BeowulfAbercrombieSP 2014

The Celts- Among them were

the Britons- Religion was a form

of animism – saw spirits everywhere and they controlled all aspects of existence

- Priests – Druids were intermediaries

-FUN FACT: some think that Stonehenge was used by the Druids for religious rites having to do with lunar/solar cycles

Celtic WarriorsAll the Britons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue color, and this gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle. They wear their hair long, and shave the whole of their bodies except the head and the upper lip.

- Julius CaesarObligatory Braveheart Reference

Conquered by the Romans…for a second• The romans brought Christianity and roads, but

not much else. • By 409 A.D. they had evacuated their troops from

Britain. • Government was in shambles; the island was

invaded by a series of Germanic peoples• The Anglo-Saxons drove out the Britons who

retreated to Wales

Alfred the Great• King Alfred of Wessex aka

Alfred the Great (reigned 871-899)

• Led the Anglo-Saxons against the invasion of the Danes (fierce Viking peoples)

• Under him and Christianity, Anglo-Saxons united to protect their people, their culture and their church from the Danes.

Anglo-Saxon Society• Lived in close homesteads surrounding a communal court

sense of security Participatory rule by consensus

• Tribal society with kinship bonds and a heroic code of behavior • bravery • loyalty to one's lord, one's warband (comitatus), and one's kin • willingness to avenge one's warband or lord at all costs – death

preferable to exile. • generosity of lord to thanes and of hero to warband and lord--gift-

giving • heroism (i.e., great deeds) brings honor, eternal fame, and political

power • Loyalty grew out of a need for protection• Bonded together under strong leaders

Anglo-Saxon Values• Loyalty• Fighting for one’s king• Avenging one’s kinsmen• Keeping one’s word

• Generosity -- gifts symbolize bonds• Brotherly love -- not romantic love• Heroism• Physical strength• Skill and resourcefulness in battle• Courage

• Public reputation, not private conscience

Anglo-Saxon Religion• Mix of pagan and Christian values--

often in conflict.•Pagan (secular (non-religious) lineage vs. Christian lineage; •Eternal earthly fame through deeds vs afterlife in hell or heaven; •honor & gift-giving vs. sin of pride (hubris); • revenge vs pacifist view (forgiveness);•Wyrd (Anglo-Saxon "Fate") vs God's will, etc.

Anglo-Saxon Religon• Woden – help humans

communicate with spirits; associated with burial rites.

• Thunor - Similar to Thor

• Dragon – protector of treasure; personification of “death the devourer” and guardian of the grave

Monasteries• Christianity provided another source of hope• Monasteries served as centers of learning• Preserved Latin and Greek classics• Mix of Christian and Pagan imagery in Beowulf indicates

that it was probably translated by a monk• Monks copied manuscripts by

hand in scriptoriums

For the non-Christian Anglo-Saxons, whose religion offered them no hope

of an afterlife, only fame and its commemoration in poetry could

provide a defense against death.

More than EntertainmentThe Bards

• Scops• Skilled storytellers• Charged with

preserving culture through poetry and music

• Oral history• Provided hope for an

afterlife• Elegy – poem of

mourning

Beowulf

Beowulf Fun Facts• The oldest

surviving poem in the English language

• Oral epic; handed down by scops with changes and embellishments• Some of the characters actually existed

Terms We Need to Know• Alliteration –

repetition of consonant sounds at beginning of words• Used to help bards easily remember poem

Caesura - a rhythmic pause within a line of verse

Kenninga. 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”

Other kennings from Beowulf:

banhus = “bone-house” = bodygoldwine gumena = “gold-friend of men” = generous princebeaga brytta = “ring-giver” = lordbeadoleoma = “flashing light” = sword

Setting – The Mead Hall (called Herot)

Mead is a honey flavored

fermented drink.

The Hall was a central

gathering place where

warriors could feast, listen to

stories (entertainment), and sleep in

safety.

