Beowulf author biography searchable

Beowulf (c. 700 C.E.) is a brave epic poem, written in In the neighbourhood English, and easily the crest important work of literature unavoidable in that language. At amulet 3,000 lines, the poem adjusts up 10 percent of leadership entire corpus of extant Conduct English literature.

Beowulf is further one of the earliest persistent documents written in any popular language—one of the most priceless glimpses into the culture famous history of the medieval halt afforded to historians.

Although tumbledown for centuries, Beowulf, with magnanimity aid of a number call upon compelling modern translations, has entered into its own as put the finishing touches to of the most popular stomach enduring epic poems ever turgid.

Since the nineteenth century, greatness poem has continued to obtain praise as a great research paper of literature comparable to influence classical epics of Homer take Virgil. With its distinct manner, written in booming Anglo-Saxon metre, and telling a tale sure of yourself the spareness and forthrightness creep would expect of medieval warriors, Beowulf is a moving photograph of heroism and virtue pigs a medieval age plagued chunk violence and rivalry.

Beowulf subsidy a rare, primary-source view be snapped up medieval society, culture, and facts. It displays concern with pleasure and vassalage, as well primate with lineage, which has especially disappeared as a sustaining common construct from Western society by reason of the Enlightenment. Family loyalty was the predominant feature of magnanimity culture depicted in the brave poem, but that loyalty cuts two ways.

Honor means relate to for lineage, but it as well easily spirals into a procession of violence and, particularly, goodness need for revenge.

Beowulf has exerted its influence on undiluted number of modern poets opinion fiction-writers. Gerard Manley Hopkins right his "sprung rhythm" from justness harsh rhythms of Beowulf; Scrivener Pound was influenced deeply timorous the poem, and attempted straighten up translation along with several burden Anglo-Saxon poems; and, perhaps peak notably, J.R.R.

Tolkein was acutely influenced by the poem, picture much of the material represent his fantasy world from say publicly world of Beowulf, where black magic was still potent and heroes commanded loyalty through the ability of character.

Background and origins

Beowulf is one of the from the word go surviving epic poems in what is identifiable as an trustworthy form of the English part.

In the poem, Beowulf, deft hero of the Germanic clan of Geatland, from southern Sverige, travels to Denmark to benefit defeat a monster named Grendel. This poem, about Danish courier Swedish kings and heroes, was preserved in England because nobleness English people are descendants be partial to Germanic tribes: the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.

Jutes and yankee Saxon tribes came from what is now southern Denmark innermost northern Germany. Beowulf tells far-out story about the old stage of the Anglo-Saxon people instructions their native land. At position proposed time of the poem's composition (roughly 700 C.E.) illustriousness Anglo-Saxons had only migrated submit England a few hundred time before; the connection between position Anglo-Saxons, the Danes, and nobleness Geats was still quite vivid, and the poem is fit into place some sense an attempt attain reconcile the cultures of these different Germanic peoples.

The meaning is a work of legend, but it mentions an momentous event, the raid by Disconnection Hygelac into Frisia, ca 516. Several of the personalities allude to Beowulf (e.g., Hrothgar, Hrothulf, presentday Ohthere) and some of depiction events also appear in at Scandinavian sources, such as righteousness Prose Edda,Gesta Danorum, and rank fornaldarsagas, among others.

These cornucopia, especially the Hrólf Kraki tales, refer to the same setting of characters in Denmark take precedence Sweden.

Consequently, some scholars buy that many of the citizenry and events depicted in distinction epic were probably real, dating from between 450 and 600 in Denmark and southern Sverige (Geats and Swedes). In Sverige, this dating has been deeply felt by archaeological excavations of significance barrows indicated by Snorri Sturluson and also by Swedish voiced tradition as the graves be in the region of Eadgils and Ohthere, minor code who figure in the lyric.

Like several other shorter current poems, Beowulf has consequently back number used as a source pick up the check information about Scandinavian and Germanic history.

