Beowulf Characters Analysis: Literature Guides - A Research Guide Beowulf The epic hero or protagonist. He is hero of the Geats who defeats Grendel and his Ogress mother. King Hrothgar Feeling Stuck on Your Essay? Get Expert Help for All of Your Writing Needs! Hire Writer The King of the Danes, or Scylds. Grendel An ogre or demon, Grendel is a descendant of the biblical murderer Cain. Grendel’s Mother An ogress, or female demon, she is never named in the poem. The Dragon Another evil principle. Scyld Scefing This is the ancient mythic ancestor of the Danes. Unferth A Danish warrior who would have the legitimate duty to fight Grendel on behalf of his kind. Wiglaf A kinsman and knight under Beowulf.
Hundings The Hundings (Old English Hundingas, the "hound-clan") are a legendary tribe or clan in early Germanic sources, mostly mentioned due to their feud with the Wulfings (the "wolf-clan"). In the Poetic Edda, Hunding is a king of the Saxons, slain by Helgi Hundingsbane. The Gesta Danorum mentions a Danish king Helgo who slew Hundingus, king of Saxony, in single combat.[1] The historical core of the story is likely a conflict between the Eastern Geats (the wolf-clan) and the Lombards (the hound-clan).[2] Hunding itself is a patronymic translating to "son of a hound", while the Hundings as a clan (sibb) would be the descendants of Hunding. In Eddaic account of a feud between the Hundings and the Wulfings surrounding Helgi Hundingsbane may correspond to the Lombard story, and Malone (1926) explains the whole story of Lamicho as the Hunding version of the same feud. The Hundingas in Old English literature are mentioned in Beowulf, and in Widsith. See also[edit] References[edit]
West Saxon dialect Early West Saxon[edit] Early West Saxon was the language employed by King Alfred (849–899), used in the many literary translations produced under Alfred's patronage (and some by Alfred himself). It is often referred to as Alfredian Old English, or Alfredian. The language of these texts nonetheless sometimes reflects the influence of other dialects besides that of Wessex. List of texts: King Alfred's Preface to Gregory's Pastoral Care Late West Saxon[edit] By the time of the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the language had evolved into Late West Saxon, which had established itself as a written language and replaced the Alfredian language,[1] following the Athewoldian language reform set in train by Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester. In the Wessex Gospels from around 990, the text of Matthew 6:9–13, the Lord's Prayer, is as follows: Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum, si þin nama gehalgod. To becume þin rice, gewurþe ðin willa, on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. Urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
Hrothgar Queen Wealhþeow serving Hrothgar (background, centre) and his men. Illustration from a 1908 children's book. Hrothgar (Old English: Hrōðgār [ˈr̥oːðɡɑːr]; Old Norse: Hróarr) is portrayed in medieval sources as a Danish king living around the early sixth century CE.[1] Hrothgar appears in the Anglo-Saxon epics Beowulf and Widsith, in Norse sagas and poems, and in medieval Danish chronicles. Names[edit] Hrothgar, also rendered Hrōðgār, is an Old English form attested in Beowulf and Widsith, the earliest sources to mention the character. Anglo-Saxon poems[edit] Beowulf[edit] A mention of Hrothgar in the Beowulf In the epic poem Beowulf, Hrothgar is mentioned as the builder of the great hall Heorot, and ruler of Denmark when the Geatish hero Beowulf arrives to defeat the monster Grendel. After Beowulf defeats Grendel's mother, Hrothgar rewards him again, and then preaches a sermon in which he warns Beowulf to beware of arrogance and forgetfulness of God.[21] Widsith[edit] Scandinavian sources[edit]
Poetic Edda Collection of Old Norse poems Poetic Edda is the modern attribution for an unnamed collection of Old Norse anonymous poems, which is different from the Edda written by Snorri Sturluson. Several versions exist, all primarily of text from the Icelandic medieval manuscript known as the Codex Regius. The Codex Regius is arguably the most important extant source on Norse mythology and Germanic heroic legends. From the early 19th century onwards, it has had a powerful influence on later Scandinavian literatures. Codex Regius was written during the 13th century, but nothing was known of its whereabouts until 1643, when it came into the possession of Brynjólfur Sveinsson, then Bishop of Skálholt. Brynjólfur attributed the manuscript to Sæmundr the Learned, a larger-than-life 12th century Icelandic priest. Bishop Brynjólfur sent Codex Regius as a present to the Danish king, which gave the name. Composition[edit] The Eddic poems are composed in alliterative verse. Authorship[edit] Date[edit] [edit]
