The Epic of BeowulfTranslated by Burton Raffel

The EpicAn Epic is a long narrative poem about a larger than life hero who engaged in a

dangerous journey, or quest, that is important to the history of a nation and/or

its people.

The Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066)Historical Background

Romans controlled Britain for 400 years until about 445.Germanic Tribes (Jutes, Angles, Saxons) Began to invade Britain.

◦These tribes enjoyed beauty & adventure.◦They blended British and Germanic cultures◦These people originally had pagan beliefs (worshipped god-like

heroes,) but with help from St. Augustine, they later became Christians.

At this time, most activities revolved around the church/monasteries.◦Center for social, intellectual, artistic, and literary life

During this time, people began to keep historical records, use written contracts, and courts were established.

Late 700-800’s- Danish Vikings invaded Britain◦They raided and destroyed the village & monasteries ◦They were defeated in 886 by King Alfred.

Danes returned in 1016 & were defeated 1042Anglo-Saxon period ended in 1066 when the Normans conquered

the country.

Anglo-Saxon LiteratureAnglo-Saxon Literature

Much of the Anglo-Saxon literature was oral-Stories were told, not written down. A scop told or sang the tales about heroes and their adventures. Some of these oral stories were later recorded.

Popular kinds of literature in this time period were:◦Heroic Epic-A long narrative poem about a hero who has

great courage & super-human ability (similar to gods)◦Elegiac Epic- A poem in which a single speaker

expressed thoughts & feelings. The lyric often recalls part events.

◦Riddle- Verses that challenged listeners to guess their subjects.

Beowulf is a heroic epic set in the 200-300’s. Passed down orally until it was recorded about 800-1000

Types of Epics

Folk Epic is a story about a hero that was originally sung or recited. Over generations, these stories were passed down by storytellers until they were eventually written down.

Literary Epic is written down by a specific author, usually borrowing the style and characteristics of a folk epic.

Elements of an EpicElements of an Epic- All epics are characterized by

certain key elements.Epic Hero- The larger than life main character. This

hero is strong, brave, loyal, and virtuous, although he/she usually has a flaw.

Epic Conflict- The hero’s struggle against an obstacle or series of obstacles. The hero proves his/her strength, bravery, wisdom, and virtue through overcoming this conflict.

Heroic Quest- The journey that the hero takes in search of something that is valuable to his/her people.

Divine Intervention- The help or hindrance that the hero receives from a god or some supernatural force.

In this story, the Prologue discusses the lineage, or family history, of the king of the Danes. It

expresses the importance of valorous heroes. It also tells us that the story will take place in

Denmark.

Prologue Information that can be in a prologue is

Beowulf, like many stories, has a prologue, which gives the reader information he or she needs to better understand a story.

Background information

Introduction of characters

Introduction to settingIntroduce a major

theme

Hear me! We’ve heard of Danish heroes, Ancient kings and the glory they cut For themselves, swinging mighty swords!How Shild made slaves of soldiers from Every land, crowds of captives he’d beaten Into terror; he’d travel to Denmark alone An abandoned child, but changed his own fate, lived to be rich and much honored. He ruled Lands on all sides: Wherever the sea Would take them his soldiers, sailed returned with tribute and obedience. There was a brave king! And he gave them more than his glory, Conceived a son for the Danes, a new leader allowed them by the grace of God.

They had lived, before his coming, kingless and miserable; Now the Lord of all life, Ruler of Glory, blessed them with a prince, Beo, Whose power and fame soon spread through the world. Shild’s strong son was the glory of Denmark; His father’s worriers were would round his heart With gold rings, bound to their prince By his father’s treasure. So young men built the future, wisely open-handed in peach, Protected in War; so warriors earn Their fame, and wealth is shaped with a sword.

When his time was come the old king died, Still strong but called to the Lord’s hands. His comrades carried him down to the shore, Bore him as their leader had asked, their lord And companion, while words could move on his tongue. Shild’s reign had been long; he ruled them well. There in the harbor was a ring-prowed fighting Ships, its timbers icy, waiting, And there they brought the beloved body Of their ring-giving lord, and laid him near the mast. Next to that noble corpse They heaped up treasure, jeweled helmets, hooked swords and coats of mail, armor Carried from the ends of the earth:

no ship Had ever sailed so brightly fitted, No king sent forth more deeply mourned. Forced to set him adrift, floating As far as the tide might run, they refused To give him less from their hoards of gold Than those who’d shipped him away, an orphan And a beggar, to cross the waves alone. High up over his head they flew His shinny banner, then sadly let The water pull at the ship, watched it Slowly sliding to where neither rulers Nor heroes not anyone can say whose hands Opened to take that motionless cargo.

Then Beo was king in that Danish castle, Shild’s son ruling as long as his father And as loved, a famous lord of men. And he in turn gave his people a son, the great Healfdane, a fierce fighter Who led the Danes to the end of his long Life and left them four children, Three princes to guide them in battle, Hergar and Hrothgar and Halga the Good, and one daughter, Yrs, who was given to Onela, king of the Swedes, and became his wife and their queen.

PrologueThe prologue begins with the narrator addressing the

reader to “Hear me!” as he begins to tell of Heroic Danish kings of the past.

First he introduces Shild, who was an orphan who immigrated to Denmark as a child. ◦ Shild was loved and honored by his people.◦ He was brave and loved by his people◦ Before he arrived, the Danes were miserable and kingless◦ He had a son named Beo◦ When Shild died, to honor and respect him, the Danes put his

body on a boat with treasures and gold and sent his body to sea (so he had it in the after-life)

◦ Everyone in the country mourned his death

Shild’s son Beo took over his reign and became as loved as his father

Beo had a son named Healfdane, who was a fierce fighter.