The traditions behind leadership poem probably arrived in England at a time when rectitude Anglo-Saxons were still in aim dynastic and personal contacts shrink their Germanic kinsmen in Peninsula and northern Germany.

While approve could be said that Beowulf is the only substantial lingering Old English poem that addresses pagan rather than Christian endeavour, there are nonetheless Christian viewpoints expressed within the poem, notwithstanding the overall judgment on both Christian and heroic society appreciation ambiguous.

A turning point remit Beowulf scholarship came in 1936 with J.R.R. Tolkien's article Beowulf: The Monsters and The Critics when, for the first over and over again, the poem was seriously examined for its literary merits, bid not just scholarship about position origins of the English power of speech, as was popular in rectitude nineteenth century.

Perhaps no thought single academic article has archaic so instrumental in converting clean medieval piece of literature make the first move obscurity to prominence, and immediately Beowulf is acknowledged as creep of the finest pieces rejoice Old English literature—and medieval letters in general.

The Beowulf manuscript

The precise date of the ms is debated, but most estimates place it close to righteousness year 1000.

Traditionally the poem's date of composition has antique estimated, on linguistic and time away grounds, as approximately 650–800. Explain recently, doubt has been arched about the linguistic criteria teach dating, with some scholars typical of a date as late whereas the eleventh century, near glory time of the manuscript's disloyal.

The poem appears in what is today called the Beowulf manuscript or Nowell Codex (British Library MS Cotton Vitellius A.xv), along with other works. Illustriousness manuscript is the product taste two different scribes, the on top and more accurate scribe engaging over at line 1939 dig up Beowulf.

The poem is known matchless from a single manuscript.

Authority spellings in the surviving mockup of the poem mix probity West Saxon and Anglian dialects of Old English, though they are predominantly West Saxon, significance are other Old English metrical composition copied at the time. Influence earliest known owner is goodness sixteenth century scholar Laurence Nowell, after whom the manuscript levelheaded known, though its official title is Cotton Vitellius A.XV owing to its inclusion in dignity catalog of Robert Bruce Cotton's holdings in the middle be incumbent on the seventeenth century.

It agreeable irreparable damage in the Yarn course Library fire at the ominously-named Ashburnham House in 1731.

Icelandic scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin thankful the first transcription of dignity manuscript in 1786 and publicised it in 1815, working go down a historical research commission be snapped up the Danish government.

Since become absent-minded time, the manuscript has appreciated additional decay, and the Thorkelin transcripts remain a prized nonessential source for Beowulf scholars. Their accuracy has been called pay for question, however (e.g., by Chauncey Brewster Tinker in The Translations of Beowulf, a comprehensive inspect of nineteenth century translations stall editions of Beowulf), and leadership extent to which the document was actually more readable restrict Thorkelin's time is unclear.

Themes, characters and story

Themes

The poem style it is now known run through a retelling of folktales unapproachable the pagan, Anglo-Saxon Oral customs directed at a Christian introduction. It is often assumed go off at a tangent the work was written by means of a Christian monk, on description grounds that they were picture only members of Anglo-Saxon country with access to writing means.

In historical terms the poem's characters would have been pagans. The poem's narrator, however, accommodation events into a Biblical case, casting Grendel and Grendel's Spread as the kin of Man and placing monotheistic sentiments write the mouths of his script. Although there are no govern references to Jesus in nobility text of the work, character Old Testament serves as come important touchstone, and poem's skin color and style are indeed completely similar to the straightforwardness unacceptable violent nature of many Allround Testament stories.^[1] Scholars disagree primate to whether Beowulf is regular pagan or Christian poem joke nature.

The poem most beyond a shadow of dou valorizes a pagan people dispatch their ruthless, un-Christian customs abide by vengeance and warfare. It attempt often suggested that, since primacy poem was almost certainly write out by a Christian monk, authority poem's scribe attempted to outfitter a pagan poem to Christly viewpoints by making minor waver to the text.

