Beowulf

EQ: How is Beowulf an epic hero?
What is Beowulf?
It is a familiar theme: a brave hero battles
his archenemy, and evildoer who will stop
at nothing to win.
This theme of hero and villain goes back
more than 1200 years to a time when
Anglo-Saxon storytellers sang of the
legend of Beowulf, the warrior.
Why is Beowulf important?
the first English literary
masterpiece
one of the earliest
European epics written in
the vernacular, or native
language, instead of
literary Latin
Epics of other cultures
You can compare the magnitude of
Beowulf with that of the Iliad and the
Odyssey of ancient Greece and the
Sundiata of Mali.
The Anglo-Saxons left few records of their
life and history. Beowulf shows their
dreams, goals and fears, as well as their
values of loyalty, bravery and honor.
When was it written?
Estimates of the date of composition range
between 700 and 1000 AD.; written in
England
The story survives in one fragile
manuscript copied by two scribes near the
end of the 10th or the first quarter of the
11th century
History
Beowulf began
as an oral
poem, passed
by singers of
one generation
to the next.
Its a good guess Beowulf would have
disappeared along with those singers
themselves if it had not been written down

Who wrote the poem?
No one knows.
Like all early oral poetry, it had as many authors
as singers who performed it.
It was originally spoken in Old English, the
language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons during the
years 500 to 1100.
The singers may have performed it when warriors
gathered in meadhalls to celebrate like those
described in Beowulf.
Setting
set around 500
AD
the narrative
also recounts
historical
events that
happened
much earlier.
Setting
Denmark and
Geatland (a
region in what
is now
southern
Sweden)

Trivia: Beowulf as inspiration
Beowulf has influenced
classical music (the American composer Howard
Hansons Lament for Beowulf, ca. 1926),
a novel (John Gardner's Grendel, 1971),
animated film (Grendel! Grendel! Grendel! with
Peter Ustinov, ca. 1982),
even a comic-book series (Beowulf, Dragon-
Slayer, ca. 1975).
Tensions Between the Heroic Code
and Other Value Systems

Much of Beowulf is devoted to illustrating
the Germanic heroic code, which values
strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors;
hospitality, generosity, and political skill in
kings; ceremoniousness* in women; and
good reputation in all people.
* formally or elaborately polite
Traditional and much respected, this code is
vital to warrior societies as a means of
understanding their relationships to the
world and the menaces lurking beyond their
boundaries.
All of the characters moral judgments stem
from the codes mandates. Thus individual
actions can be seen only as either
conforming to or violating the code.

The poem presents situations that expose a
contradiction in values, seen especially with the
values of medieval Christianity in contrast to
that of the heroic code.
heroic code: glory is achieved in this life through
noble deeds versus Christian doctrine: glory lies only
in the hereafter
warrior tradition: it is always better to get revenge
than to grieve versus Christian belief: forgive those
who have done us wrong

Germanic heroic code values strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors;
hospitality, generosity, and political skill in kings; ceremoniousness in
women; and good reputation in all people.

Poet accommodates two sets
of values: pagan and Christian
Heroic code: honor is gained during life through
deeds versus Christianity: glory lies in the
afterlife.
warrior culture: it is always better to retaliate than
to mourn versus Christian doctrine: advocates a
peaceful, forgiving attitude toward enemies.
Though the author is Christian, he cannot (and
does not seem to want to) deny the fundamental
pagan values of the story of this epic hero.
kenning
A type of metaphor used in place of a
noun, not just a comparison
mankinds enemy = Grendel
These compounds like swans road for
ocean or sea wood for ship form key
elements in the rhythm and alliteration
You will add these to your study guide as
we read.

To quote lines:
him who of all the men on earth/Was
the strongest (36).
Higlacs/Follower and the strongest
of the Geats greater/And stronger than
anyone anywhere in this world (12).

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EQ: How is Beowulf an epic hero?

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