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| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Reign of Edward III W. M. Ormrod, 1990-01-01 Beowulf, the primary epic of the English language, is a powerful heroic poem eloquently expressive of the Anglo-Saxon culture that produced it. In this beautiful book a designer, a poet, and a specialist in Anglo-Saxon literature recreate Beowulf for a modern audience. Interweaving evocative images, a new interpretation in verse, and a running commentary that helps clarify the action and setting of the poem as well as the imagery, the book brings new life to this ancient masterpiece. Randolph Swearer's oblique and allusive images create an archaic, mysterious atmosphere by depicting in forms and shadows the world of Germanic antiquity--Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon art, artifacts, and scenery. At the same time, Raymond Oliver gives Beowulf a world in which to live, filling in the cultural gaps not with a thick matrix of footnotes but with poetry itself. Unlike many translations of Beowulf in existence, Oliver's retelling of the epic uses modern verse forms for poetic effect and includes a wealth of historically authentic descriptions, characterizations, and explanations necessary for modern readers. Marijane Osborn completes the process of restoring context to the poem by supplying a commentary to clarify the historical and geographical dimensions of the story as well as the imagery that accompanies it. All three work together to bring a likeness of an old and elusive tale to today's reader. The book's design and the commentary on it provide a unique visual complement to Oliver's poem... A strange and moving story, compellingly told and seriously interesting to any serious reader of books.--Fred C. Robinson, from the Introduction |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf , 2012-03-01 Finest heroic poem in Old English celebrates the exploits of Beowulf, a young nobleman of southern Sweden. Combines myth, Christian and pagan elements, and history into a powerful narrative. Genealogies. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Story of Beowulf Ernest J. B. Kirtlan, 1913 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Robert Nye, 2012-01-25 He comes out of the darkness, moving in on his victims in deadly silence. When he leaves, a trail of blood is all that remains. He is a monster, Grendel, and all who know of him live in fear. Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, knows something must be done to stop Grendel. But who will guard the great hall he has built, where so many men have lost their lives to the monster while keeping watch? Only one man dares to stand up to Grendel's fury --Beowulf. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Deeds of Beowulf John Earle, 1892 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Anonymous, 2014-04-05 Beowulf The Old English Epic Poem The Complete Classic Full English Translation The most important work of Anglo-Saxon literature. Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature due to the fact that it is the oldest surviving epic poem of Old English and also the earliest vernacular English literature. The full poem survives in the manuscript known as the Nowell Codex, located in the British Library. Written in England, its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. In 1731, the manuscript was badly damaged by a fire that swept through Ashburnham House in London that had a collection of medieval manuscripts assembled by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. The poem's existence for its first seven centuries or so made no impression on writers and scholars, and besides a brief mention in a 1705 catalogue by Humfrey Wanley it was not studied until the end of the 18th century, and not published in its entirety until the 1815 edition prepared by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin. In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats in Scandinavia, comes to the aid of Hroogar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall (in Heorot) has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is fatally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants bury him in a tumulus, a burial mound, in Geatland. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Origins of Beowulf Sam Newton, 1994 A detailed and passionate argument suggesting that Beowulf originated in the pre-Viking kingdom of 8th-century East Anglia. Where did Beowulf, unique and thrilling example of an Old English epic poem come from? In whose hall did the poem's maker first tell the tale? The poem exists now in just one manuscript, but careful study of the literary and historical associations reveals striking details which lead Dr Newton to claim, as he pieces together the various clues, a specific origin for the poem. Dr Newton suggests that references in Beowulf to the heroes whose names are listed in Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies indicate that such Northern dynastic concerns are most likely to have been fostered in the kingdom of East Anglia. He supports his thesis with evidence drawn from East Anglianarchaeology, hagiography and folklore. His argument, detailed and passionate, offers the exciting possibility that he has discovered the lost origins of the poem in the pre-Viking kingdom of 8th-century East Anglia. SAMNEWTON was awarded his Ph.D. for work on Beowulf. