The Anglo-Saxons and

Beowulf
A presentation by Prof. M. Sajid Iqbal
ED 205-16
 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
• One of the most important remains
of Anglo-Saxon literature is the epic
poem Beowulf. Its age is unknown;
but it comes from a very distant and
hoar antiquity…It is like a piece of
ancient armor; rusty and battered,
and yet strong.
 Historical Perspective
• Ancient civilizations, some of which were quite
advanced, had arisen in other parts of the world well
before the Anglo-Saxon period.
• For example, the great pyramids had already been
built along the Nile.
• City states had risen and fallen in Mesopotamia.
• Persia had already united many lands.
• China was a unified, powerful empire.
• The beginnings of democracy had already come and
gone in Greece.
• By contrast, Britain was a green, dark, isolated,
sleepy island where civilization and empire had yet
to bloom.
 Table of Contents
• Anglo-Saxon Era: Timeline
• Anglo-Saxon society
• Pagan vs. Christianity
• Anglo-Saxon Literature
• Beowulf
• Resources
 The Anglo-Saxon Era: Timeline
• 43CE Romans invade
Britain.
– Encountered the Celts.
– Romans build roads,
villas, huge buildings,
and forts.
– Introduced Christianity.
• 420CE Romans leave.
 Timeline Continued
• 450CE Jutes from Denmark, and the Angles
and Saxons from Northern Germany invade
England.
– Germanic tribes.
– Anglo-Saxons push out Celts
• 597CE Anglo-Saxons become Christian
 Timeline Continued
• 787CE Viking raids begin
• 871-899CE King Alfred the Great becomes King of
England.
– Established education systems, rebuilt monasteries.
– Fought Danes and forced them from Wessex.
– Unified Anglo-Saxons under one king to resist the Viking
invasions.
– Danes ruled in the North, Anglo-Saxons in the South.
• 1066CE Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror.
– From Norman French.
– Defeated Danes and Anglo-Saxons.
– Officially ended Anglo-Saxon era and brought about the
beginning of the Medieval Period.
 Anglo-Saxon Society
• Anglo-Saxon society.
– Lived in tribal groups with a high class of warriors.
– Kings emerged as society developed.
• Spoke Old English. This was the language that Beowulf
was written in.
• Became Christian but still valued heroic ideals and
traditional heroes.
• Their culture valued human contact, family, virtue, and
a good story. They feared humiliation and loneliness
in their lives. In addition, the Anglo-Saxons desired
richness, power, and appreciated heroic actions of
warriors.
 Pagan vs. Christianity in Beowulf
The Anglo-Saxons mixed both pagan and
Christian traditions. Beowulf contains traces of
Pagan both beliefs.
Christianity
• God is mentioned by two of
• Strong nature the main characters in the
presence poem: Beowulf and
Hrothgar.
• Strength of the • Grendel as Lucifer
– Both are outcasts
warrior – Perform a task for God
– Grendel is described as a son
or descendant of Cain, a clear
Biblical reference.
 Anglo-Saxon Literature
• Anglo-Saxon literature began as an oral tradition. Stories, poems,
and songs were all told aloud and passed from generation to
generation orally through minstrels (also called scops).
• Poems traditionally had a strong beat, alliteration, and no rhyme.
• Caesura: “a cutting.” A break in a line of poetry, used in Old English
to depict a half line. We use a comma for a modern effect.
– i.e. Da com of more under mistheleopum
“Out from the marsh, from the foot of the hills.”
• Kenning: derived from the Norse word “kenna” which means “to
know, to recognize.” It is a compact metaphor that functions as a
name.
• i.e. helmberend: “Helm bearer” or “warrior”
• Old English example
 Why Is Beowulf Important?
• It is the sole survivor of a great epic
tradition.
• It is great poetry.
• It is an archaeological relic which is most
interesting.
• As a linguistic document, it’s full of
revelations.
• It gives us information about Old English
social life and politics.
 Language of the Age
• English is divided into three periods: Old English
(ca.449-1100), Middle English (ca. 1100-1500), and
Modern English (ca. 1500-).
• Old English is sometimes known as Anglo-Saxon.
• The English language changed from Old English to
