BEOWULF

Mead, Murder, and Monsters

Background Information
Written in Anglo-Saxon (Old English).
Written in middle of 7th to the end of 10th century AD
Written in England, set in Scandinavia
Takes place in the land of the Danes and Geats, currently Denmark and
Sweden.
Exists only in one manuscript, which was discovered in the 1600’s in
England.
Old English
Poetry
Remember, Beowulf is a poem.
Unlike other epics, which were written in hexameter verse, Beowulf was
written in alliterative verse.
◦ Alliteration: Repetition of the same consonance or assonance sound at the
beginning of several words in close succession.
◦ Used to unify a poem instead of rhyme.
 Epic Poem
Contains an epic hero: a virtuous and noble figure, proven in battle, who
represents his nation, culture, or race.
Lengthy
Lofty, serious style
Contain Homeric similes (also known as epic similes) Homeric simile, also called an epic
simile, is a detailed comparison in the form of a simile that are many lines in length. The word
"Homeric", is based on the Greek author, Homer, who composed the two famous Greek epics, the Iliad
and the Odyssey.

Begins in medias res

Starts with an invocation of the muse
Epic Hero Traits (Advanced)
Introduced into turmoil
Polished speaker who can address councils, chieftains, or elders with
eloquence.
Descendent from a god or goddess (demigod) or at least of noble birth.
Possesses great weapons
Participates in cyclical journey or quest
Epic Hero Traits (Advanced)
Exemplifies traits and morals for his people
Embodies cultural and religious beliefs
Has a comitatus (group of followers who owe their allegiance), but he or
she will undertake the main task alone.
Hero defeats someone in single combat who is perceived to be greater
than him or her.
◦ Examples: Achilles, Aeneas, Beowulf, Dante, Hector, King Arthur, and
Odysseus.
 The danes
Contemporary Denmark
Heorogar

Hrothgar
Shield
Beow Halfdane
Sheafson
Halga

A daughter
hrothgar
Fortunes of war favored him.
Grew a mighty army.
Bored; built Heorot for his men.
Live peacefully for man years until
Grendel appears
 heorot
Built by Hrothgar
Mead-hall, a peaceful place of
celebration for Hrothgar’s men.
Hrothgar dispenses rings, torques,
(A rigid circular necklace that is open-ended at the front)
and other goods to his thanes.
Meant to be a “wonder of the
world forever”.
Grendel
“Fiend out of hell”
“Powerful” and “grim demon”
“Warped in the shape of a man” (l.
1351-2).
Has talons(A sharp hooked claw especially on a
bird of prey)

Descendent of Cain’s clan

Hates people celebrating
Hates the Almighty
The Geats
Modern Sweden

King
Hygelac

Ecgtheow Beowulf
Beowulf
Geat
Son of Ecgtheow
Thane to Hygelac
Hears news of the troubles in
Denmark
Gathers men and sets sail
Ecgtheow
Geat
Beowulf’s father
Began feud with Wulfings
Forced to leave by his people
Sailed to Danes, Hrothgar
Hrothgar heals feud by paying off
Wulfings
Ecgtheow pledges allegiance to
Hrothgar
Hrothgar believes this is why Beowulf
has returned to defeat Grendel
Wealhtheow
Wulfing
Hrothgar’s Queen

“Adorned in gold.” (
“Decked out in rings.”
“Arrayed with gold.”

Serves mead to the king and his

men.
unferth
Danish Doubter
Son of Ecglaf
Questions the strength of Beowulf by mentioning story of Breca.
Breca (a Minor Character)
Breca is a childhood friend of Beowulf's. Breca and Beowulf engage in a
strange swimming contest where they take on the open sea while
wearing full armor and carrying swords, supposedly to defend
themselves from sea monsters. It's not entirely clear who wins this
contest, although Unferth suggests that Breca actually beat Beowulf.
Beowulf claims that he and Breca were shoulder-to-shoulder, equally
matched when it came to the swimming part and he himself also killed
nine sea monsters.
Kennings
Kennings are word compounds.
They are figures of speech that say what something does rather than
what it is.
◦ Whale-road (“Ocean”)
◦ Ring-giver (“King”)
◦ Word-hoard (“Mouth”)
◦ Corpse-maker (“Murderer”)
◦ Coast-guard (“Coast Guard”)
◦ Wergild (“man-price” legally fixed compensation)
Kennings
Create a kenning for the following terms:

◦ Teacher
◦ Student
◦ Senior
◦ Offensive Coordinator
◦ Internet
◦ Parents
◦ Automobile
Old
Beo
English Bee
Wulf Foe or Hunter
Heoro . . . . . . Army
Hroth . . . . . . Glory
Wergild . . . . . Man-price
Wyrd . . . . . . Fate
Gar . . . . . . . Spear
Beado-Leoma . Battle torch
Wael-raes . . . In the rush of battle slaughter
Omniscient Narrator
The narrator knows the thoughts of all characters.
He or she knows that Hygelac will wear the torque Beowulf gives him
the day of his last raid (l. 1202)
He or she knows the impending doom of the characters (l. 1232)
Grendel’s mother
“Looks like a women” (l. 1351)
Has “savage talons” (l. 1504).
An “unnatural birth” beget
Grendel (l. 1353).
Lives in the bottom of the mere,
which “has never been sounded
by the sons of men” (l. 1367).
◦ It is the archetypal unconscious
deep.
Hrunting
The archetypal sword lent to
Beowulf from Unferth.
A “rare and ancient sword” (l.
1458).
“It had never failed the hand of
anyone who hefted it in battle” (ll.
1460-1).
Hrothgar’s words to Beowulf
“Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far and wide, you are known
everywhere. In all things you are (1) even-tempered, (2) prudent, and
(3) resolute.”
Recounts the story of Heremod; tells Beowulf to beware of that trap.
Beowulf brought two nations together: the Danes and the Geats.