- Jun 2019
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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hell-serf
a “serf” (servant) of Hell
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ignominious
sinful
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stockade
a place where weapons are kept
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mauled
destroyed
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vied
fought
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gloating
mocking in triumph
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moor-nest
the “nest” in the moors (swampy wetlands) where Grendel lives
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proffer
offer
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word-hoard
vocabulary, speech (n.)
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sentries
guards
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looming
hanging over dangerously
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gangplank
part of a ship that leads from the deck to the ground
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canny
careful, smart
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pagan
non-Christian
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Atrocious
disgusting, horrifying
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rabid
crazy, dangerous
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respite
rest
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wassail
celebration
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havoc
chaos
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anathema
opposite
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exacted
taken (v.)
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dwelt
lived
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fens
a marsh, swamp
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desolate
without hope
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heath
deserted field common to England where very little grows
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marauding
destroying
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quickened
came alive
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girdled
encircled
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din
loud noise
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harrow
torment
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rampant
out of control
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held sway
had power
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weathered
withstood
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bewailing
moaning
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bountifully
generously
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tackle
equipment (n.)
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ring-whorled prow
the front of a ship decorated with interlaced rings
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revered
worshiped
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bade
told
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Steadfast
strong and steady
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.
One thing I loved reading Beowulf is that it provides valuable insight into the culture and values of the ancient Anglo-Saxon society, which plays a large part in impacting the modern Anglo-American culture today. I truly admire Beowulf's heroism and was particularly intrigued by his unarmed combat with Grendel as he proves himself stronger than the demon. However, to most readers, I think the antagonist Grendel is more relatable than Beowulf, because many people see themselves more like an outcast than a God-like hero (it's like Spider-man is more relatable than Superman because Peter Parker is a social outcast.)
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Both owned land by birth in that country, Ancestral ground; but the greater right And sway were inherited by the higher born.
These are the rewards that the king presents to Beowulf.
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A killer stalks him, An archer who draws a deadly bow. And then the man is hit in the heart, The arrow flies beneath his defenses, The devious promptings of the demon start
Apostrophe - an imaginary "killer" is described here.
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I heard the company call her Freawaru As she made her rounds, presenting men With the gem-studded bowl,
women's roles in society
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wave-crosser
a kenning referring to the sail boat
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sea-shawl
a kenning referring to the sails on a sailboat
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Ensconced
to settle securely or snugly
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“O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, Eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride. 1760 For a brief while your strength is in bloom But it fades quickly; and soon there will follow Illness or the sword to lay you low, Or a sudden fire or surge of water Or jabbing blade or javelin from the air Or repellent age. Your piercing eye Will dim and darken; and death will arrive, Dear warrior, to sweep you away.
Hrothgar is warning Beowulf not to let pride get to him, pride however is Beowulf's biggest flaw.
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he examined the hilt, That relic of old times. It was engraved all over And showed how war first came into the world And the flood destroyed the tribe of giants. 1690 They suffered a terrible severance from the Lord; The Almighty made the waters rise, Drowned them in the deluge for retribution.
This is describing how the sword was made that was able to defeat Grendel's Mother. A sword not made from man but giants back in the day but were destroyed from the flood god casted on them.
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Donned
put clothing on one's body
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screes
a sloping mass of loose rocks at the base of a cliff
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So arise, my lord, and let us immediately 1390 Set forth on the trail of this troll-dam.
This is an example of an apostrophe because Beowulf is detaching from the subject of death by speaking to God, a powerful deity that the Geats and Danes believe in.
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“Wise sir, do not grieve. It is always better To avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning. For every one of us, living in this world Means waiting for our end. Let whoever can Win glory before death. When a warrior is gone, That will be his best and only bulwark.
These warriors are not doing the chivalrous things to get into Heaven. They are doing them to be remembered in the greatest way, even after they are dead.
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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This was an awesome story of a true hero. Beowulf truly was symbolic of the perfect leader--he was courageous, had unwavering strength, and was fair (and thoughtful) for his people. In regard to the theme, it's interesting (though a bit cliche) that many of the characters revolve around the idea that fate controls their lives. As for the ending, even though it ended with Beowulf's death, I still would like to know what happened to his clans. Overall, Beowulf is a perfect description of Anglo-Saxon times because of its values, poetic style, and epic hero.