Healfdane had four children: Yrs (the only girl), Hrothgar, Halga, &Hergar

Yrs married the King of the SwedesHrothgar became the next king

◦Hrothgar is the king during the tale of Beowulf

As you remember from the background information, Beowulf was told orally for centuries before it was finally written down.

The monks were the one who recorded the tale, so they added elements for Christianity to the otherwise Pagan story.

We see a mix of both Pagan and Christian believes in the Prologue because it tells us that God sent Shild to the Danes, He brought Beo, and He took shild away.

However, the ceremony following Shild’s death was typical of Pagans, since the treasure the Danes sent with Shild was to go with him into the afterlife.

Grendel•Describe Grendel.Grendel is a powerful monster, lived in darkness, growled in pain, impatient, haunted moors, spawned in that slime.•What made him impatient and angry?The music from Herot.•What elements Herot’s description contrast that of Grendel?In the hall, music and joy rang out. They sang about god and creating the beautiful earth. The men were happy.•What made Grendel so evil?He was an ancestor of Cain, who was cursed by God for killing his brother.•At nightfall, where did Grendel go? Why?He went to Herot to see what happened when the men were done drinking.•Once he was there, what did he find & what happened?He found the men sleeping and Grendel snatched up 30 of them & killed them. Then he left•What happened in the morning?Hrothgar saw the destruction of his men and mourned their deaths•What happened the next night? What happened because of this?Grendel returned. Everyone fled from Herot because they feared for their lives.

Grendel How long did Herot remain empty?12 years A Kenning is an elaborate phrase that describes a person, thing, or event in a

metaphorical and indirect way. Can you find some examples from Beowulf? Hell-forged hands, mankind’s enemy:Grendel; Healfdanes’s son: Hrothgar; Higlac’s follower: Beowulf

What happened to the news of Grendel’s terror?It spread to countries across the ocean Where was Grendel& what was he doing during this time? Hiding, but keeping his eyes

on Herot Why was Hrothgar spared? He was protected by God What did the Danes try to do to get rid of Grendel? Sacrified to stone gods & made

heathen vows to the devil What/who is the only one who could help the Danes? Praying to God Who/What is Higlac? King of the Geats (southern Sweden) & Beowulf’s uncle Describe Beowulf.greatest & strongest in the world, brave, & loved by Geats Where did he go & why? With 14 of the bravest Geats, he went to Denmark to fight

Grendel because the omens were good (God supported his trip)Let’s look at Reading literature #1 on page 115

Beowulf When he arrives & meets Hrothgar, what information does Beowulf give? He gives

his credentials for fighting: he is a warrior, drove giants into chains, swam in the darkness to hunt sea monsters

What one request does Beowulf have for Hrothgar? Beowulf asks that he and his men be allowed to fight Grendel without the Danes’ help

What weapons will Beowulf use to defeat Grendel ?None; he will use his bare hands Who will decide who will win the battle? God What will happen if Grendel wins? He will carry Beowulf’s body to his lair, crunch his

bones, and smear his skin and blood on the walls If he dies, what does Beowulf want the Danes to do? Send his stuff back to Higlac

since his body would be destroyed What did the Geats and Danes do? Sat down, ate, sang, drank,& celebrated the

future defeat of Grendel Why did Beowulf have a good chance at winning? He had God’s favor As they slept, what were the Geats thinking about? The dead Danes who once slept

where they are now laying. As Grendel approached, what was Beowulf doing? Waiting & watching for Grendel

The Battle with Grendel What were Grendel’s intentions when he came to Herot this time? To kill What lit terms is used when Herot is referred to as “that gold-shining hall?”kenning How would Grendel find Herot? Defended firmly After he tore open the door and saw the sleeping men, how did Grendel feel?

Delighted “But fate, that night, intended Grendel to gnaw the broken bones of his last human

supper,” is an example of what literary term? Foreshadowing Why is “Human eyes were watching his evil steps” ironic?We knew Beowulf is

awake waiting for Grendel, but he does not! What happened to the first Geat Grendel picked up? Grendel swallowed down What happened to the second? It was Beowulf. Beowulf grabbed him and bent his

claws back What happened to Grendel at this point? He was scared & wanted to flee Why did “The high hall rang, its roof boards swayed, and Danes shook with terror…

Herot trembled…benches rattled”? The battle between Grendel and Beowulf began What was happening when “screams of the Almighty’s enemy sang?” Grendel was

in pain and losing & Beowulf was winning

Why couldn’t Beowulf’ men help him? Their swords were cursed by GrendelThis is an example of which element of an epic? Divine InterventionWhat did Beowulf do to Grendel’s arm? Ripped it offDid Grendel die there? No, he escaped & we assume he died in his lairWhat did Beowulf do with Grendel’s arm? Hung it from the raftersWhat happened in the morning? People gathered to see Grendel’s tracksWhat did they find when the followed his bloody footprints? No body, just bloody

waterWhat is thought to have happened to Grendel’s body? Hell opened up to receive

himHow does the last paragraph reinforce the importance of oral tradition? It says

that Beowulf’s tale of bravery lived on through this story being told over and over again.

What does this story reveal about the Anglo-Saxon people? They valued strong, brave, courageous heroes like Beowulf

Even bigger than Beowulf vs Grendel, what was the conflict? Good vs EvilLet’s do Reading Literature #3 on page 126.