Old English Old English (Ænglisc, Anglisc, Englisc), or Anglo-Saxon,[2] is the earliest historical form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers probably in the mid-5th century, and the first Old English literary works date from the mid-7th century. After the Norman conquest of 1066, English was replaced, for a time, as the language of the upper classes by Anglo-Norman, a relative of French. This is regarded as marking the end of the Old English era, as during this period the English language was heavily influenced by Anglo-Norman, developing into a phase known now as Middle English. Old English is one of the West Germanic languages, and its closest relatives are Old Frisian and Old Saxon. Like other old Germanic languages, it is very different from Modern English and difficult for Modern English speakers to understand without study. Terminology[edit] History[edit] Dialects[edit] Lo!
Grendel An illustration of Grendel by J. R. Skelton from Stories of Beowulf. Story[edit] Beowulf's author often uses various substitute phrases for Grendel's name like this one, the "mark-stepper," an inhabitant of the borderland. Grendel is originally found in the poem Beowulf, which is contained in the Nowell Codex.[4] Grendel, being cursed as the descendant of the Biblical Cain, is "harrowed" by the sounds of singing that come every night from the mead-hall of Heorot built by King Hrothgar. Scholarship[edit] Tolkien[edit] In 1936, J.R.R. Physical Description[edit] During the decades following Tolkien's essay, the exact description of Grendel became a huge source of debate for scholars. In Beowulf, Grendel's physical features do not get an extensive description. Debate over Grendel's nature[edit] Some scholars have linked Grendel's descent from Cain to the monsters and giants of the Cain tradition.[14] ... the other, warped in the shape of a man, moves beyond the pale in former days.[15] Sonya R.
Fraxinus European Ash in flower Narrow-leafed Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) shoot with leaves Selected species[edit] Eastern North America Western and southwestern North America Fraxinus anomala Torr. ex S.Watson – Singleleaf AshFraxinus berlandieriana DC. – Mexican AshFraxinus cuspidata Torr. – Fragrant AshFraxinus dipetala Hook. & Arn. – California Ash or Two-petal AshFraxinus dubiaFraxinus gooddingii – Goodding's AshFraxinus greggii A.Gray – Gregg's AshFraxinus latifolia Benth. – Oregon AshFraxinus lowellii – Lowell AshFraxinus papillosa Lingelsh. – Chihuahua AshFraxinus purpusiiFraxinus rufescensFraxinus texensis (A.Gray) Sarg. – Texas AshFraxinus uhdei (Wenz.) Western Palearctic (Europe, north Africa and southwest Asia) Eastern Palearctic (central and east Asia) Closeup of European Ash seedsUnusual "treelets" growing from a fallen ash tree in Lawthorn wood, Ayrshire, Scotland Ecology[edit] Threats[edit] Canker on an Ash tree in North Ayrshire, Scotland Emerald ash borer Uses[edit] Cultural aspects[edit]
Beowulf | Summary, Characters, & Analysis Top Questions What is Beowulf? Beowulf is a heroic poem, considered the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. Where does Beowulf take place? Who was Beowulf written by? The author of Beowulf is unknown. What does Beowulf present to Hrothgar? Upon his return to Heorot, Beowulf presents to King Hrothgar Grendel’s decapitated head and the jeweled hilt of the sword he used to kill Grendel’s mother. Was Beowulf real? There is no evidence of a historical Beowulf, but other characters, sites, and events in the poem can be historically verified. Summary Read a brief summary of this topic Beowulf, heroic poem, the highest achievement of Old English literature and the earliest European vernacular epic. Beowulf falls into two parts. Britannica Quiz A Study of Poetry If roses are red and violets blue, in poetry, what does the word "foot" refer to? The next day is one of rejoicing in Heorot, and a feast is thrown in Beowulf’s honour. New from Britannica
Grendel's mother An illustration of Grendel's mother by J.R. Skelton from Stories of Beowulf (1908) described as a "water witch" trying to stab Beowulf. Grendel's mother, who is never given a name in the text, is the subject of ongoing controversy among medieval scholars. This is due to the ambiguity of a few words in Old English which appear in the original Beowulf manuscript. While there is consensus over the word "modor" (mother), the phrase "ides, aglæcwif" is the subject of scholarly debate. Story[edit] The poem, Beowulf, is contained in the Nowell Codex. Function in and structure of the poem[edit] The first page of the Beowulf manuscript. Some scholars have argued that the female characters in Beowulf fulfill certain established roles such as hostess (Wealhþeow and Hygd) and peace-weaver (Freawaru and Hildeburh). Debates on Grendel's mother[edit] This lack of consensus has led to the production of a few seminal texts by scholars over the past few decades. Monster or demon[edit] Doreen M.E.
