6.

Interpretation(s) of Beowulf based on mythology (Joseph Campbell’s The Hero

With a Thousand Faces and The Fisher King Legend)

Beowulf Intro (manuscript, dates, significance)

Beowulf is heroic poem and the highest achievement of Old English literature. Beowulf survives in a single
medieval manuscript, housed at the British Library in London, it is known as The Beowulf manuscript.
Nobody knows for certain when the poem was first composed or by whom. We don’t know what title, if
any, it bore in Anglo-Saxon times. It has been called Beowulf only since 1805. There is no clue to the
author’s name, or to the title or date of composition in the manuscript. The manuscript bears no date so its
age has to be calculated by analysing the scribes’ handwriting. Some scholars think that Beowulf is written
in 700. others think it was probably made by scribers of about the year 1000. It has been agreed that
Beowulf was transcribed, probably by a Christian monk, in the 10th century, but that it must have existed
and changed through oral transmission long before that. According to some scholars, it represents an
original literary work, written by a Christian poet during or after the conversion period and reflecting a
harmonious merging of the pagan and Christian world views.

Beowulf – brief summary

The poem consists of 3,182 extant lines, divided into 43 numbered sections of varying length with an
unnumbered prologue. Its language is allusive and embellished, and its plot complex and digressive, but its
story is relatively straightforward. The story takes place in Scandinavia, and it involves the Geats, a tribe
from southern Sweden, and the Danes. The central hero of the poem is Beowulf. Early in the poem Beowulf
crosses the sea to the land of the Danes in order to rid their country of a man-eating monster called
Grendel. After killing Grendel, he has to fight with Grendel’s mother, who wants to avenge her son. From
his expeditions, he returns in triumph and eventually rules for fifty years as king of his homeland. Then a
dragon begins to terrorize the countryside and Beowulf must confront it. In a final encounter, he does
manage to slay the dragon, but he also meets his own death and enters the legends of his people as a
warrior of high renown.

Explain the stages of Beowulf’s journey and provide examples from the text

In his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell gives his interpretation of the three stages in
man’s development, which correspond to the three stages of ritual initiation. The three stages of hero’s
quest are separation (departure), initiation and return. In first stage which is departure we have several
steps that hero follows. In firts part hero lives in the ordinary
world and he must leave home and prove himself in new
place. Adventure begins when the hero receives a call to
action, he is called to save people from a monster called
Grendel. Next step according to Joseph Campbell is ‘refusal’
of the call which we don’t have in Beowulf. The fourth step is
meeting with the mentor, but in ’Beowulf’ the fifth step which
is crossing the threshold comes before the fourth step. The
‘threshold’ is the dividing line between the knownwhich is
home, and unknown which are danger and challenges.
Beowulf and his army cross the ocean to fight Grendel. In the
second part which is initiation the hero is tested and
challenged to survive. He is forced to make allies and
enemies in the special world. The hero with newfound allies
prepare for the major challenge in the Special world. Near the
middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or
her greatest fear. the Hero must draw upon all of his skills and his experiences gathered upon the path to
the inmost cave in order to overcome his most difficult challenge.

Beowulfs first challenge is the struggle with Grendel. Grendel represents everything that is evil, he is angry
and jealous because he is banished from community. Grendel is killing warriors every single night and
taking with him. Dark area in the ground, where he lives, represents hell. He attacks until sunrise and he is
doing that for 12 years. One night Grendel attacks warrior, kills him and drinks his blood, then Beowulf
grabs his arm and in that moment Grendel realizes Beowulf’s strength and he wants to escape. Beowulf
attacks just like Grendel, unarmed. The noise awake everyone, he manages to escape and not long after
that he dies. That's how Beowulf completed his first task. One night Grendel’s mother came revenge her
son and then his second task begins. She took one warrior with her. Beowulf was not there when attack
happened and he wants to confront with monster alone at lake. In the morning Beowulf follows her tracks
to her dwelling place, it is not pleasant spot. He took with him a sword that never lost a battle. When the
battle has started, he falses to do any sort of damage to her because humans cannot do her any harm. It
refers to Grendel too, weapons cannot do anything to Grendel and his mother. She is stronger then
Grendel. His sword fails him and he now put his faith in strength. He kills her and attacks Grendel’s body,
after that the entire cave becomes illuminated because Grendel represents darkness and illumination
represents the victory of light.

The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death, Grendel's head, the hilt (magic sword) and
his experience,knowledge. After defeating the enemy, surviving death and finally overcoming his greatest
personal challenge, the Hero is ultimately transformed into a new state, emerging from battle as a stronger
person. Then we have a celebration in Heorot, where Hrothgar, king of Danes, lavishes gifts upon Beowulf.
In the third part which is called return hero is is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special
World to be sure the treasure is brought home to bring the knowledge of his adventure to others. By
crossing this final threshold, the hero recognizes that the apparent separation, in reality, does not exist, and
he becomes the Master of Two Worlds, which refers to the function of the king in ’Beowulf’ because, after
all challenges, Beowulf becomes the king in the story.