Middle English in 1100 and from Middle English to
Modern English in 1500. These shifts took place over
hundreds of years.
• It is important to realize that the wide-spread notion
of a standard language or even of standardized
spelling are modern notions made possible by the
printing press.
 The Epic!
• Beowulf is the most well-known Anglo-Saxon
poem, and is a form of poetry called the epic. Such
other examples are Homer’s The Iliad and The
Odessey.
• Long narrative that celebrates a hero’s long
journeys and heroic deeds.
• J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Ring series and George
Lucas’ Stars Wars could be called modern epics.
• Characteristics include a noble hero whose
character traits reflect their society’s ideals. The
hero performs brave acts and appears
superhuman.
 Heroic Code
• The epic poem Beowulf
strengthens the Heroic Code.
This code was derived from
the Anglo-Saxons’ Germanic
roots, and called for
strength, courage, and
loyalty in warriors. It also
required kings to be
hospitable, generous, and
have great political skills.
This code was a basis for
Anglo-Saxon honor.
Common Themes Of an Epic Poem
• Universal themes of epic poetry
– Good vs. evil
• Beowulf vs. Grendel
– Isolation
– Courage and honor
• Beowulf is fearless and brave while fighting the monsters.
– Gods or semi-divine creatures
• Grendel, Grendel’s mother, the dragon
– Tale involves the fate of an entire race
• Beowulf saves Hrothgar’s village from Grendel.
 Common Themes of An Epic
• Takes the form of a long narrative poem about a
quest, told in formal, elevated language
• Narrates the exploits of a larger-than-life hero who
embodies the values of a particular culture
• Begins with a statement of subject and theme and,
sometimes, a prayer to a deity
• Deals with events on a large scale
• Uses many of the conventions of oral storytelling,
such as repetition, sound effects, figures of speech,
and stock epithets
• Often includes gods and goddesses as characters
• Mixes myth, legend, and history [Holt 55]
 Beowulf
• Most famous of early Germanic
poems
• Written anywhere between 400-
1000, but most likely after the 500s.
• The author is unknown, but likely to
be Christian. It is likely that a few
different authors elaborated on the
tale.
• Takes place in Sweden, Denmark,
and Frisia.
– The Norse were at this time
attacking Britain, thus allowing
knowledge of places, people, and
ancestors to be available.
 Characters
• Beowulf: main character, a hero featuring
all the qualities of an epic hero. He has
superhuman strength and is fearless and
brave in battler.
• Hrothgar: the king of the village that
Beowulf saves from Grendel.
• Grendel: a monster terrorizing Hrothgar’s
village.
• Grendel’s mother: a monster set out to
avenge her son’s death.
View of Grandel
 The Plot
…in six sentences.
• Beowulf travels to Hrothgar’s village to save them
from Grendel, a terrifying monster eating their
warriors. An epic battle ensues with Beowulf is the
winner. Of course, Grendel’s mother comes seeking
vengeance for her son’s death. Again, Beowulf is
called upon to save them all, and he fights heroically
and defeats the evil monster. After being vastly
rewarded and refusing an offer from Hrothgar to be
his heir, Beowulf makes the long trek back to his
homeland where he becomes a mighty and generous
king for many years. He fights a massive dragon who
is threatening his people. He and the dragon both
die in the struggle, but he is heroic until the end.
Anglo Saxon Elements in the poem
• Stern, barbarous life
• Relgious feeling, fatalism of Anglo-Saxon
• Mixtures of savagery, sentiment, and nobility
• Love of nature and especially being influenced
by the sea
• Common sense, power of endurance,
seriousness of thought
• Emotional, imaginative, sensitive.
 Ideals of Society
• Love of glory
• Allegiance to lord or king
• Reverence for women
• Love of personal freedom
• Open-handed hospitality of lord to thane
• Honoring truth
• Repression of too much sentiment
 Old English Example
Old English circa 500CE-1100CE

“Cyning” means “king,” so “Cyningas” must mean “kings.”

What other words look familiar to today’s language?