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Nonhuman Voices in Anglo-Saxon Literature and Material Culture James Paz, 2017 This book explores the voices of nonhuman things in Anglo-Saxon literature and material culture, making a valuable contribution to 'thing theory'. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Transmission of "Beowulf" Leonard Neidorf, 2017-05-16 Beowulf, like The Iliad and The Odyssey, is a foundational work of Western literature that originated in mysterious circumstances. In The Transmission of Beowulf, Leonard Neidorf addresses philological questions that are fundamental to the study of the poem. Is Beowulf the product of unitary or composite authorship? How substantially did scribes alter the text during its transmission, and how much time elapsed between composition and preservation? Neidorf answers these questions by distinguishing linguistic and metrical regularities, which originate with the Beowulf poet, from patterns of textual corruption, which descend from copyists involved in the poem’s transmission. He argues, on the basis of archaic features that pervade Beowulf and set it apart from other Old English poems, that the text preserved in the sole extant manuscript (ca. 1000) is essentially the work of one poet who composed it circa 700. Of course, during the poem’s written transmission, several hundred scribal errors crept into its text. These errors are interpreted in the central chapters of the book as valuable evidence for language history, cultural change, and scribal practice. Neidorf’s analysis reveals that the scribes earnestly attempted to standardize and modernize the text’s orthography, but their unfamiliarity with obsolete words and ancient heroes resulted in frequent errors. The Beowulf manuscript thus emerges from his study as an indispensible witness to processes of linguistic and cultural change that took place in England between the eighth and eleventh centuries. An appendix addresses J. R. R. Tolkien’s Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, which was published in 2014. Neidorf assesses Tolkien’s general views on the transmission of Beowulf and evaluates his position on various textual issues. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Exeter Book Riddles , 2008 The ninety-six Anglo-Saxon riddles in the eleventh-century Exeter Book are poems of great charm, zest, and subtlety. Ranging from natural phenomena (such as icebergs and storms at sea) to animal and bird life, from the Christian concept of the creation to prosaic domestic objects (such as a rake and a pair of bellows), and from weaponry to the peaceful pursuits of music and writing, they are full of sharp observation, earthly humour and, above all, a sense of wonder. The main text of this volume contains Kevin Crossley-Holland's newly-revised translations of seventy-five fascinating and discursive riddles - all those not very badly damaged or impenetrably obscure - while a further sixteen are translated in the notes. These translations are very widely anthologised in Britain and the USA. Sir Arthur Bliss and William Mathias set some of them to music, Ralph Steadman has illustrated them and Michael Fairfax has incorporated them in his Riddle Sculpture.--BOOK JACKET. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Humour in Anglo-Saxon Literature Jonathan Wilcox, 2000 Humour is rarely seen to raise its indecorous head in the surviving corpus of Old English literature, yet the value of reading that literature with an eye to humour proves considerable when the right questions are asked. Humour in Anglo-Saxon Literature provides the first book-length treatment of the subject. In all new essays, eight scholars employ different approaches to explore humor in such works as Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon, the riddles of the Exeter Book, and Old English saints' lives. An introductory essay provides a survey of the field, while individual essays push towards a distinctive theory of Anglo-Saxon humour. Through its unusual focus, this collection will provide an appealing introduction to both famous and lesser-known works for those new to Old English literature, while those familiar with the usual contours of Old English literary criticism will find here the value of a fresh approach. Contributors: JOHN D. NILES, T.A. SHIPPEY, RAYMOND P. TRIPP JR, E.L. RISDEN, D.K. SMITH, NINA RULON-MILLER, SHARI HORNER, HUGH MAGENNIS. JONATHAN WILCOX is Associate Professor of English at the University of Iowa and editor of the Old English Newsletter. Although the question of humour in the surviving corpus of Old English literature has rarely been discussed, the potential for analyzing this literature in terms of its humor is in fact considerable. In the essays especially commissioned for this volume, the first book-length treatment of Anglo-Saxon humor, eight of the foremost scholars in the field use different approaches to explore humor in the surviving literature of Anglo-Saxon England, in such works as Beowulf and The Battle of Maldon, the riddles of the Exeter book, and Old English saints' lives. The articles are prefaced with an introduction surveying the field. Through its unusual focus, this collection will provide an appealing introduction to both famous and lesser-known works for those new to Old English literature, while those familiar with the usual contours of Old English literary criticism will find here the value of a fresh approach. JONATHAN WILCOX is Associate Professor of English at the University of Iowa and editor of the Old English Newsletter. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf John Lesslie Hall, 1908 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf as Children's Literature Bruce Gilchrist, Britt Mize, 2021 The single largest category of Beowulf representation and adaptation, outside of direct translation of the poem, is children's literature. Over the past century and a half, more than 150 new versions of Beowulf directed to child and teen audiences have appeared, in English and in many other languages. In this collection of original essays, Bruce Gilchrist and Britt Mize examine the history and processes of remaking Beowulf for young readers. Inventive in their manipulations of story, tone, and genre, these adaptations require their authors to make countless decisions about what to include, exclude, emphasize, de-emphasize, and adjust. This volume considers the many forms of children's literature, focusing primarily on picture books, illustrated storybooks, and youth novels, but taking account also of curricular aids, illustrated full translations of the poem, and songs. Contributors address issues of gender, historical context, war and violence, techniques of narration, education, and nationalism, investigating both the historical and theoretical dimensions of bringing Beowulf to child audiences.-- |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature Malcolm Godden, Michael Lapidge, 2013-05-02 This updated edition has been thoroughly revised to take account of recent scholarship and includes five new chapters. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: History of English Literature from Beowulf to Swinburne Andrew Lang, 2003-01-01 Andrew Lang's survey of English literature is a remarkably thorough look at the history of English writing, covering authors from Abbot Adamnan to Edward Young, and everyone of note in between. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf and Beyond , 2021-04-01 Beowulf & Beyond is the first and only poetic translation to include not only Beowulf but all the best-known works of Anglo-Saxon literature in one convenient volume. Previously, students have had to buy a separate book to read essential works like The Seafarer, required reading in all courses of early English literature. And even these may miss some of the greatest delights of this period: the wonderful stories from Bede, the charms, sayings, spells and riddles that inspire students to delve deeper into this strange and magical world. These translations, which derive their power from cleaving close to the bone of the original Anglo-Saxon, capture the power and punch of the original in a supple verse that sweeps the reader onward irresistibly. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Basilisks and Beowulf Tim Flight, 2023-07-25 An eye-opening, engrossing look at the central role of monsters in the Anglo-Saxon worldview—now in paperback. This book addresses a simple question: why were the Anglo-Saxons obsessed with monsters, many of which did not exist? Drawing on literature and art, theology, and a wealth of firsthand evidence, Basilisks and Beowulf reveals a people huddled at the edge of the known map, using the fantastic and the grotesque as a way of understanding the world around them and their place within it. For the Anglo-Saxons, monsters helped to distinguish the sacred and the profane; they carried God’s message to mankind, exposing His divine hand in creation itself. At the same time, monsters were agents of disorder, seeking to kill people, conquer their lands, and even challenge what it meant to be human. Learning about where monsters lived and how they behaved allowed the Anglo-Saxons to situate themselves in the world, as well as to apprehend something of the divine plan. It is for these reasons that monsters were at the very center of their worldview. From map monsters to demons, dragons to Leviathan, we neglect these beasts at our peril. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Mere Wife Maria Dahvana Headley, 2018-07-17 New York Times bestselling author Maria Dahvana Headley presents a modern retelling of the literary classic Beowulf, set in American suburbia as two mothers—a housewife and a battle-hardened veteran—fight to protect those they love in The Mere Wife. This modern fantasy tale transports you from the ancient mead halls of the Geats to the picket-fenced, meticulously planned community of American suburbia, known as Herot Hall. In the expert hands of Maria Dahvana Headley, this vibrant retelling underscores the timeless struggle between the protected and the outsiders. Enter the confines of Herot Hall, a gated community sequestered from the wild surroundings by sophisticated security systems. Here, life is a series of cocktail hours and playdates for Willa, the charming wife of Herot's heir, and her son Dylan. Meanwhile, deep in a nearby mountain cave lives Dana, a hardened soldier and mother of Gren, a child of mysterious origin. Their worlds collide in a shocking turn of events when Gren breaks into Herot Hall and escapes with Dylan. A brilliant literary novel that effortlessly melds modern literature with ancient mythology, The Mere Wife is a captivating testament to unintended consequences, the brutality of PTSD, and the enduring power of motherhood. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Anglo-Saxon Community in J. R. R. Tolkien's the Lord of the Rings Deborah A. Higgens, 2014-03-25 Anglo-Saxon Community in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings by Dr. Deborah A. Higgens, PhD will add to the field of Tolkien scholarship a detailed study of how Tolkien entered into the community of Anglo-Saxon storytellers as a scholar and critic, but also as an insider. Embracing elements of a lifestyle he valued, yet which he viewed as diminishing in modern-day England and in the rest of the world, J.R.R. Tolkien hearkens back to a literary community shrouded in mystery and Faerie, from Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon poetry to medieval legend. Tolkien enters that community both as a critic, examining lost elements of a heroic society, and as an insider, recasting, as did ancient authors, the elements of Story, to create his own great fairy-story. While much has been written on medievalism in Tolkien's works, this research adds to the field a detailed explanation of the Anglo-Saxon mindset in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). In his sub-creation, Tolkien draws from the same Cauldron of Story from which the Anglo-Saxon poets drew, as illustrated by an examination of Tolkien's two critical essays: On Fairy-Stories and Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics. Tolkien discusses the manner in which the Beowulf poet created his poem, and it is evident that the same principles can be applied to demonstrate how Tolkien created his own great fairy-story as he integrates the ancient themes of the Anglo-Saxon mead hall, the lord as gift-giver, and the comitatus bond in his creation of the Rohirrim. In the role of the cup-bearer, Old English poetry predominately reflects aristocratic women, and Tolkien illustrates this aspect in LOTR through the characters of Galadriel and Eowyn. Tolkien's work is as original as that of medieval authors because he built on ancient themes and structure, used their modes and genres, and chose similar mythic elements to weave his own tale. The decline of mead-hall society is reflected in Old English poetry, and Tolkien's fiction embodies a sense of that loss, preserving for his audience, as did the Beowulf poet, this ancient society and its heroic values. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf and Other Old English Poems Constance Hieatt, 2010-05-26 Unique and beautiful, Beowulf brings to life a society of violence and honor, fierce warriors and bloody battles, deadly monsters and famous swords. Written by an unknown poet in about the eighth century, this masterpiece of Anglo-Saxton literature transforms legends, myth, history, and ancient songs into the richly colored tale of the hero Beowulf, the loathsome man-eater Grendel, his vengeful water-hag mother, and a treasure-hoarding dragon. The earliest surviving epic poem in any modern European language. Beowulf is a stirring portrait of a heroic world–somber, vast, and magnificent. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Battle of Maldon D. G. Scragg, 1981 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Interpretations of Beowulf Robert D. Fulk, 1991-03-22 Interpretations of Beowulf brings together over six decades of literary scholarship. Illustrating a variety of interpretative schools, the essays not only deal with most of the major issues of Beowulf criticism, including structure, style, genre, and theme, but also offer the sort of explanations of particular passages that are invaluable to a careful reading of a poem. This up-to-date collection of significant critical approaches fills a long-standing need for a companion volume for the study of the poem. Larger patterns in the history of Beowulf criticism are also traceable in the chronological order of the collection. The contributors are Theodore M. Andersson, Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur, Jane Chance, Laurence N. de Looze, Margaret E. Goldsmith, Stanley B. Greenfield, Joseph Harris, Edward B. Irving, Jr., John Leyerle, Francis P. Magoun, Jr., M. B. McNamee, S. J., Bertha S. Phillpotts, John C. Pope, Richard N. Ringler, Geoffrey R. Russom, T. A. Shippey, and J. R. R. Tolkien. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Anonymous, 2021-09-10 Literary scholar, professor, and poet J. Lesslie Hall is best known for his 1897 translation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf. The story focuses on the titular character of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who comes to the aid of the Danes to save their land from a human-demon monster named Grendel. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf must then kill Grendel's mother. He returns to Scandinavia with more fame and accord and eventually becomes king. Then fifty years later, a dragon attacks his kingdom, and the hero must fight once again to defend his title and his honor. What makes Beowulf a lasting classic is its depiction of Norse traditions and culture. The people have strong connections inherent within a kinship society; if someone was killed it was the family's duty to exact justice or receive payment for the death. Beowulf also shows an interesting dichotomy between the Norse pagan religion of when the story is set versus the monotheistic Christian storytellers who likely first related the tale during the Middle Ages. Many scholars debate the epic poem's true stance on religion, but the tale gives an accurate depiction of how paganism deteriorated as monotheism flourished. A classic of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf remains one of the greatest epic poems ever written. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and includes a preface and annotations by the translator, J. Lesslie Hall. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Learning and Literature in Anglo-Saxon England Michael Lapidge, Helmut Gneuss, Cambridge University Press, 1985 An collection of essays by specialists in the field examining Anglo-Saxon learning and text interpretation and transmission. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Seafarer Ida L. Gordon, 1979 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Francis Gummere, 2018-07-31 Beowulf By Francis Gummere Literary scholar, professor, and poet J. Lesslie Hall is best known for his 1897 translation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf. The story focuses on the titular character of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who comes to the aid of the Danes to save their land from a human-demon monster named Grendel. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf must then kill Grendel's mother. He returns to Scandinavia with more fame and accord and eventually becomes king. Then fifty years later, a dragon attacks his kingdom, and the hero must fight once again to defend his title and his honor. What makes Beowulf a lasting classic is its depiction of Norse traditions and culture. The people have strong connections inherent within a kinship society; if someone was killed it was the family's duty to exact justice or receive payment for the death. Beowulf also shows an interesting dichotomy between the Norse pagan religion of when the story is set versus the monotheistic Christian storytellers who likely first related the tale during the Middle Ages. Many scholars debate the epic poem's true stance on religion, but the tale gives an accurate depiction of how paganism deteriorated as monotheism flourished. A classic of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf remains one of the greatest epic poems ever written. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper, includes an introduction by Kemp Malone, and a preface and annotations by the translator, J. Lesslie Hall. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Literacy and Power in Anglo-Saxon Literature Seth Lerer, 1991 At the close of the ninth century Alfred the Great lamented the decay of teaming in England and proposed a program of official translations and scholarly study to set his country back on the path of intellectual inquiry. In his Preface to Pope Gregory's Pastoral Care, Alfred equated a knowledge of texts with the right governance of self and state. That document, rich in the history of Anglo-Saxon England and suggestive of the uses of literacy, has long been a canonical text in the teaching of the Old English language, and it begins Seth Lerer's study of the place of texts in the construction of the Anglo-Saxon literary imagination. Beowulf, the Old English Daniel, Bede's Ecclesiastical History, the Exeter Book Riddles--all contain scenes of reading and writing, moments of self-conscious inscription and decipherment that have the power to alter the reader's conception of the mythical and historical, the commonplace and the fantastic. Lerer analyzes these scenes, which, taken in sequence, contribute to a reassessment of Old English literature, its nature and social function. He seeks to understand the workings of the lit-erate imagination in the history and fiction of the Anglo-Saxons. In the course of the book he addresses questions about how a Christian literature evokes its pagan past; about the nature of authority in Anglo-Saxon history, politics, and literature; and he considers how scholarly approaches to these questions--whether by medieval or by modern readers--create canons of literary history. Literacy and Power in Anglo-Saxon Literature is the first book-length study to consider the construction of an early English cultural mythology of writing. Lerer's philological and historical explication of the texts provides new approaches for assessing representations of reading and writing in pre-Conquest literature. His book is a timely and provocative addition to medieval studies. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Grendel John Gardner, 2010-06-02 This classic and much lauded retelling of Beowulf follows the monster Grendel as he learns about humans and fights the war at the center of the Anglo Saxon classic epic. An extraordinary achievement.—New York Times The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic Beowulf, tells his own side of the story in this frequently banned book. This is the novel William Gass called one of the finest of our contemporary fictions. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf , 2022 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Waning Sword: Conversion Imagery and Celestial Myth in 'Beowulf' Edward Pettit, 2020-01-14 The image of a giant sword melting stands at the structural and thematic heart of the Old English heroic poem Beowulf. This meticulously researched book investigates the nature and significance of this golden-hilted weapon and its likely relatives within Beowulf and beyond, drawing on the fields of Old English and Old Norse language and literature, liturgy, archaeology, astronomy, folklore and comparative mythology. In Part I, Pettit explores the complex of connotations surrounding this image (from icicles to candles and crosses) by examining a range of medieval sources, and argues that the giant sword may function as a visual motif in which pre-Christian Germanic concepts and prominent Christian symbols coalesce. In Part II, Pettit investigates the broader Germanic background to this image, especially in relation to the god Ing/Yngvi-Freyr, and explores the capacity of myths to recur and endure across time. Drawing on an eclectic range of narrative and linguistic evidence from Northern European texts, and on archaeological discoveries, Pettit suggests that the image of the giant sword, and the characters and events associated with it, may reflect an elemental struggle between the sun and the moon, articulated through an underlying myth about the theft and repossession of sunlight. The Waning Sword: Conversion Imagery and Celestial Myth in 'Beowulf' is a welcome contribution to the overlapping fields of Beowulf-scholarship, Old Norse-Icelandic literature and Germanic philology. Not only does it present a wealth of new readings that shed light on the craft of the Beowulf-poet and inform our understanding of the poem’s major episodes and themes; it further highlights the merits of adopting an interdisciplinary approach alongside a comparative vantage point. As such, The Waning Sword will be compelling reading for Beowulf-scholars and for a wider audience of medievalists. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf and Other Stories Joe Allard, Richard North, 2014-04-23 Beowulf & Other Stories was first conceived in the belief that the study of Old English – and its close cousins, Old Icelandic and Anglo-Norman – can be a genuine delight, covering a period as replete with wonder, creativity and magic as any other in literature. Now in a fully revised second edition, the collection of essays written by leading academics in the field is set to build upon its established reputation as the standard introduction to the literatures of the time. Beowulf & Other Stories captures the fire and bloodlust of the great epic, Beowulf, and the sophistication and eroticism of the Exeter Riddles. Fresh interpretations give new life to the spiritual ecstasy of The Seafarer and to the imaginative dexterity of The Dream of the Rood, andprovide the student and general reader with all they might need to explore and enjoy this complex but rewarding field. The book sheds light, too, on the shadowy contexts of the period, with suggestive and highly readable essays on matters ranging from the dynamism of the Viking Age to Anglo-Saxon input into The Lord of the Rings, from the great religious prose works to the transition from Old to Middle English. It also branches out into related traditions, with expert introductions to the Icelandic Sagas, Viking Religion and Norse Mythology. Peter S. Baker provides an outstanding guide to taking your first steps in the Old English language, while David Crystal provides a crisp linguistic overview of the entire period. With a new chapter by Mike Bintley on Anglo-Saxon archaeology and a revised chapter by Stewart Brookes on the prose writers of the English Benedictine Reform, this updated second edition will be essential reading for students of the period. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Anonymous, 2021-10-28 A unique parallel edition of Beowulf with the original Anglo-Saxon and Gummere's celebrated poetic translation on facing pages. The whole thing is sombre, tragic, sinister, curiously real. ... . It is laden with history, leading back into the dark heathen ages beyond the memory of song, but not beyond the reach of imagination - J. R. R. Tolkien. The epic Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf had a deep and detailed impact on what Tolkien wrote - from his earliest poem of Middle-earth (1914), right through The Hobbit ... and The Lord of the Rings. - John Garth author of Tolkien and the Great War. The story of Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel's mother and the Dragon [is] surely the basic story of all literature ... It is an epic that summons up a world whose trappings have long since disappeared, the trappings of the warrior ethos, and morality of almost prehistoric Germanic times; but the essential 'message' has not changed. It is about courage and resolve, about duty and responsibility, about honour and achievement; but it is also about the transitoriness of things, and the inevitability of death, however glorious the life. It is both a celebration of humanity and an elegy. The poem Beowulf is one of the glories of European literature. - Magnus Magnusson. Beowulf, the greatest work of Anglo-Saxon literature, and one of the glories of European literature, is set in the mists of Scandinavia, interweaving history and myth. It has been translated into English over seventy times, has been widely studied, and has influenced the popular imagination through Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. The young hero, Beowulf, receiving reports that a monster has been terrorising the neighbouring Danes nightly in their sumptuous mead hall Heorot, sails to their aid with a small band of warriors. The Danish King Hrothgar, amazed at his courage, honours him with a celebratory feast, after the shadowy monster Grendel strikes. Beowulf, a man of suprahuman strength, though unarmed, fatally wounds Grendel, and later defeats his terrifying mother. Beowulf returns to Geatland, becomes King, and ruling with wisdom equalling his courage and strength, establishes peace for fifty years. However, an enterprising slave steals a jewelled cup from a sleeping dragon's hoard, whereupon the enraged dragon emerges spewing flames, killing villagers, and destroying homes. Beowulf, defender of his people, seeks the dragon in its lair; however, once the fire-breathing dragon emerges, he is abandoned by all but the young Wiglaf. The two ultimately slay the dragon, but only at the cost of a mortal injury to Beowulf. Beowulf, who has triumphed gloriously in life and died tragically, is given a funeral equal to any of the heroes of The Iliad or The Aeneid. This dual-language edition will be enjoyable for general readers, and invaluable for students who would like to read Beowulf in either Anglo-Saxon or modern English, while dipping into the other language to deepen pleasure or comprehension. It provides an enjoyable experience of the epic poem Beowulf. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction John Blair, 2000-08-10 First published as part of the best-selling The Oxford Illustrated History of Britain, John Blair's Very Short Introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Age covers the emergence of the earliest English settlements to the Norman victory in 1066. This book is a brief introduction to the political, social, religious, and cultural history of Anglo-Saxon England. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf - an Anglo-Saxon Epic Poem John Hall, 2020-06-17 Literary scholar, professor, and poet J. Lesslie Hall is best known for his 1897 translation of the Old English epic poem Beowulf. The story focuses on the titular character of Beowulf, a Scandinavian hero who comes to the aid of the Danes to save their land from a human-demon monster named Grendel. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf must then kill Grendel's mother. He returns to Scandinavia with more fame and accord and eventually becomes king. Then fifty years later, a dragon attacks his kingdom, and the hero must fight once again to defend his title and his honor. What makes Beowulf a lasting classic is its depiction of Norse traditions and culture. The people have strong connections inherent within a kinship society; if someone was killed it was the family's duty to exact justice or receive payment for the death. Beowulf also shows an interesting dichotomy between the Norse pagan religion of when the story is set versus the monotheistic Christian storytellers who likely first related the tale during the Middle Ages. Many scholars debate the epic poem's true stance on religion, but the tale gives an accurate depiction of how paganism deteriorated as monotheism flourished. A classic of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf remains one of the greatest epic poems ever written. Please provide your review after purchase for our future enhancements. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Deor Kemp Malone, 1949 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Beowulf Reader Peter Baker, 2013-03-07 First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Exeter Book Israel Gollancz, 2018-10-09 This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf John D Niles, 2008 Enhancing Heaneys masterful bestselling translation of this classic Old English poem, Niless illustrations help modern-day readers visualize the story by bringing it to life. |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: The Earliest English Poems Michael Alexander, Michael J. Alexander, 1970 |
| anglo saxon literature beowulf: Beowulf Burton Raffel, 2012-01-01 Beowulf is the conventional title of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. |
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