DOCSLIB.ORG

Provenance Setting Why Beowulf? Poetic Devices Terms

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Provenance Setting Why Beowulf? Poetic Devices Terms Beowulf Why Beowulf? Provenance Setting Poetic devices Terms Themes 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. Studying Old English improves your understanding of modern English 4. 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 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. Anglo-Saxons, 449-1066 B. C. 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 Setting: Beowulf’s time and place Europe today Insert: Time of Beowulf Beowulf was orally passed down scop A bard or story-teller. The scop was responsible for praising deeds of past heroes, for recording history, and for providing entertainment 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 “whale- road,” 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 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 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 Weregild Literally, this means "man price" If property was stolen, or someone was injured or killed, the guilty person would have to pay weregild as restitution to the victim's family or to the owner of the property 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 larger-than life hero and the conflict is of universal importance. 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.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Beowulf Themes
    Wednesday, November 12, 2014 • Do now: In your notebooks, answer the following prompt: –What is a hero? Explain your definition and give examples. Thursday, November 13, 2014 • Do now: In your notebooks, answer the following prompt: –What is courage? How would most people today define courage? Beowulf Themes • Good vs Evil • Violence • Identity • Courage • Strength and • Mortality Skill • The • Wealth Supernatural • Religion • Traditions & Customs Beowulf Motifs/Symbols • Motifs • Symbols –Monsters –The Golden –The Oral Torque Tradition (Rewards) –The Mead –The Banquet Hall (Celebration) Beowulf Author • Very little is known about the author –Male –Educated –Upper Class –Anglo-Saxon / Christian Beowulf Information • Poem was composed (created) in the 8th century – Although it is English in language and origin, the poem does not deal with Englishmen, but their Germanic ancestors (Danes & Geats) – The Danes are from Denmark & the Geats are from modern day Sweden Beowulf Info (cont’d) • Some of the original poem was destroyed in the Ashburnham House Fire, causing a number of lines to be lost forever (1731) • The poem is circular in that it starts out with a young warrior, he grows old, another young warrior saves the day, etc. (comes full circle) Beowulf Info (cont’d) • Beowulf’s people are the Geats • Hrothgar’s people are the Danes • Beowulf reigned as king for 50 years • According to legend, Beowulf died at the age of 90 years old • Beowulf takes place in Scandinavia Beowulf’s Origin 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.
    [Show full text]
  • Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature
    Háskóli Íslands Hugvísindasvið Medieval Icelandic Studies Number Symbolism in Old Norse Literature A Brief Study Ritgerð til MA-prófs í íslenskum miðaldafræðum Li Tang Kt.: 270988-5049 Leiðbeinandi: Torfi H. Tulinius September 2015 Acknowledgements I would like to thank firstly my supervisor, Torfi H. Tulinius for his confidence and counsels which have greatly encouraged my writing of this paper. Because of this confidence, I have been able to explore a domain almost unstudied which attracts me the most. Thanks to his counsels (such as his advice on the “Blóð-Egill” Episode in Knýtlinga saga and the reading of important references), my work has been able to find its way through the different numbers. My thanks also go to Haraldur Bernharðsson whose courses on Old Icelandic have been helpful to the translations in this paper and have become an unforgettable memory for me. I‟m indebted to Moritz as well for our interesting discussion about the translation of some paragraphs, and to Capucine and Luis for their meticulous reading. Any fault, however, is my own. Abstract It is generally agreed that some numbers such as three and nine which appear frequently in the two Eddas hold special significances in Norse mythology. Furthermore, numbers appearing in sagas not only denote factual quantity, but also stand for specific symbolic meanings. This tradition of number symbolism could be traced to Pythagorean thought and to St. Augustine‟s writings. But the result in Old Norse literature is its own system influenced both by Nordic beliefs and Christianity. This double influence complicates the intertextuality in the light of which the symbolic meanings of numbers should be interpreted.
