U
Unit Objectives
1. Through reading Beowulf, students will gain a better
understanding of the importance of heroism, courage and
camaraderie to the early Anglo-Saxon peoples, and how
their views on these traits continue to inform western
thinking.
2. Students will answer questions to demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding of the main events and
characters in Beowulf as they relate to the author's theme
development.
3. Students will discuss the features of a literary epic and
how these features are evident in Beowulf.
FEATURES OF A LITERARY EPIC
1. It is a long narrative poem that reflects the values of the society
that produced it.
2. The story began in the oral tradition and contains some element
of historical accuracy.
3. It is written in a serious, elevated style.
4. The author is usually anonymous.
5. It deals with large issues of good versus evil.
6. It has a hero who is “larger than life”; stronger, braver, and
more insightful than the average man.
7. The hero is on a quest wherein the fate of his tribe, his nation,
or the entire human race rests on his shoulders.
8. Gods or other quasi-divine creatures come to the aid of one
side and/or another.
Epics appeal to people who share a common value system, and in order to understand
Beowulf as a literary epic, it is important to comprehend “the world of the work”—
what the historical context of the poem is.
1. Beowulf provides a very strong history of Anglo-Saxon life, values, and society, at
the time that Beowulf was written.
2. It is the sole surviving manuscript from what was believed to have been a thriving
literary form.
3. It is an aristocratic poem exclusively—concerned with issues of kingship
4. Traits valued and heralded by the Anglo-Saxons (and seen in Beowulf) included:
courage, bravery, strength, loyalty and obedience to one’s lord, generosity,
willingness to engage in battle, and the quest for fame.
5. Beowulf originated as a pagan piece in the oral tradition.
6. Eighth century monks “Christianized” the piece, so it is an interesting hybrid of
Christian and non-Christian elements.
7. The sharp and beautiful language of the poem can be attributed to the fact that it
began in the oral tradition.
Epic Literature
Beowulf
Why Beowulf?
Provenance
Setting
Poetic devices
Terms
Themes
• Rhythm – the metrical movement of the flow of words on a
page, as in poetry, the pulse of the poetic lines
• Alliteration – the repetition of the initial or the first
consonant sound in a line of poetry
• Allegory – a story told on two levels, one that is literal and
one that seeks to teach a lesson or a moral
• Kenning – a uniquely Anglo-Saxon literary device in which
straightforward nouns are called by a poetic arrangement of
words to embellish the effects of an orally transmitted
narration (e.g. “heaven’s high arch” for “rainbow” or
“whale road” for the “sea”)-i.e. metaphor
Epic Style
Why Study Beowulf?
1. Beowulf is the oldest poem in the English
language, so everything written since
Beowulf stems from it in some way
2. The story of Beowulf encompasses
common themes that we still see in English
literature today
3. Beowulf is simply good writing
Why Study Beowulf?
4. In some ways, it doesn’t matter what you
read, but how you read it, so…since Beowulf
came first, you might as well start there.
5. Studying Old English improves your
understanding of modern English
6. It’s a great story
Beowulf’s Provenance
What we don’t know:
who wrote it
when exactly it was written
how much, exactly, is
based on historical truth
Beowulf’s Provenance
What we do know:
Beowulf is the oldest surviving English poem.
It’s written in Old English (or Anglo-Saxon),
which is the basis for the language we speak
today.
Some of the characters in the poem actually
existed.
The only copy of the manuscript was written
sometime around the 11th century A.D. (1000’s),
however…
The actual poem probably dates from the 8th
century (700’s) or so, and…
The story may be set even earlier, around
500 A.D.
 There are a lot of Christian references in the
poem, but the characters and setting are
Pagan…this means a monk probably translated
it.
Beowulf’s Provenance
So why wasn’t it written
down in the first place?
This story was probably passed down orally for
centuries before it was first written down.
It wasn’t until after the Norman Invasion
(1066) that writing stories down became
common in this part of the world.
Beowulf’s Provenance
So what’s happened to the
manuscript since the 11th century?
Eventually, it ended up
in the library of this guy.
Robert Cotton (1571-1631)
Beowulf’s Provenance
Unfortunately, Cotton’s library burned in
1731. Many manuscripts were entirely
destroyed. Beowulf was partially damaged.
The manuscript is now preserved and
carefully cared for in the British
Museum.
Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Although Beowulf was written in English,
it is set in what is now Sweden, where a
tribe called the Geats lived.
The story may take place as early as 400
or 500 A.D.
Setting: Beowulf’s time and place
Europe today
Insert: Time of Beowulf
How we date Beowulf
Some Important Dates:
521 A.D. – death of Hygelac, who is
mentioned in the poem
680 A.D. – appearance of alliterative verse
835 A.D. – the Danish started raiding other
areas; after this, few poets would
consider them heroes
SO: This version was likely composed between
680 and 835, though it may be set earlier
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
1. Alliterative verse
a. Repetition of initial sounds of words
(occurs in every line)
b. Generally, four feet/beats per line
c. A caesura, or pause, between
beats two and four
d. No rhyme
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
Alliterative verse – an example from Beowulf:
Oft Scyld Scefing
sceapena praetum,
Monegum maegpum meodo-setla ofteah;
Egsode Eorle,
syddan aerest weard.
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many
tribes,
A wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging
among foes.
The terror of the hall-troops had come far.
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
2. Kennings
a. Compound metaphor (usually two words)
b. Most were probably used over and over
For instance: hronade
literally means “whaleroad,” but can be
translated as “sea”
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
Other kennings from Beowulf:
banhus = “bone-house” = body
goldwine gumena = “gold-friend of men” =
generous prince
beaga brytta = “ring-giver” = lord
beadoleoma = “flashing light” = sword
The Poetry in Beowulf
A few things to watch out for
3. Litotes
 A negative expression; usually an
understatement
 Example:
Hildeburh had no cause to praise the Jutes
In this example, Hildeburh’s brother
has just been killed by the Jutes.
This is a poetic way of telling us she
hated the Jutes absolutely.
Some terms you’ll want to know
scop
A bard or story-teller.
The scop was responsible
for praising deeds of past
heroes, for recording
history, and for providing
entertainment
Some terms you’ll want to know
comitatus
Literally, this means
“escort” or “comrade”
This term identifies the
concept of warriors and
lords mutually pledging
their loyalty to one another
Some terms you’ll want to know
thane
A warrior
mead-hall
The large hall where the
lord and his warriors slept,
ate, held ceremonies, etc.
Some terms you’ll want to know
wyrd
Fate. This idea crops up a
lot in the poem, while at
the same time there are
Christian references to
God’s will.
Some terms you’ll want to know
epic
Beowulf is an epic poem.
This means it has a largerthan life hero and the
conflict is of universal
importance. There’s a
certain serious that
accompanies most epics.
Some terms you’ll want to know
elegy
An elegy is a poem that is
sad or mournful. The
adjective is elegiac.
homily
A homily is a written
sermon or section of the
poem that gives direct
advice.
Themes and Important Aspects
Good vs. Evil
Religion: Christian and Pagan influences
The importance of wealth and treasure
The importance of the sea and sailing
The sanctity of the home
Fate
Loyalty and allegiance
Heroism and heroic deeds