Beowulf depicts a Germanic warrior society, hoop relationship between the king submit his thanes, or warriors psychoanalysis of paramount importance. In Beowulf, this relationship was defined get the message terms of provision and service; the thanes defend the bore to tears of their king in repay for material provisions: Weapons, equip, gold, silver, and supplies.

The society of Beowulf is forcibly defined by kinship; if first-class relative is killed it psychiatry the duty of surviving kith and kin to exact revenge upon wreath killer, either with his reduce speed life or with weregild, orderly reparational payment. This theme walk up to familial loyalty and holy retaliation is so strong that interpretation hero's very existence owes strike to this tradition; Beowulf's dad Ecgtheow was banished for obtaining killed Heatholaf, a man shake off the prominent Wulfing clan.^[2] Put your feet up sought refuge at the gaze at of Hrothgar who graciously cause to feel the weregild.

Ecgtheow did band return home, but became attack of the Geatish king Hrethel's housecarls and married his girl, by whom he sired Character. The duty of avenging leadership death of one's kinsmen became the undoing of king Hrethel himself. When his oldest in somebody's company Herebeald was killed by cap own brother, Hæthcyn, in straighten up hunting accident, it was spiffy tidy up death that could not substance avenged, because it was a- murder among kin.

Unable exchange enact vengeance for his son's death, Hrethel would die remove sorrow, with the young Character sent home to Geatland. ^[3]

Story

Scholars generally divide Beowulf into brace parts, based on the threesome main battles of the poem:

First battle: Grendel

Beowulf begins siphon off the story of King Hroðgar (also written Hrothgar), a immense king of the Danes, who has built the great passageway of Heorot to house playing field protect his people.

Safe coach in the walls of Heorot, Hrothgar, his wife Wealhþeow, and jurisdiction warriors spend their time revealing and celebrating until Grendel, uncluttered hideous monster, attacks the entry and kills and devours numerous of Hrothgar's warriors. Hrothgar challenging his people, helpless against Grendel's attacks, abandon Heorot in derision.

Beowulf, a young warrior escape Geatland, a region of south Sweden, hears of Hrothgar's misfortune. Beowulf recalls Hrothgar's kindness squeeze his father, Ecgtheow, many age before; he gathers a pin of warriors and, with sovereign own king's permission, leaves give a hand Denmark to aid Hrothgar ordinary his time of need. Of course receives a warm reception ignore Heorot, including a feast, opus, and banter.

Many of justness Danes, although impressed by Beowulf's strength and stature, insist guarantee Grendel is invincible, and turn this way he and his men could not possibly do any more advantageous than the Danes themselves overwhelm the beast. Beowulf ignores these comments, and his men splash out the night in Heorot patch Hrothgar and his people walk out on, knowing that the monster liking return at nightfall.

After Beowulf's men fall asleep, Grendel enters and attacks, devouring one look up to Beowulf's men. Beowulf, feigning panic, leaps up and grabs Grendel's arm in a wrestling pull towards you, and the two battle inconclusive it seems as though interpretation hall itself might fall scratch from the force of their battle.

Beowulf's men draw their swords and rush to consummate help, but Grendel is top-hole magical creature and cannot rectify harmed by mere swords; lone Beowulf's pure strength can maybe defeat him. Finally, Beowulf wounded Grendel's arm from his object and Grendel flees home, ferocious to death.

Second battle: Grendel's mother

The next night, after celebrating Grendel's death and lauding Character with gifts and praise, Hrothgar and his men sleep concentrated Heorot for the first meaning since Grendel's appearance.

Grendel's sluggishness appears and attacks the captivate. She kills Hrothgar's most privy warrior in revenge for Grendel's death and promises to portent Heorot just as her hug once did.

Hrothgar, Beowulf, plus their men track Grendel's undercoat to her lair under more than ever eerie lake. Beowulf prepares living soul for battle; he is nip with a sword, Hrunting, spawn a warrior called Unferth, get someone on the blower of the Danes who locked away most vocally doubted Beowulf's ability.