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fomented
stirred up
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filigree
ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces
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profusely
in large amount
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assail
to attack violently, assault
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nightmarish
resembling a nightmare, especially in being terrifying, exasperating, or the like
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“To the everlasting Lord of All, To the King of Glory, I give thanks That I beheld this treasure here in front of me, That I have been allowed to leave my people So well endowed on the day I die. Now that I have bartered my last breath To own this fortune, it is up to you 2800 To look after their needs. I can hold out no longer.
The ultimate purpose of the epic hero is to leave something of lasting value to his culture.
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Then twelve warriors rode around the tomb, Chieftain’s sons, champions in battle, 3170 All of them distraught, chanting in dirges, Mourning his loss as a man and a king. They extolled his heroic exploits And gave thanks for his greatness; which was the proper thing, For a man should praise a prince whom he holds dear And cherish his memory when that moment comes When he has to be convoyed from his bodily home. So the Geat people, his hearth companions, Sorrowed for the lord who had been laid low. They said that of all the kings upon the earth 3180 He was the man most gracious and fair-minded, Kindest to his people and keenest to win fame.
The closing lines serve as a kind of elegy.
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“You are the last of us, the only one left Of the Waegmundings. Fate swept us away, Sent my whole brave high-born clan To their final doom. Now I must follow them.”
These last words of the dying hero essentially shows his courage and reinforces the theme of fate, which sweeps away even the bravest warrior.
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The warriors’ protector, prince of the hall-troop, Ordered a marvelous all-iron shield From his smithy works. He well knew That linden boards would let him down 2340 And timber burn.
Instead of merely stating that Beowulf bested the monster Grendel in battle, the narrator gives an elaborate description of Grendel's brokenness.
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The man we loved, to where he will lodge For a long time in the care of the Almighty.
Wiglaf plays a key role in the retelling of Beowulf’s journey and gives credibility to such an extraordinary tale of an incredible hero.
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In a commanding position, since of all men To have lived and thrived and lorded it on earth His worth and due as a warrior were the greatest.
Beowulf’s people promise to ensure that his story will forever be passed on and remembered throughout eternity.
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Order my troop to construct a barrow On a headland on the coast, after my pyre has cooled. It will loom in the horizon at Hronesness And be a reminder among my people– So that in coming times crews under sail Will call it Beowulf’s barrow, as they steer Ships across the wide and shrouded waters.
Beowulf’s mortality is revealed to his own warriors and members of his kingdom.
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press-ganged
to coerce someone into taking a certain action
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affliction
a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery
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reconnoiter
to inspect, observe, or survey (the enemy, the enemy's strength or position, a region, etc.) in order to gain information for military purposes
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exquisite
of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence
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earth-vault
probably refers to the custom of sleeping in sacred tombs
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The precious cup Had come to him from the hand of the finder, The one who had started all this strife And was now added as a thirteenth to their number.
In Christianity, number 13 is an unlucky number because there were 12 Apostles and Jesus at the Last Suppeer. Jesus declared that one of them will betray him. Here the slave stole the cup of the dragon.
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Then Beowulf was given bad news, A hard truth: his own home, The best of buildings, had been burnt to a cinder, The throne-room of the Geats.
even Beowulf was affected
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swathed
wrapped
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The dragon began to belch out flames And burn bright homesteads; there was a hot glow That scared everyone, for the vile sky-winger Would leave nothing alive in his wake. Everywhere the havoc he wrought was in evidence. Far and near, the Geat nation Bore the brunt of his brutal assaults And virulent hate. Then back to the hoard He would dart before daybreak, to hide in his den.
He wreaks havoc on the people far and wide at night, leaving nothing alive after his attacks. He returns to his lair before daybreak.
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He is driven to hunt out Hoards under ground, to guard heathen gold Through age-long vigils, though to little avail. For three centuries, this scourge of the people Had stood guard on that stoutly protected Underground treasury
He has been protecting it for three hundred years and is furious when he discovers the theft.
