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Beowulf

Beowulf. The history and the legend. Historical background. Thought to be written somewhere between 580 AD and 1000 AD Allusions to historical figures Many characters were real people: Hygelac , Hrothgar , Ongentheow , Haethcyn , Onela , and Heardred .

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Beowulf

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  1. Beowulf The history and the legend

  2. Historical background • Thought to be written somewhere between 580 AD and 1000 AD • Allusions to historical figures • Many characters were real people: • Hygelac, Hrothgar, Ongentheow, Haethcyn, Onela, and Heardred. • Unknown if Beowulf was a real person. Probably not

  3. Dark Ages: 450 - 1066 • Main issues during the time period: • Saxon invasions • Barbaric people • Kingdoms formed • Christianity • Viking raiders • Scandinavia • Plague of Justinian • Greatest plagues in history • Rats on grain boats • 25 Million

  4. beowulf • Epic • 3182 lines • Old English • Unknown Author • 6th Century Scandanvia • Oral tradition • Scops • Changed and Grew

  5. Old English • HWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, þeodcyningaþrymgefrunon, huðaæþelingasellenfremedon! oft ScyldScefingsceaþenaþreatum, monegummægþummeodosetlaofteah, egsodeeorlas, syððanærestwearðfeasceaftfunden; he þæsfrofregebad,weox under wolcnumweorðmyndumþah,oðþæt him æghwylcymbsittendraoferhronradehyranscolde, gombangyldan; þætwæs god cyning! Ðæmeaferawæsæftercennedgeong in geardum, þone God sendefolce to frofre; fyrenðearfeongeat, þehieærdrugonaldorleaselangehwile; him þæsLiffrea, wuldresWealdendworoldareforgeaf, Beowulf wæsbreme --- blæd wide sprang--- ScyldeseaferaScedelandum in. Swascealgeonggumagodegewyrcean, fromumfeohgiftumonfæderbearme, • A powerful monster, living downin the darkness, growled in pain, impatientas day after day the music rangloud in that hall, the harp’s rejoicingcall and the poet’s clear songs, sungof the ancient beginnings of us all, recallingthe almighty making the earth, shapingthese beautiful plains marked off by oceans,then proudly setting the sun and moonto glow across the land and light it;the corners of the earth were made lovely with treesand leaves, made quick with life, with eachof the nations who now move on its face. And thenas now warriors sang of their pleasure:So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hallTill the monster stirred, that demon, that fiendGrendel who haunted the moors, the wildmarshes, and made his home in a hellNot hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime,conceived by a pair of those monsters bornOf Cain, murderous creatures banished

  6. transcripts • Monks • Christianity

  7. disaster • 1731 fire • Transcript saved for the most part • Edges were burned • 2000 letters

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