Beowul

f
Beowulf
• Why study Beowulf?
• Provenance
• Setting
• Poetic Devices
• Terms
• Themes
 Why Study Beowulf?
1. Beowulf is the oldest poem in the
English language, so everything written
since Beowulf stems from it in some way
2. 2. The story of Beowulf encompasses
common themes that we still see in
English literature today
3. 3. Beowulf is simply good writing
 Why Study Beowulf?
4. In some ways, it doesn’t matter what you
read, but how you read it, so…since Beowulf
came first, you might as well start there.
5. Studying Old English improves your
understanding of modern English
6. It’s a great story
 Why Study Beowulf?
4. In some ways, it doesn’t matter what you
read, but how you read it, so…since Beowulf
came first, you might as well start there.
5. Studying Old English improves your
understanding of modern English
6. It’s a great story
PROVENANCE
 Provenance
What we don’t know:
who wrote it
when exactly it was written
how much, exactly, is based
on historical truth
 Provenance
What we do know:
Beowulf is the oldest surviving English poem. It’s
written in Old English (or Anglo-Saxon), which is the
basis for the language we speak today.
Some of the characters in the poem actually existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was written
sometime around the 11th century A.D. (1000’s),
however…
 Provenance
The actual poem probably dates from the 8th
century (700’s) or so, and…
The story may be set even earlier, around
500 A.D.
 There are a lot of Christian references in the
poem, but the characters and setting are
Pagan…this means a monk probably
translated it.
 Provenance
So why wasn’t it written down in the first
place?
This story was probably passed down orally
for centuries before it was first written down.
It wasn’t until after the Norman Invasion
(1066) that writing stories down became
common in this part of the world.
 Provenance
So what’s happened to the manuscript since the 11th century?

Eventually, it ended up
in the library of this guy.

Robert Cotton (1571-1631)

 Provenance

Unfortunately, Cotton’s library burned in

1731. Many manuscripts were entirely
destroyed. Beowulf was partially damaged.

The manuscript is now preserved and

carefully cared for in the British
Museum.
SETTING
 Setting
Although Beowulf was written in English,
it is set in what is now Sweden, where a
tribe called the Geats lived.

The story may take place as early as 400

or 500 A.D.
 Setting

Europe today Insert: Time of Beowulf

 Setting
Some Important Dates:
521 A.D. – death of Hygelac, who is
mentioned in the poem
680 A.D. – appearance of alliterative verse
835 A.D. – the Danish started raiding other
areas; after this, few poets would
consider them heroes
SO: This version was likely composed between
680 and 835, though it may be set earlier
POETIC DEVICES
Poetic Devices
• Alliteration
• Kenning
• Litotes
 Poetic devices
The Poetry in Beowulf
1. Alliterative verse
a. Repetition of initial sounds of words
(occurs in every line)
b. Generally, four feet/beats per line
c. A caesura, or pause, between
beats two and four
d. No rhyme
 Poetic devices
The Poetry in Beowulf
Alliterative verse – an example from Beowulf:

Oft Scyld Scefing sceapena praetum,

Monegum maegpum meodo-setla
ofteah;
Egsode Eorle, syddan aerest weard.
 Poetic devices
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of
many tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging
among foes.
The terror of the hall-troops had come
far.
Caesura
• An obvious pause in a line of poetry.
• In Old English poetry, it usually comes near
the middle of a line, with two stressed
syllables before and two after, often allowing
little or no “run-on” of meaning from the first
half line to the second.
– “A prince of the Geats / had killed
Grendel.”
 Poetic devices
2. Kennings
a. Compound metaphor (usually two words)
b. Most were probably used over and over

For instance: hronade

literally means “whale-
road,” but can be
translated as “sea”
 Poetic devices
Other kennings from Beowulf:
banhus = “bone-house” = body
goldwine gumena = “gold-friend of men” =
generous prince
beaga brytta = “ring-giver” = lord
beadoleoma = “flashing light” = sword
 Kenning
• Kennings are special kinds of metaphors that use compound
words, prepositional phrases, or possessives to name a
person, place, thing, or event indirectly.
Compound Words Prepositional Phrases Possessives

"hell-forged" "Shelter of warriors" "ocean's/Furrows"

"banquet-rich“ "shapes of darkness" "God's bright beacon"
"ring-giver" "shepherd of evil" "Heaven's high arch"
"mead-cup" "tormentor of their days" "Geats'/Brave prince"
"she-wolf" "journey into darkness" "hell's captive"
 Poetic devices
3. Litotes
 A negative expression; usually an
understatement
 Example:
Hildeburh had no cause to praise the Jutes

In this example, Hildeburh’s brother has just

been killed by the Jutes. This is a poetic way
of telling us she hated the Jutes absolutely.
TERMS
 Terms
TERMS TO REMEMBER
scop mead hall
comitatus epic
wyrd homily
wergild elegy
thane
 Terms
scop
A bard or story-teller.
The scop was responsible
for praising deeds of past
heroes, for recording
history, and for providing
entertainment
 Terms
comitatus
Literally, this means
“escort” or “comrade”
This term identifies the
concept of warriors and
lords mutually pledging
their loyalty to one another
 Terms
thane
A warrior

mead-hall
The large hall where the
lord and his warriors slept,
ate, held ceremonies, etc.
 Terms
wyrd
Fate. This idea crops up a
lot in the poem, while at
the same time there are
Christian references to
God’s will.
 Terms
wergild
• Man price -the amount of
money a person or family
could accept in place of
vengeance if a man was
killed.
• If a kinsman is slain,
obligation to kill the slayer
or obtain payment in
compensation
 Terms
epic
Beowulf is an epic poem.
This means it has a larger-
than life hero and the
conflict is of universal
importance. There’s a
certain serious that
accompanies most epics.
Characteristics of an Epic Hero:
 The epic hero is a mythical 
character who is strong,
courageous, morally upright,
and driven by the desire for
glory.
 He faces enormous obstacles
in these pursuits, usually
some force or character that 
represents evil
 Even if he loses his life, he is
victorious in his pursuit of
glory.
Is significant and glorified
 Is on a quest
Has supernatural strength,
intelligence, and courage
 Is Ethical
Risks death for the good of
society
Performs brave deeds
 Is a strong and responsible
leader
 Reflects the ideas and values
of his society
 Terms
elegy
An elegy is a poem that is
sad or mournful. The
adjective is elegiac.

homily
A homily is a written
sermon or section of the
poem that gives direct
advice.
THEMES
 Themes
Good vs. Evil
Religion: Christian and Pagan influences
The importance of wealth and treasure
The importance of the sea and sailing
The sanctity of the home
Fate
Loyalty and allegiance
Heroism and heroic deeds