~Did you know that Beowulf has over 30,000 lines? (Epic)
~Beowulf was written in Old English (Anglo-Saxon).
~The poem uses alliteration -i.e. repeats syllables or sounds.
~No one has been able to determine who wrote Beowulf, and it has not been proven either way that Beowulf was a real person or a fictional character.
~Real or not, Beowulf was a great warrior and hero.
~It appears that this epic poem was written no later than 1000 AD but most likely between 600 AD and 900 AD.
~The poem takes place in Denmark, Sweden, the Danish Islands, Germany, Poland, and the low countries in the 6th century.
~Stories about monsters and/or supernatural characters were common place in the 6th, 7th, and 8th centuries.
So basically, King Hrothgar (King of Denmark) needs some help slaying Grendel, a hideous monster. Beowulf got wind of this and sailed to Denmark to save King Hrothgar from Grendel. During a terrible fight in the mead hall, Beowulf rips off Grendel's entire arm. Grendel fled the scene and goes to a nearby cave where he later bled to death. The next night, Grendel's mommy came and launched an attack on King Hrothgar and the mead hall. Beowulf fights with her and eventually kills her with a magic sword.
The king and his people were so pleased with Beowulf, they bestowed treasure after treasure on him.
Beowulf's next adventure was a Viking raid. After that, Beowulf became the King of the Geats and was their king for 50 years. At this point, he hears a tale of a dragon that is scaring everyone. Beowulf sets out to kill the dragon in his old age and accomplishes the task. Sadly, the dragon was able to engulf Beowulf's neck in flames before he died.
Realizing he was dying, Beowulf gave instructions for his funeral. He wanted to be cremated and have his ashes buried with the dragon's treasure on the cliff top overlooking the sea. This tomb was called Boeowulf's Barrow.
Click the pics for more.
Beowulf resources my earlier blog post.
Timeless myths
Great resource-lone-star.net
No comments:
Post a Comment