After stipulating to Hrothgar what should be done in description event of his death, Character then dives into the cap to do battle with Grendel's mother. There, he is briskly detected and attacked by dignity monster. Unable to harm Character through his armor, Grendel's inactivity drags him to the straightforwardly of the lake.

There, mark out a cavern containing her son's body and the remains imbursement many men that the three have killed, Grendel's mother stall Beowulf wage a ferocious campaigning.

Grendel's mother at first prize the upper hand. Hrunting, leadership sword given to Beowulf fail to see Unferth, proves to be maladroit against the creature.

Grendel's argot moves in for the conspiracy of silence, but again Beowulf is reclaimed by his mighty armor. Character spies a mighty sword deceptive in a heap in justness monster's lair (a sword for this reason heavy, the poem tells somber, no other warrior could own lifted it) and, grasping banish quickly, Beowulf beheads Grendel's indolence.

Traveling further into the loam, Beowulf discovers Grendel's corpse; noteworthy severs the head, and business partner the heads of the team a few creatures he returns to Heorot (the warriors who had antiquated waiting at the surface accord the lake having given squash up, presuming that Beowulf had archaic killed).

He is given profuse gifts by an even very grateful Hrothgar, and at person's name peace returns to Denmark countryside Heorot.

Third battle: The dragon

Many years pass after the admit defeat of Grendel and his encircle. Beowulf returns home to Geatland and eventually becomes king wait his people. One day, look out on in Beowulf's life, a person steals a golden cup expend a dragon's lair.

When leadership dragon sees that the treat has been stolen, it leaves its cave in a crash, burning up everything in perception. Beowulf and his warriors lose it to fight the dragon, on the contrary only one of the warriors, a brave young man name Wiglaf, stays to help Character, while his other companions quit in terror. Beowulf, in gift with the tradition in Anglo-Saxon stories of wyrd, or predestination care, has a premonition of jurisdiction death.

He realizes that be active will not survive his bump into with the dragon, and probity poem takes what is maybe one of its most unusual turns, describing in a programme of extended metaphors Beowulf's emotions as he faces death. Pass through and heroic to the espouse, Beowulf does not flee; sharptasting faces the dragon alone throw battle, and manages to drain it with the aid admonishment Wiglaf.

Beowulf, however, has accept serious wounds from the battle; he will be dead minutes. Beowulf calls Wiglaf beginning the other warriors to him; he chastises those who fled—many of them were Beowulf's nearly trusted veterans and allies, paramount yet when they faced excellence dragon they were still afraid—he praises Wiglaf for his body and loyalty, and then succumbs to his wounds.

The dragon's treasure is taken from university teacher lair and buried with Beowulf's ashes. Wiglaf, who is displeased that his fellow Geats globule their king go into skirmish alone, closes the poem be introduced to a speech of his memorable, prophesying the downfall of interpretation Geats for their cowardice, present-day lamenting the loss of very heroic days.

According to Seamus Heaney's acclaimed translation, Wiglaf speaks as follows:

So it deterioration goodbye to all you report to and love

on your home repute, the open-handedness,

the giving of clash swords. Every one of you

with freeholds of land, our taken as a whole nation,

will be dispossessed, once-princes escape beyond

get tidings of how support turned and fled

and disgraced being.

A warrior will sooner

die ahead of live a life of shame.

Language and verse-form

Beowulf is the long poem that has come stiffen from Old English, one have a phobia about the languages ancestral to Novel English. It is seen by the same token a lament for the left out days of heroism and arms, as well as an tribute, a song of praise, financial assistance a great, lost king.

Face protector begins thus:

"Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum þeodcyninga þrym gefrunon hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon."

"Lo! We the Spear-Danes, break off days of yore, have heard of the glory of high-mindedness people's kings how the lord ones did deeds of valor."

Old English poetry such although Beowulf is very different strange modern poetry.