    [Show full text]
  • Dynamics of Religious Ritual: Migration and Adaptation in Early Medieval Britain
    Dynamics of Religious Ritual: Migration and Adaptation in Early Medieval Britain A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Brooke Elizabeth Creager IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Peter S. Wells August 2019 Brooke Elizabeth Creager 2019 © For my Mom, I could never have done this without you. And for my Grandfather, thank you for showing me the world and never letting me doubt I can do anything. Thank you. i Abstract: How do migrations impact religious practice? In early Anglo-Saxon England, the practice of post-Roman Christianity adapted after the Anglo-Saxon migration. The contemporary texts all agree that Christianity continued to be practiced into the fifth and sixth centuries but the archaeological record reflects a predominantly Anglo-Saxon culture. My research compiles the evidence for post-Roman Christian practice on the east coast of England from cemeteries and Roman churches to determine the extent of religious change after the migration. Using the case study of post-Roman religion, the themes religion, migration, and the role of the individual are used to determine how a minority religion is practiced during periods of change within a new culturally dominant society. ii Table of Contents Abstract …………………………………………………………………………………...ii List of Figures ……………………………………………………………………………iv Preface …………………………………………………………………………………….1 I. Religion 1. Archaeological Theory of Religion ...………………………………………………...3 II. Migration 2. Migration Theory and the Anglo-Saxon Migration ...……………………………….42 3. Continental Ritual Practice before the Migration, 100 BC – AD 400 ………………91 III. Southeastern England, before, during and after the Migration 4. Contemporary Accounts of Religion in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries……………..116 5.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Social and Linguistic Setting of Alliterative Verse in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval England
    Cambridge University Press 0521573173 - Alliteration and Sound Change in Early English - Donka Minkova Excerpt More information 1 Social and linguistic setting of alliterative verse in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval England The primary goal of this study is to establish and analyze the linguistic prop- erties of early English verse. Verse is not created in a vacuum; a consideration of some non-structural factors that could influence the composition of poetry is important for our understanding of its linguistic dimensions. This chapter presents a brief overview of the social and cultural conditions under which alliterative verse was produced and enjoyed in Anglo-Saxon and Medieval England. 1.1 The Anglo-Saxon poetic scene Verse composition was a foremost outlet of creativity and a cherished form of entertainment, moral edification, and historical record keeping for the Anglo- Saxons. When the Northumbrian priest and chronicler Bede (b. 672/673– d. 735) wrote his Ecclesiastical History of the English People in Latin, the poetic rendition of important themes and events in the vernacular must have already been a highly prestigious undertaking. Bede tells us how Cadmon, an illiterate shepherd, found his inability to sing in company shameful. In a dream a stranger appeared urging him to sing the song of the Creation and he uttered “verses which he had never heard.” He was then taken to the monastery at Whitby where his divine poetic gift was tested and confirmed. He spent the rest of his life as a layman in the monastery, enjoying the fellowship of the abbess and the learned brethren, and composing more religious poetry.
    [Show full text]
  • Eomer Gets Poetic: Tolkien's Alliterative Versecraft James Shelton East Tennessee State University, [email protected]
    Journal of Tolkien Research Volume 5 | Issue 1 Article 6 2018 Eomer Gets Poetic: Tolkien's Alliterative Versecraft James Shelton East Tennessee State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Shelton, James (2018) "Eomer Gets Poetic: Tolkien's Alliterative Versecraft," Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 5 : Iss. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol5/iss1/6 This Conference Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Library Services at ValpoScholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Tolkien Research by an authorized administrator of ValpoScholar. For more information, please contact a ValpoScholar staff member at [email protected]. Shelton: Eomer Gets Poetic: Tolkien's Alliterative Versecraft The fact that Tolkien had an affinity for Old English and, therefore, Old English impacted his writing style are two contentions which are variously argued and proven throughout Tolkien scholarship. They are well supported enough that they need not be rehashed here, see Shippey, Flieger, Higgins, et passim. It is enough for this investigation into Tolkien's use of Old English alliterative verse to note his penchant for leaning heavily on such forms as he enjoyed, and had a professional interest in, is widely accepted in Tolkien scholarship. Additionally, it should be mentioned that Tolkien's use of Old English seems to be at its peak with the Riders of Rohan. In fact, to paraphrase Michael Drout, the Riders of Rohan are Anglo-Saxons except they have horses.1 Additionally, it has been stipulated that the Riders of Rohan use a specific dialect of Old English known as Mercian.
