 scribes; switch at line 1939

• they copied another manuscript which is now lost

• scribes are not authors

• Beo. originated as an oral poem

what happened to the OG manuscript

burned in the cotton library fire of 1731

what is another word or the Danes

the shieldings for shields or scyldings

how is beo, characterized in the opening scenes

a hero for rent

what are the societal connotation for a prince

• prince must give so the people will stand with him when he is king

• good kingship and ritual gift giving

  • this is how you secure soldiers

ring giver

king

whale road

sea

heavens candle

sun

what are the rings given

these are rings you wear on your forearm, not your finger

heorot

term used for heart

what does the hart/stag represent

royalty

what will happen to the herot

will be destroyed, likely in feud between Danes and Heathobards

who is Grendel a descendant of

cain

what is significant about the cain pov

• anglosaxon culture looks down on the killing of kin

• believe all monsters are descendants of cain

wergild

• “man money”

• you would pay this to avoid a blood feud

religious context

• a lot of religious info

• some believe a monk inserted a clip

worda and worca

words and work (can you back up the work)

what is the tension between Beowulf and the Danes

the Danes don’t like Beowulf but they need him

what is significant about the helmets

• there was a cross on the nose and boar on top

• duality of Christianity and paganism within the culture

• believed this helmet would protect them against anything

wyrd

• fate

• what happens more so than it will happen

Beowulf’s Lord

Hygelac

Beowulf’s father

Ecgtheow

flyting

• traditional Germanic speech

• trading of insults

• dissing contest

what do Unferth (the king) and Beo fight about

• Unferth points out Beo.’s loss against breca

• Beo. replies that Unferth is the descendant of the ultimate kin slayer (Cain)

pyle (thyle)

important advisor of the court who role prob had to do with the preservation of knowledge of the past and judging statements of the present

beot

• a boast

• promise/ pledge more likely

why does the poet not give a physical description of Grendel

• wants people;e to see grendal in their own way

• or assumes everyone knows what he looks like

sceadugenga

shadow ganger

grendal as a shadow ganger

is he here to bring God’s wrath on the Danes or is he an object of God’s wrath

what does an italicized portion mean

a poem within a poem

what other poem is included in this

sigemond the dragon slayer

what is a big aspect of this poem and the culture

interlace

frisians

finn

dane

king hhaef→ hengest

hildenurh

Danish by birth, sister to the king Hnaef. she is Frisian by marriage to Finn, is a freuoduwebbe

freoduwebbe

woman married off to make peace between countries (peace weaving women

what does germanic legend say about Hrothulf (hrothgar’s nephew)

that Hrothulf will one day steal the throne of the Danes from Hrothgar’s sons

wealh

Celtic or foreign

theow

slave or servant

why does wealtheow give a speech

to warn her husband of the plot to steal the throne and tries to get the king to care for their sons

• the schemer can hear her

• maybe why poet give description of where people are sitting

what is significant about the women in the story

• not a female dominating story yet there are 3 mothers in the story

what does Beo do to grendel

he cuts off his head

what is a theory about Grendel

grendel is similar to the Norwegian zombie legend

grendel’s modor

1. all ride to the mere

2. unfearth

does Beowulf head Hrothgard’s counsel

• Hrothgard rules for 50 years, then it fast forwards to Beo after he has ruled for 50 years

• beo now must fight a dragon

• contrast of youth and death

who was killed by Gregor

hondscio

what happens when Beo returns home

• he returns to the Geats and tell of his adventure at Hereot

glof

pouch

hondscio

• means hand shoe

• connected to glof

• a pun

what are the major themes of the second half of Beowulf

1. tale of the gold

2. the fate of the Geats

3. Beowulf: final judgment

what is significant about the gold

• the people use treasure to cement relationships

• dragon just sits on it

• dragons/grendel has opposite values of the anglosaxons

• the philosophy of the dragons

the lay of the last survivor

• last person form this race hid all the treasure

• comes from last person standing

• dragon awoken as a slave comes to appease a masters wrath w/ a plate

what is ironic about Beowulf dying for the gold

the people buried the gold

what is the fate of the Geats

1. Beowulf comes to the throne

2. hostile germanic tribes

3. beasts of battle

hostile germanic tribes

• everyone around the geats is hostile to the geats

• Beo does become king of the Geats the right way

• he keeps them safe but after he dies… uh oh

lofgeornost

love earnest; earnisting love

what is the overall perspective of Beo

Beo is applauded but Christian critique is that he isn’t good enough

who was one of the scribes

Sir Robert Cotton

comitatus

latin term for military bonds in Anglo-Saxon culture

the stag on top of the Sutton hoo whetstone represents what

association between the hart and royalty

what does Hrothgar name his hall

Heorot

what will happen to the Heorot

in a feud between the Danes and the Heathobards, lead by Germanic warrior Ingeld

untydras

evil brood

eotenas

giants

ylfe

elves

ocrneas

evil spirits; monsters

prag

time; while

forglydan

repay

lean

reward

ombeht

officer

unforht

gescad

noun; distinction

scyldwiga

shield warrior

scearp

sharp; acute; smart

what are the beasts of battle?

• raven, eagle, wolf

• will eat the leftovers…