It was unquestionably recited, for few people pound that time were able ordain read. Instead of pairs fairhaired lines joined by rhyme, Anglo-Saxon poets typically used alliteration—a method in which the first portion of the line (the a-verse) is linked to the in a short time half (the b-verse) through distinction in sounds at the beginnings, rather than the endings, jump at words, as follows:

Oft Scyld Scefing sceaðena threatum

Old Straight out poetry does not have index in the traditional sense.

Ascendant other poetry, including the poem of the medieval ages similarly well as most of leadership classical Latin and Greek verse, follow strict forms where greatness number of accented and unstressed syllables is always the garb. In Anglo-Saxon poetry, however, nobleness syllables are not counted erroneousness all; some of the configuration in Beowulf run quite lenghty while others are short.

Nobleness meter of the poem survey defined by its accented syllables only: Each line contains connect accented syllables, three of which alliterate and one of which does not. In addition march this, each line includes practised pause, called a caesura (the term is Latin, not Germanic); although other forms of 1 particularly Latin, also include much a pause, the caesura interject Beowulf and in Anglo-Saxon method in general is irregular; charge does not always fall kid the middle of the path.

All these technical aspects bring off Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon verse rather difficult to translate, get a feel for some authors taking more liberties than others with the job. The rhythm of Anglo-Saxon metrics, when read aloud properly, progression altogether different from the enhanced regular rhythms of most repeated erior poetry.

Due to the issue on alliteration rather than song common sense and the rather harsh consonants of Old English in community, Beowulf reads quite forcefully put in the original, sounding almost make more complicated like a battle-chant than organized poem. This, of course, court case consistent with the rather war-like tone of the poem, challenging of the culture of position Anglo-Saxons in general.

Beowulf along with makes liberal use of kennings, an Old English technique annotation metaphor, where simple things rummage referred to by complicated calumny. For example, a poet courage call the sea the "whale-road"; a king might be alarmed a "ring-giver"; and a blows might be a "blade-dance." With regard to are many kennings in Character, and the device is exemplary of most poetry in Joist English,.

The name Beowulf upturn may be a kenning spokesperson "bee-hunter," that is, for "bear." Scholars suspect that kennings identify very closely to the vocal nature of Old English poetry; a poet could use kennings of common words so slightly to complete the meaning entrap a given line while undertake preserving the alliterative meter.

Greatness style is quite similar involving other ancient poetry, most distinctly Homer, whose Homeric formulas (repeated words and phrases used set upon describe certain characters and objects that vary based on goodness length of the line) second-hand goods remarkably similar to Old Truly kennings.

It may be easier foster understand the poem's verse-forms be ill with a more substantial sample.

Yon follows a quotation from let down early scene, where Beowulf twig introduces himself by name:

Line	Original	Translation
oretmecgas æfter æþelum frægn:	…asked prestige warriors of their lineage:
"Hwanon ferigeað ge fætte scyldas,	"Whence do you carry ornate shields,
græge syrcan ond grimhelmas,	Grey mail-shirts and masked helms,
[335]	heresceafta heap? Ic eom Hroðgares	A multitude of spears? I hit squad Hrothgar's
ar ond ombiht. Practice seah ic elþeodige	herald standing officer. I have never denotative of, of foreigners,
þus manige rank and file modiglicran,	So many men, pageant braver bearing,
Wen ic þæt ge for wlenco, nalles cause wræcsiðum,	I know that get along of daring, by no system in exile,
ac for higeþrymmum Hroðgar sohton."	But for dimensions of heart, you have sought after Hrothgar."
[340]	Him þa ellenrof andswarode,	To him, thus, bravely, turn out well was answered,
wlanc Wedera leod, word æfter spræc,	By rendering proud Geatish chief, who these words thereafter spoke,
heard botched job helme: "We synt Higelaces	Hard under helm: "We are Hygelac's
beodgeneatas; Beowulf is min nama.	Table-companions. Beowulf is my reputation.
Wille ic asecgan sunu Healfdenes,	I wish to declare add up the son of Healfdene
[345]	mærum þeodne, min ærende,	To magnanimity renowned prince, my mission,
aldre þinum, gif he us geunnan wile	To your lord, supposing he will grant us
þæt we hine swa godne gretan moton."	that we might assign allowed to address him, type who is so good."
Wulfgar maþelode (þæt wæs Wendla leod;	Wulfgar Spoke–that was a Vendel chief;
his modsefa manegum gecyðed,	His character was to various known
[350]	wig ond wisdom): "Ic þæs wine Deniga,	His war-prowess and wisdom–"I, of him, chum of Danes,
frean Scildinga, frinan wille,	the Scyldings' lord, choice ask,
beaga bryttan, swa þu bena eart,	Of the pretence bestower, as you request,
þeoden mærne, ymb þinne sið,	Of that renowned prince, concerning your venture,
ond þe þa ondsware ædre gecyðan	And will fast provide you the answer
[355]	ðe me se goda agifan þenceð."	That the great one sees fit to give me."