    [Show full text]
  • English Alliterative Verse: Poetic Tradition and Literary History
    ENGLISH ALLITERATIVE VERSE English Alliterative Verse tells the story of the medieval poetic tradition that includes Beowulf, Piers Plowman, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, stretching from the eighth century, when English poetry first appeared in manuscripts, to the sixteenth century, when alliterative poetry ceased to be composed. Eric Weiskott draws on the study of meter to challenge the traditional division of medieval English literary history into ‘Old English’ and ‘Middle English’ periods. The two halves of the alliterative tradition, divided by the Norman Conquest of 1066, have been studied separately since the nineteenth century; this book uses the history of metrical form and its cultural meanings to bring the two halves back together. In combining literary history and metrical description into a new kind of history he calls ‘verse history,’ Weiskott reimagines the historical study of poetics. eric weiskott is Assistant Professor of English at Boston College. In addition to publishing widely on alliterative verse and early English literary history in journals such as Anglo-Saxon England, ELH, Modern Language Quarterly, Modern Philology, Review of English Studies, and Yearbook of Langland Studies, Weiskott is also a practicing poet. Most recently, his poems have appeared in burnt- district, Cricket Online Review, and paper nautilus. His first poetry chapbook was Sharp Fish (2008). With Irina Dumitrescu, he has co- edited a volume of essays with the working title Early English Poetics and the History of Style. cambridge studies
    [Show full text]
  • Children of a One-Eyed God: Impairment in the Myth and Memory of Medieval Scandinavia Michael David Lawson East Tennessee State University
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 5-2019 Children of a One-Eyed God: Impairment in the Myth and Memory of Medieval Scandinavia Michael David Lawson East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Comparative Literature Commons, Cultural History Commons, Disability Studies Commons, European History Commons, European Languages and Societies Commons, Folklore Commons, History of Religion Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Medieval History Commons, Medieval Studies Commons, Scandinavian Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Lawson, Michael David, "Children of a One-Eyed God: Impairment in the Myth and Memory of Medieval Scandinavia" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3538. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3538 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Children of a One-Eyed God: Impairment in the Myth and Memory of Medieval Scandinavia ————— A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of History East Tennessee State University ————— In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
    [Show full text]
  • Skaldic Slam: Performance Poetry in the Norwegian Royal Court
    Lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni trú Félagsvísindasvið Skaldic Slam: Performance Poetry in the Norwegian Royal Court Anna Millward Leiðbeinandi: Terry Gunnell Félags- og mannvísindadeild Félagsvísindasvið Háskóla Íslands December 2014 Norrænn trú Félags- og mannvísindadeild 1 Anna Millward MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis MA Kennitala: 150690-3749 Winter 2014 DEDICATION AND DISCLAIMER I owe special thanks to Prof. Terry Gunnell for his continued encouragement, help and enthusiasm throughout the process of researching and writing this dissertation. Many of the ideas put forward in this dissertation are borne out of interesting conversations and discussions with Prof. Gunnell, whose own work inspired me to take up this subject in the first place. It is through Prof. Gunnell’s unwavering support that this thesis came into being and, needless to say, any mistakes or errors are mine entirely. Ritgerð þessi er lokaverkefni til MA–gráðu í Norrænni Trú og er óheimilt að afrita ritgerðina á nokkurn hátt nema með leyfi rétthafa. © Anna Millward, 2014 Reykjavík, Ísland 2014 2 Anna Millward MA in Old Nordic Religions: Thesis MA Kennitala: 150690-3749 Winter 2014 CONTENTS Introduction pp. 5-13 Chapter 1. Skálds, Scholar, and the Problem of the Pen 1.1. What is Skaldic Poetry? pp. 14-15 1.2. Form and Function pp. 15-22 1.3. Preservation Context pp. 22-24 1.4. Scholarly Approaches to Skaldic Verse p. 25 1.5. Skaldic Scholarship: post-1970s pp. 26-31 1.6. Early Skaldic Scholarship: pre-1970s pp. 31-36 1.7. Skaldic as Oral Poetry, Oral Poetry as Performance pp. 36-43 1.8.
    [Show full text]
  • Studies in the Sources of J.R.R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings
    .-- . .,l,.. .I~ i . ,. s._ .i. -_. _..-..e.. _ . (3 f Preface i In the Spring of 1968 while I was studying the Old English poem Beowulf with Dr. Rudolph Bambas, my colleague and classmate Judith Moore suggested that I might enjoy reading a new work by J:R.R. Tolkien, known to us as the editor of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the author of that seminal article -- “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings delighted me that summer. In the fall, at the urging of another colleague, I enrolled in the Old Norse seminar. That conjunction of events proved to be the beginning of a lifelong study of Northern literature and its contributions to the cauldron of story which produced The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and The Unfinished Tales. The first version of this study became my doctoral dissertation -- “Studies in the Sources of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.“1 Throughout the years that followed while I was either teaching college English or working as a librarian, I have continued my research. The original study was based on about twenty-five sagas; that number has been tripled. Christopher Tolkien’s careful publication of The Silmarillion, The Unfinished Tales, and six volumes of The Historv of Middle-earth has greatlyreatly expanded the canon available for scholarly study. Humphrey Carpenter’s authorized biography has also been helpful. However, the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien have produced both the . greatest joy and the greatest terror.
