beowulf: history

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Beowulf: History. Beowulf is the first great work of English literature Oral epic handed down by story-tellers Composed sometime between 700 A.D. and 750 A.D., although the setting is much older Setting is Northumbria (Northeastern England). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Beowulf: HistoryBeowulf is the first great work of English literature

Oral epic handed down by story-tellers

Composed sometime between 700 A.D. and 750 A.D., although the setting is much older

Setting is Northumbria (Northeastern England)

The only written manuscript was discovered in the 18th century.

Preserved by Christian Monks.

Somehow survived Henry VIIIs destruction of all the monasteries only 200 years before

It dates from the year 1000 A.D.

Burnt and stained

Its approximately 3,200 lines.

The author is unknown; however, some believe it may have been a Christian monk who recorded this version.Anglo-SaxonsAngles and Saxons from Germany invade Britain in A.D. 449 and overthrow Roman occupation

Engla land becomes England

They bring their culture, warfare lifestyle, and languagewhich eventually evolved into the English we use today. much of our vocabulary comes from Anglo-Saxon roots.

Anglo-Saxon CultureCore Values: bravery, loyalty, generosity, and friendship

Dark Religion

Worshipped Warrior-GodsWoden God of death, poetry, and magic Wodens-day = WednesdayThunor (Thor) God of thunder and lightning Thors-day = Thursday

No hope in after-life, only fame in this life and being remembered by society for heroic actsAnglo-Saxon CultureScops (skps) also called bards, were story-tellers who sang poetic songs to a harp about the Gods and heroes Esteemed in society to Anglo-Saxons, creating poetry was just as important as fighting, hunting, farming, or loving.

Clans met in the Great Hall to hear the scops tell the stories

Anglo-Saxon CultureHuge focus on heroes and bravery

Tight-knit clans with focus on loyalty to the leader

Anglo-Saxon literature is mostly elegiac:Sad, mournful strainLife is hard and ends only in death

The Seafarer

Anglo-Saxon Culture871 A.D. King Alfred the Great converts to Christianity and begins to unite EnglandBecause of this, Christian monks begin to write down and preserve much of the Anglo-Saxon literature

The Danes (Viking people) from the north invade England and fight for years

In 1066 A.D. William Duke of Normandy invades and conquers both sidesBeowulfPart I: Burton Raffels translation, 1963.

Part II: Seamus Heaneys (Irish poet) translation, 2000.CharactersBeowulf: a Geat, son of Edgetho (Ecgtheow) and nephew of Higlac (Hygalac), king of the Geats.

Grendel: man-eating monster who lives at the bottom of a foul mere, or mountain lake. Herot: golden guest hall built by King Hrothgar, the Danish ruler. It was decorated with the antlers of stags.

Hrothgar: king of the Danes, builder of Herot he had once befriended Beowulfs father. Wiglaf: a Geat warrior, one of Beowulfs select band and the only one to help him in his final fight.