EPIC
WHAT IS AN EPIC?
A long narrative poem, that is usually about heroic deeds that are significant to the culture of the poet.
FAMOUS EPICS
“Aeneid” – Virgil
“Don Juan” – Lord Byron
“Paradise Lost” – John Milton
“ The Divine Comedy” – Dante
“Metamorphosis” – Ovid
“The Odyssey” – Homer
“Beowulf” - ???
BEOWULF
Beo – “Bee” Wulf – “Wolf”
BEOWULF
Who wrote it? Who knows?
When was it written? 8th century AD
How was it written? Anglo-Saxon Old English – Written after oral tradition for 2 centuries.
When did the story take place? 6th century AD
OLD ENGLISHHWÆT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum,
þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon, hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum, monegum mægþum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syððanærest wearðfeasceaft funden; he þæs frofre gebad,weox under wolcnum weorðmyndum þah,oð þæt him æghwylc ymbsittendraofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; þæt wæs god cyning! Ðæm eafera wæs æfter cenned geong in geardum, þone God sende folce to frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat, þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange hwile; him þæs Liffrea, wuldres Wealdend woroldare forgeaf, Beowulf wæs breme --- blæd wide sprang--- Scyldes eafera Scedelandum in. Swa sceal geong guma gode gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftumon fæder bearme,
EPIC HERO
Definition: a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events: Beowulf, an epic hero with extraordinary strength. Their actions are central to their race, culture, or nation.
FAMOUS EPIC HEROES
Achilles – “The Iliad”
Odysseus – “The Odyssey”
Beowulf – “Beowulf”
Dante – “The Inferno”
BENJAMIN BAGBY READS OLD ENGLISH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzmmPRG4smU
Scop – Old English poet who recited poetry orally.
BEOWULF CONTEXT
It’s an English (Anglo-Saxon) text, but is about Sweden and Denmark.
Many of the characters correlate to real royalty of Sweden and Denmark.
Anglo-Saxon writing glorifies a “history” of a bygone era: the hero.
PAGANISM V. CHRISTIANITY
Beowulf was written at a time when Christianity just began to popularize in Europe.
Story was probably written by a Christian scribe.
The characters in the story follow pagan tradition (polytheistic).
GEATS
North Germanic tribe that inhabited what is now Sweden, or Gotaland.
Beowulf was a Geat.
Geats in blue. Swedes in Yellow.
DANES
Danes are from what is now Denmark.
Hrothgar was a Dane. Protector of Scyldings.
A king who is too old to protect his people, and
his sons are too young to take over.
BEOWULF: THE HERO
Young Beowulf Old Beowulf
-Fee
Feats of StrengthContest v. Breca
CourageLoyalty