    [Show full text]
  • Rituals for the Northern Tradition
    Horn and Banner Horn and Banner Rituals for the Northern Tradition Compiled by Raven Kaldera Hubbardston, Massachusetts Asphodel Press 12 Simond Hill Road Hubbardston, MA 01452 Horn and Banner: Rituals for the Northern Tradition © 2012 Raven Kaldera ISBN: 978-0-9825798-9-3 Cover Photo © 2011 Thorskegga Thorn All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the author. Printed in cooperation with Lulu Enterprises, Inc. 860 Aviation Parkway, Suite 300 Morrisville, NC 27560 To all the good folk of Iron Wood Kindred, past and present, and especially for Jon Norman whose innocence and enthusiasm we will miss forever. Rest in Hela’s arms, Jon, And may you find peace. Contents Beginnings Creating Sacred Space: Opening Rites ................................... 1 World Creation Opening ....................................................... 3 Jormundgand Opening Ritual ................................................ 4 Four Directions and Nine Worlds: ........................................ 5 Cosmological Opening Rite .................................................... 5 Warding Rite of the Four Directions ..................................... 7 Divide And Conquer: Advanced Group Liturgical Design. 11 Rites of Passage Ritual to Bless a Newborn .................................................... 25 Seven-Year Rite ..................................................................... 28 A Note On Coming-Of-Age Rites .......................................
    [Show full text]
  • Runes and Verse: the Medialities of Early Scandinavian Poetry
    Runes and Verse: The Medialities of Early Scandinavian Poetry Judith Jesch Introduction: Runic and Roman in Old English and Old Norse Poetry It has long been recognised that there are many similarities between Old English and Old Norse literary culture and especially poetry, despite their chronological disparities. While many scholars nowadays prefer to stress these chronological and other disparities, or simply to ignore the similarities and concentrate on just the one tradition, there is still room for a nuanced comparison of the two bodies of poetry, as in for example recent work by Matthew Townend. Having examined some similarities in poetic diction he argues that these derive in part from the common roots of Old English and Old Norse. Such a shared specialised poetic diction suggests to him “that there existed a well-developed North-West Germanic poetic culture ... the reflexes of which can be observed in our extant Old English and Old Norse verse” (Townend 2015, 18). As well as this similarity of poetic vocabulary, and of course their well-known common metrical structures, these two corpora also share certain structural similarities which relate not only to patterns of transmission but also to the wider role of verse in their respective cultures. Thus, it is worthy of note that both corpora include anonymous as well as non-anonymous verse, and both include verse that is transmitted in runic inscriptions as well as in manuscripts in the roman alphabet. But despite these similarities, the poetical cultures of Anglo-Saxon England and early Scandinavia display significant differences, in particular when these medialities of roman and runic are considered more closely.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF Download Beowulf 1St Edition
    BEOWULF 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK J R R Tolkien | 9780544442795 | | | | | Beowulf 1st edition PDF Book Heaney, Seamus Translator and John D. Earlier, after the award of treasure, The Geat had been given another lodging"; his assistance would be absent in this battle. Work also supported the Homeric influence, stating that encounter between Beowulf and Unferth was parallel to the encounter between Odysseus and Euryalus in Books 7—8 of the Odyssey, even to the point of both characters giving the hero the same gift of a sword upon being proven wrong in their initial assessment of the hero's prowess. More information about this seller Contact this seller 4. For first-time buyers, we prefer a credit card and we will only ship to the billing address on the card. More information about this seller Contact this seller 7. Beowulf survives in a single parchment manuscript dated on palaeographical grounds to the late 10th or early 11th century. Dust Jacket Condition: very good. Text is clean and tight. Soft cover. Yeager notes the facts that form the basis for these questions:. United Kingdom. He argues that the term "shoulder-companion" could refer to both a physical arm as well as a thane Aeschere who was very valuable to his lord Hrothgar. Used books don't have access codes, ships from U. Collins English Dictionary. University of Toronto Press. A Bilingual Edition. Heaney's clear and. Very Good Condition - May show some limited signs of wear and may have a remainder mark. First trade edition of Heaney's acclaimed translation of the Old English epic, winner of the Whitbread Award for Poetry, signed on the title page by Heaney.
    [Show full text]