Beowulf Reading Aids

Characteristics of epic poem:

  1. Long narrative poem on a serious subject told in an elevated style about a superhuman/part divine hero whose actions affect the fate of a nation.
  2. Begins with an invocation to the muse (in Beowulf it is the listener who is invoked)
  3. Begins in medias res (in the middle of things)

FOUR ASPECTS OF ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE ILLUSTRATED IN BEOWULF:

  • LEADERSHIP—COMITATUS

Comitatus– description of the relationship between the leader and his thanes; a circular relationship in which the leader and thanes give each other protection and material goods. The chief/king provides for his men, keeps them safe, and redistributes the spoils of war. The thanes lay down their lives for the the king and give him the spoils of war.

TRAITS OF AN ANGLO-SAXON HERO:

1. Significant and glorified (and makes sure everyone knows it—boasting about oneself is part of the ritual)

2. Superior /superhuman

3. Ethical

4. Brave

5. Willing to go on a quest and risk death for the greater good

6. Strong and responsible leader

7. Reflects the ideals of his society

  • ETHICS/RELIGION

RELIGION of the Anglo Saxons grounded in THIS WORLD and is about ethics more than mysticism.In Beowulf we see a newly Christian poet writing about a pagan Germanic culture.

Religion is a blend of

  • Celtic animism-belief in magic, in good and evil forces (ex. Hrothgar’s throne is magic and Grendel can’t touch it)
  • Norse mythology giants and mythic warfare (remnants found in Grimm’s fairy tales)
  • Judeo-Christian beliefs with the emphasis more on the Old Testament than the new
  • ROLE/PLACE OF WOMEN
  1. Ritualistic Roles: Peace weaver, Cup bearers
  2. Could and sometimes did fight
  3. Influence over husband
  4. Better off than women would be in the high middle ages…for example, they could own land and leave it to
    family members in a will
  • ROLE/SKILL OF POET/SCOP

Scop– the Anglo-Saxon term for bard.Pronounced schōp. He is a warrior, but he also composes stories to be shared in the meadhall. He is important to because he preserves history and he grants immortality to those he tells stories about.There are two poets to pay attention to--the Beowulf poet who wrote the poem and the scop within the poem who sings in the meadhall to celebrate victories.

Tools of the scop:

Alliteration: two or more words in a line of poetry with the same beginning sound.In Anglo-Saxon poetry,
used as a memory aid and to stress particular words in a line.

Caesura:obvious pause within a line of poetry. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, the pause divides the line, with at
least one alliterative beat in each half, and was originally a place when an instrument might have
been played

Kenning: compound word metaphor, used to expand vocabulary and aid memory for reciting poetry.
Examples: sky candle, whale road,sea stallion, battle dew, rim walker

Characters in Beowulf

Shieldings (aka Danes, Spear-Danes):

Hrothgar-King

Wealtheow-Hrothgar’s wife

Hrethric-son of Hrothgar

Hrothmund-son of Hrothgar

Freawaru-daughter of Hrothgar; wife of Ingeld the Heathobard

Hrothulf-nephew of Hrothgar

Aeschere-thane of Hrothgar; killed by Grendel’s mother

Unferth-thane of Hrothgar

Geats:

Beowulf-Geat warrior; eventually King of the geats

Brecca-Beowulf’s friend

Ecgtheow-father of Beowulf

Hygelac-King of the Geats

Hygd-wife of Hyglac

Heardred-son of Hyglac (Beowulf was his advisor after Hyglac’s death)

Wiglaf-Beowulf’s loyal thane

Characters in the Digressions:

Finn-a Frisian, husband of Hildeburh; killed by Danes who break the truce

Hildeburh-Danish princess, married to Finn , lost her son and brother in the battle

Hnaef-Hildeburh’s brother; killed by Finn

Hengest-Dane who attacked the Frisians to avenge Hnæf

Modreth-a wicked queen who becomes a good queen after her marriage to Offa

Sigemund-dragon slayer, a legendary hero

Heremond-an early Danish King

NARRATIVE SECTIONS OF BEOWULF

Lineage of Hrothgar

Establishment of Heorot

Lineage and attacks of Grendel (descendant of Cain)

Arrival of Beowulf—“Diplomatic” request of Beowulf

First feast—Unferth’s challenge; the story of Brecca

Attack of Grendel—Beowulf uses no weapons (why?)

Men gather at the mere and return to Heorot—Scop sings the story of Sigemund/Heremod/Beowulf

Celebration Feast—scop sings about Finn and Hildeburh; Wealhtheow’s entrance and speech

Grendel’s Mom attacks (Aeschere)

Description of mere—place of evil

Heroic Code (p. 97)

Beowulf prepares for battle—Arming of Beowulf;bestowing of Hrunting; Beowulf honors comitatus in request to Hrothgar

Battle under the mere—Hrunting fails; Giant sword; beheading of both monsters; Danes above leave (B’s men stay)

Beowulf brings head and hilt to Hrothgar

Hrothgar’s speech on leadership and the dangers of pride; Beowulf reconciles with Unferth

Beowulf prepares to go back to Geatland and promises continued friendship and loyalty to Danes

Beowulf and Hygelac—good Queen Hygd contrasted with Modryth; Story of Freawaru; Presentation of gifts

Hygelac dies and Beowulf becomes king(We learn in later flashback he did not become king right away—despite Hygd’s
request—Heardred becomes kingfirst.)

Dragon is awakened (how?)

Beowulf prepares to fight—takes 11 comrades (later 1 added)—Christian overtones?

Last battle with Dragon—Men desert Beowulf; Wiglaf’s speech on comitatus; Dragon killed

Aftermath and funeral—Wiglaf “criticizes” Beowulf?;End of their society “Predicted” by messenger;Beowulf’s Barrow