Hrothgar’s Hall is under attack by the monster Grendel

Putting yourself in the HallImagine that you live in this large wooden building (hall). There are no separate rooms for most people. There is no electricity. There is no plumbing. The only heat comes from the fireplace. How do you manage to do these daily activities:- Getting food- Washing clothes- Cooking and washing dishes- Staying warm (in winter) or cool (in summer)- Bathing and using the toilet- Sleeping arrangements- Entertainment

The MonomythThe Hero’s Journey

That’s totally epic…• Epic - A quest story on a grand scale• Epic hero – the central figure in a long narrative that

reflects the values and heroic ideals of a particular society

Epic hero traits• Is significant and glorified • Has superior or superhuman

strength, intelligence, and/or courage

• Is ethical • Risks death for glory or for the

greater good of society• Is a strong and responsible leader• Performs brave deeds• Reflects ideals of a particular

society• Is on a quest

Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth• Aka The Hero’s Journey, the

Quest Story, The Epic Cycle• First appeared in Campbell’s

book Hero with a Thousand Faces

• Monomyths (one myth) look surprising alike; archetypal

• A cyclical story • Hero undergoes a transformation

through stages• Offers a sacrifice to save the world

Draw something that lookslike this in your notes.Leave room on the outside For notes.

Return Departure

Initiation

Beowulf is called to adventure when he hears the stories of Grendel. Beowulf does not refuse the call, but embraces it as a

true Anglo-Saxon hero; the most honorable fate would be to find death in battle.

God offers Beowulf the strength to conquer Grendel without weaponry and the ancient heirloom to defeat his mother; Hrothgar offers wise advice; Unferth offers an ancient blade

Beowulf’s crossing the sea to Denmark is a threshold in which he commits to change and disconnects from his native culture

Beowulf separates himself from his men to travel alone in his decent into Grendel’s mother’s lair.

DEPARTUREDeparture

Beowulf’s journey comprises of three major trials; another trial includes his journey to reach Grendel’s mother’s lair,

which is protected by creatures.

Beowulf lacks female influence, perhaps due to Anglo-Saxon warrior culture; however, Wealhtheow gives

Beowulf a “torque of gold” for luck.

There is no temptress; perhaps, again, due to Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. Although it never overcame

him, his own pride could have tempted him from his never-ending glory.

Beowulf’s father figure can be represented by Fate/God, who Beowulf must accept as the

possessor of ultimate power. Father figure can also be seen as Hrothgar or

Hyglec, who Beowulf confronts to gain acceptance, and is embraced as a son

INITIATION

Initiation

Beowulf reaches the lowest point of his journey when he faces Grendel’s mother; for the first time we see, as does he, that he is not immortal; he changes his approach to battle. His men believe him to be dead, but he is victorious, ascends, and is reborn as a true hero. Beowulf brings back Grendel’s head and the hilt of the

giant sword back to Heorot; thus, ridding the Danes of monsters. While this serves as a literal boon, Beowulf has brought knowledge back that one can defeat monsters and revive salvation. A theme also echoed in the battle against the dragon.

INITIATION

Initiation

Beowulf does not falter and eagerly returns to Geatland.

Beowulf must defeat the dragon in order for his story to be told;

the story becomes the essential knowledge which empowers a

hero-centric war culture standing at the crux of Anglo-Saxon

religion

After being wounded, Beowulf receives help from his loyal thane, Wiglaf, who enables

Beowulf to defeat the dragon, claim treasure for his people,

and eventually sings the song of Beowulf.

Becomes master of Geatland & Denmark; of the super-natural world

through Christ and of the human world through his immortal tale. In defeating the dragon, Beowulf

retains his boon and crosses into the afterlife, but is resurrected in

the telling of his heroic tale.

Though Beowulf dies, he lives on forever; the ultimate boon becomes the story of Beowulf, the story of a hero. The tale doesn’t simply tell that dragons are

real, but that dragons can be defeated.

RETURN

Return

The Monomyth and Shrek

With a partner, list

the monomyth elements of

Shrek.

Shrek vs. BeowulfCompare and contrast the epic quest

elements of Shrek and Beowulf. Within your response should be an answer to the

following question: How are they each a reflection of the time period/culture.

(Beowulf Anglo-Saxon culture, Shrek as twenty-first century hero, or anti-hero as the case may be.) What universal themes

do each work reveal (use specific examples from each piece)?