Beowulf

an epic poem

What is an epic or a saga?

 A long story, often in the form of a poem  Based on historic or legendary events  Tells the exploits of a hero  Characters & events are exaggerated and glorified

Beowulf as Literature

 Earliest example of English poetry  3200 lines long  Sounds include rhythm & alliteration  Does not rhyme  Language is Anglo-Saxon -- an early form of English

History of the Poem

 Setting: Denmark and Sweden in the 500 600’s  Composed orally between 700-900  Author (or authors) unknown  Performed by bards (storytelling singers/poets)  First written about 1000 by monks  Monks may have changed the original pagan references to Christian ones

Beowulf in Danger!

 England in 1600--King Henry VIII orders all monasteries destroyed

 manuscript eventually ended up with Sir Robert Cotton (collector of manuscripts, books, coins)

 kept in one of the largest private libraries in England  one century after his death, Cotton’s house caught fire

 manuscript badly scorched, some parts were totally destroyed  moved to the British Museum in 1753

 1786--Danish scholar, G.J. Thorkelin made two copies of Beowulf and took them back to Denmark

 Thorkelin’s library and papers destroyed in 1807

. . . except Beowulf!

 Thorkelin started over, published his version in 1815  conservation of the manuscript began in 1845  now in the British Library in London

The Story of Beowulf . . .

and why it’s cool  a poem in three parts, each with a monster

Norway Sweden

The Setting of Beowulf . . .

Denmark

Modern Germany

The Story of Beowulf . . .

and why it’s cool

 Part 1 - Beowulf sails from Sweden to Denmark with fourteen warriors to help King Hrothgar get rid of Grendel

The Story of Beowulf . . .

and why it’s cool  Part 2 A relative of Grendel’s gets involved in revenge

The Story of Beowulf . . .

and why it’s cool  Part 3 - Fire-breathing dragon is rudely awakened

Characters (the humans)

 Beowulf, a Geat (from southern Sweden)   Hrothgar, King of the Danes (from Denmark) Unferth, a Dane  Higlac, King of the Geats, Beowulf’s uncle  Queen Welthow, Hrothgar’s wife  Queen Higd, Higlac’s wife  Wiglaf, a Geat, Beowulf’s cousin

Life During the Time of Beowulf

 AD 500-600  Viking culture in Scandinavia  Farmers, fishermen, & seafarers  Warrior culture: loyalty, courage, revenge  Raided coastal Europe

Entertainment  People gathered and listened to heroic stories  Poems were sung and accompanied by harp

page of the Beowulf manuscript

Feasting in a great hall

Sir Robert Cotton

Thorkelin’s manuscript of Beowulf

Viking ship