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vigils
wakefulness maintained for any reason during the normal hours for sleeping
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- May 2019
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earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com earlybritishlit.pressbooks.com
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Then he who had harrowed the hearts of men With pain and affliction in former times And had given offense also to God 810 Found that his bodily powers had failed him. Hygelac’s kinsman kept him helplessly Locked in a handgrip. As long as either lived He was hateful to the other. The monster’s whole Body was in pain, a tremendous wound Appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split And the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted The glory of winning; Grendel was driven Under the fen banks, fatally hurt, To his desolate lair.
Beowulf grasps Grendel so fiercely that the only way Grendel can escape is by leaving behind his arm and hand after his arm is wrenched out of its socket.
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Uncle and nephew
Hrothgar and Hrothulf
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Guthlaf and Oslaf
half-Dane thanes
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Placed on his lap Dazle-the -Duel,
a symbol of Danish retribution against the Frisians?
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For long here in this earthly life 1060 Will enjoy and endure more than enough
Whatever amount of time you live on Earth will have its ups and downs and everything will be worth it.
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“We belong by birth to the Geat people 260 And owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac. In my day, my father was a famous man, A noble warrior name Ecgtheow.
Beowulf is very devoted to his own king Hygelac, but was also born with respect for his father’s actions.
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Away with a will in their wood-wreathed ship. Over the waves, with the wind behind her
An alliteration-rich sentence speaks of the majesty with which Beowulf and his men sail.
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We’d been children together and we grew up Daring ourselves to outdo each other, Boasting and urging each other to risk Our lives on the sea.
An apostrophe here. Beowulf speaking on behalf of Breca who is absent in the epic.
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A price in gold, was settled for the Geat Grendel had killed cruelly earlier– As he would have killed more, had not mindful God And one man’s daring prevented that doom.
An understatement of the death of one of Beowulf's men as they easily set a price for his death.
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Oh, cursed is he Who in time of trouble had to thrust his soul In the fire’s embrace, forfeiting help; He has nowhere to turn. But blessed is he Who after death can approach the Lord And find friendship in the Father’s embrace.
The speaker switches from talking about how God blesses people to how God curses people -- an example of a chiasmus.
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mourned under morning
An alliterative powerfully expresses the poet’s craft.
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Their mighty prince, The storied leader, sat stricken and helpless, 130 Humiliated by the loss of his guard, Bewildered and stunned
Hrothgar is described as “stricken and helpless,” “bewildered and stunned,” which point to a hopelessness and deflation, as if the king himself is destroyed by the loss of his hall.
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sea’s flood
This kenning refers to the sea's tide.
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balm
preparation applied externally for soothing
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Then it fell to Beow to keep the forts.
an ironic understatement from a laconic speaker
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Their heathenish hope; deep in their hearts They remembered Hell.
This quotes shows the people once again putting all their faith in god save them from the terrors of Grendel.
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A crew of seamen who sailed for me once With a gift-cargo across to Geatland Returned with marvelous tales about him: A thane, they declared, with the strength of thirty 380 In the grip of each hand.
Beowulf’s strength is described as non-human, making it clear that he is an epic hero with super strength.
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Grendel was the name of this grim demon Haunting the marches, marauding round the heath And the desolate fens
This sentence shows Grendel's evil-natured character.
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Afterwards a boy-child was born to Shield, A cub in the yard, a comfort sent By God to that nation. He knew what they had tholed, The long times and troubles they’d come through Without a leader; so the Lord of Life, The glorious Almighty, made this man renowned. Shield had fathered a famous son
God plays a large part in the story. All acts of heroism that prove successful are attributed to having received some form of divine assistance.
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treasure-seat
another example of a kenning -- meaning the throne is of great importance
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whale-road
an interesting example of a kenning -- turning the ocean into whale road
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God-given goods
an example of alliteration
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It would be his throne-room and there he would dispense His God-given goods to young and old
Hrothgar feels blessed because of his position and wealth and wants to give back to the community.
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