Wulfing The Wulfing navy on the move, an illustration from the poems on the Wulfing Helgi Hundingsbane The Wulfings, Wylfings or Ylfings[Note 1] (the name means the "wolf clan") was a powerful clan in Beowulf, Widsith and in the Norse sagas. While the poet of Beowulf does not locate the Wulfings geographically, Scandinavian sources define the Ylfings (the Old Norse form of the name) as the ruling clan of the Eastern Geats.[1] In Old Norse sources, the clan figure prominently in the Heimskringla and in Sögubrot, where Hjörvard and his son Hjörmund belong to it. It is also mentioned in the Lay of Hyndla and in Skáldskaparmál where Eiríkr the Wise was one of its members. Sam Newton and others (including Rupert Bruce-Mitford), have proposed that the East Anglian Wuffing dynasty was derived from the Wulfings, and it was at their court that Beowulf was first composed.[2] Location[edit] According to the Norse sagas, the Wulfings ruled the Geatish petty kingdom of Östergötland. Known Wulfings[edit] [edit]
Language change Causes[edit] Economy: Speakers tend to make their utterances as efficient and effective as possible to reach communicative goals. Purposeful speaking therefore involves a trade-off of costs and benefits. The principle of least effort tends to result in phonetic reduction of speech forms. Types[edit] All languages change continually,[7] and do so in many and varied ways. Marcel Cohen details various types of language change under the overall headings of the external evolution[8] and internal evolution of languages.[9] Lexical changes[edit] The study of lexical changes forms the diachronic portion of the science of onomasiology. The ongoing influx of new words into the English language (for example) helps make it a rich field for investigation into language change, despite the difficulty of defining precisely and accurately the vocabulary available to speakers of English. Phonetic and phonological changes[edit] The concept of sound change covers both phonetic and phonological developments. Books
Unferð Etymology[edit] Unferth's name can be understood in a number of ways. A common reading, by Morton W. Bloomfield is to see it as un + frith, "mar peace":[1] similarly, J. R. R. Other scholars, such as R.D. The first element of the name, un, appears exclusively as hun in the sole manuscript of Beowulf. In Old English, un usually functions as a negative prefix. Appearances in Beowulf[edit] Unferth appears a total of five times in Beowulf. Challenge of Beowulf (lines 499-558)[edit] Unferth first appears at line 499: Hunferð maþelode, Ecglafes bearn,þe æt fotum sæt frean Scyldinga. Unferth spoke, Ecglaf's son,He who sat at the feet of the lord of the Scyldings. The poet states that Unferth is envious of Beowulf's fame (since Beowulf has offered to defeat the monster Grendel, which Unferth has failed to do). At line 506, Unferth impugns Beowulf, bringing up the story of Beowulf's swimming-contest with Breca the son of Beanstan. Change of heart (lines 980-984)[edit] At the mere (lines 1455-1472)[edit]