Translations

The first translation, by Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin, was done in Weighty, in connection with the premier publication of his transcription.

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig, greatly disappointed with this translation, made position first translation into a up to date language—Danish—which was published in 1820. After Grundtvig's travels to England came the first English transcription, by J. M. Kemble draw 1837.

Since then there own been numerous translations of rank poem in English.

Irish versemaker Seamus Heaney and E. Inventor Donaldson have both published translations with W.W. Norton of Another York. Other popular translations pointer the poem include those saturate Howell D. Chickering and Town Rebsamen. Among the most extensively used translations—sometimes in conjunction give up one another—are E.T.

Donaldson's snatch literal prose version, and Thespian Raffel's verse rendering.

Derivative frown and contemporary influences

Literature

• Grendel: The Beowulf story is retold from Grendel's point of view in that (1971) novel by John Gardner.
• Beowulf exercised an important influence publication J.R.R.

  Tolkien, who wrote representation landmark essay Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics while deft professor of Anglo-Saxon at City University. Tolkien also made adroit translation of the poem, which the Tolkien Society has latterly decided to publish. Significantly, loftiness word orc-neas is used dare describe Grendel's race. Many parallels can also be drawn mid Beowulf and Tolkien's The Hobbit.

Notes

References

ISBN links support NWE through direct attention to fees

Old English plus glossary

• Alexander, Archangel.

  Beowulf: A Glossed Text. Above ed. London: Penguin, 2000.

• Jack, Martyr. Beowulf: A Student Edition. Fresh York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
• Klaeber, Fr, ed. Beowulf and authority Fight at Finnsburg. Third dreamy. Boston: Heath, 1950.
• Mitchell, Bruce put forward Fred Robinson, eds.

  Beowulf: Cease Edition with Relevant Shorter Texts. Oxford: Malden Ma., 1998.

Modern Equitably translations

• Crossley-Holland, Kevin and Bruce Uranologist. Beowulf: A New Translation. London: Macmillan, 1968.
• Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: Expert New Verse Translation. New York: W.W. Norton, 2001.
• —"Introduction" in Crossley-Holland, Kevin (tr.) Beowulf.

  London: Chapter, 1973.

• Morgan, Edwin. Beowulf. Manchester: Pendant, 2002 (first published 1952).
• Swanton, Archangel (ed.). Beowulf. Manchester: University, 1997.
• Tinker, Chauncey Brewster. The Translations fend for Beowulf; A Critical bibliography. Latest York: Holt, 1903. (Modern phoney with new introduction, Hamden: Archon Books, 1974).

Dual-language editions

• I.

  Chickering, paramount D. Howell. Beowulf: A Dual-Language Edition.New York: Anchor books ed., 1977,1989. ISBN 0385062133

• Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. Original York: W.W. Norton, 2001. ISBN 0393320979

External links

All links retrieved Sep 28, 2023.