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BEOWULF

BEOWULF. BEOWULF. written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D., describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. A rich fabric of fact and fancy, Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic in British literature.

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BEOWULF

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  1. BEOWULF BEOWULF • written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D., describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. • A rich fabric of fact and fancy, Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic in British literature. • exists in only one manuscript. This copy survived both the wholesale destruction of religious artifacts during the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII and a disastrous fire which destroyed the library of Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (1571-1631). • The poem still bears the scars of the fire, visible at the upper left corner of the photograph. The Beowulf manuscript is now housed in the British Library, London.

  2. Roman influences • The Romans invaded Britain in 55 BC and brought government, roads, villas, and public baths. As time passed, they replaced the old Celtic religion with Christianity. When they left in 410 AD, they took the cohesiveness of their government with them and left the island country open once again to invaders from foreign lands.

  3. Alfred the Great • Alfred the Great led his people against Danish invaders, providing some cohesion for the Anglo-Saxon people. This was a time of invasion and a time of warfare, a time of heroes and monsters, treasure and dragons. • In Beowulf, you will discover that bards or scops chronicled the heroics of the warriors to preserve the deeds and the pride of the people; we still read Beowulf 1300 years after it was written.

  4. Anglo Saxon poetry • Anglo-Saxon poetry has the following characteristics: • The lines do not rhyme. In this respect Anglo-Saxon poetry is like blank verse. • The rhythm of a line depends primarily on the number of beats or accented syllables. Each line has four beats. • Reflected the juxtaposition of the Church and the pagan world • Each line has a pause or caesura after the second beat. Thus, each line is divided into two halves, each half having two beats. • Alliteration is an important element in Anglo-Saxon poetry. One or more accented syllables in the first half of a line almost always alliterate with one or more accented syllables in the second half. Thus alliteration binds together the two halves of a line. • The use of kennings, phrases that are an elaborate and indirect way of naming persons, things, or events, is another important characteristic of Anglo-Saxon poetry. It was a distinctive element of Anglo-Saxon poetry. For instance the sea is called "the pathless deep" and the body is the soul’s "prison house." Hrothgar is referred to as "the Scyding’s friend" and Grendel is the "man-devourer." Sometimes a kenning was unusual and would force the audience to be alert and use its wits. Sometimes it was a synonym that had been used many times before, such as a "ring-giver" in reference to the king or "wave skimmer" in reference to a ship. An Anglo-Saxon audience hearing of Beowulf’s determination to "O’er the swan-road" would know that he meant to travel over the sea. • Tendency toward didacticism or a tendency to instruct on a moral lesson.

  5. Epic Poetry • Characteristics of Epic Poetry: • 1. Long2. Narrative3. Larger than life hero4. Embodies values of a particular society5. Includes elements of myth, legend, folklore, history6. Has a serious tone7. Uses more formal, almost grand language

  6. Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon culture: • bravery in battle • loyalty for king or leader • bards or poets were used to elevate heroes of the tribes and were usually as important as the warriors themselves • faith in God to intervene positively with fate • influence of old religion—paganism • warfare was the order of the day • amassing a fortune in battle

  7. Anglo Saxon Ideals: Love of glory was a ruling motiveAllegiance to the king or lord is cherished and demanded.Reverence for womanhood—precursor to chivalry—is expectedThere is a great love for personal freedomOpen handed hospitality is the order of the day.Truth is a highly cherished virtue.Sentiments are usually suppressed

  8. Sutton Hoo • Sutton Hoo is a large cemetery that was reserved for the aristocracy of the 7th century kingdom of East Anglia. Located near what is now Suffolk, England, the cemetery was used by pagans who "made conscious reference to burial practices in Scandinavia as well as to Britain’s own prehistoric past." • In 1939 a ship burial was discovered at Sutton Hoo, in a way, confirming the accuracy of the description of the burial of Scyld Scefing.  The find, though it lacked a body, was undisturbed and contained a helmet, shield, sword, buckle, sceptre, lyre and various vessels, all of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.  It is believed that this grave or cenotaph belonged to the East Anglian King Rædwald, who died in AD 624/5. 

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