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

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