Beowulf

1. Beowulf Background and Important Terms

2. Beowulf Facts • First great work of the English national literature • First recorded in the 700s, but set in 449 • Before it was written down, Beowulf was told and retold orally by bards, or scops • Bards/Scops were just as important to the Anglo-Saxon culture as warriors, hunters, and farmers

3. Beowulf’s Context • During the 5th century, the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain and wiped out the Roman empire • With the defeat of the Romans, Christianity lost popularity and the dark, Pagan religion of the Anglo-Saxons became dominant • However, Christian monks and missionaries still worked to spread Christianity

4. Beowulf = Epic • Epic: a quest story on a grand scale, typically a long narrative (like Homer’s The Odyssey) • Epic hero: the central figure in an epic poem that reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society • Epic hero characteristics: • Superior physical strength • Supremely ethical

5. Beowulf Literary Terms • Kennings and alliteration are essentials in Anglo-Saxon poetry like Beowulf • Kenning: a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly. • Example: the word “whale-road” means the sea • Alliteration: the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another, typically occurs at the beginning of words • Example: “slimy, slithering snakes”—repetition of “s” • Symbol: a person, place, thing, or event that stands for itself and for something else • Example: a red rose symbolizes love and passion

6. Beowulf Characters • Beowulf • Higlac • Hrothgar • Wiglaf • Grendel • Grendel’s mother