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Poetry in The Anglo-Saxon Times

Poetry in the Anglo-Saxon times originated from Germanic tribes who conquered Britain in the 5th century AD. They established kingdoms and converted to Christianity, developing their language Old English. Their greatest work of literature was the epic poem Beowulf, which was originally an oral tradition later put into written form between the 7th-8th centuries. Beowulf tells the story of a heroic warrior who battles monsters to help the Danes, demonstrating Anglo-Saxon cultural ideals of bravery, loyalty, and faith. Though not a historical account, Beowulf exemplifies many conventions of the epic genre through its elevation of virtue and focus on the hero's journey, struggles, and mortality.

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Josh Mar Kirk
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76 views28 pages

Poetry in The Anglo-Saxon Times

Poetry in the Anglo-Saxon times originated from Germanic tribes who conquered Britain in the 5th century AD. They established kingdoms and converted to Christianity, developing their language Old English. Their greatest work of literature was the epic poem Beowulf, which was originally an oral tradition later put into written form between the 7th-8th centuries. Beowulf tells the story of a heroic warrior who battles monsters to help the Danes, demonstrating Anglo-Saxon cultural ideals of bravery, loyalty, and faith. Though not a historical account, Beowulf exemplifies many conventions of the epic genre through its elevation of virtue and focus on the hero's journey, struggles, and mortality.

Uploaded by

Josh Mar Kirk
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Poetry in the

Anglo-Saxon
Times
• Germanic conquerors of
Britain during the 5th century
A.D.
• Established the kingdoms of
Northumbria, Mercia, and
Wessex
• Unified the kingdoms into
one that is now known as
England
• They were ruled by a
king who was assisted
by a witan.
• were converted from
paganism to
Christianity
• Their language is
known as Old English.
• Heroic poems
• Stories were told orally.
• Beowulf is notably their
greatest piece of
literature.
• Germanic oral tradition of
alliterative unrhymed verse
• was put into written form in the
7th century
• was reworked in the 8th century
by a Christian poet
• The work alluded to historical
events of early 6th century
Scandinavia
• story of a Norse hero and
warrior who fought and
conquered several monsters
that terrorized Denmark and
Sweden
• combined Anglo-Saxon culture
with Christian moral values
• composed of 3,180 lines
• Beowulf
– the leader of the Geats
• Grendel
– one of the last giants; terrorized the land
of the Danes
• Hrothgar
– King of the Danes
• Wealhtheow
– wife of Hrothgar
• Unferth
– a Danish warrior who doubted the
heroics of Beowulf
• Grendel's mother
– not as powerful as her son, Grendel, but
very determined to seek revenge for the
death of her son
• Ecgtheow
– father of Beowulf; dead by the time the
story begins
• Wiglaf
– Helped Beowulf defeat the dragon;
became the future king of the Geats after
Beowulf passed away from his wounds
• The dragon
– last monster that Beowulf had to fight at
the final part of the epic
CAN BEOWULF
REALLY BE
CATEGORIZED
AS AN EPIC?
• An epic is a long narrative
poem that retells the trials
and achievements of a great
hero or heroes.
• It is composed in an elevated
style.
• It exalts the virtues of religion,
culture, politics, the military,
and history.
• It originated from the Greek
word epos which meant
“word” originally. Later, it
was translated as “oration” or
“song”.
• Its scope may be from a
limited context but its
greatness can attain
universality.
• Its emphasis is typically
on heroic actions BUT it
also focuses on the
conflicts created by a
hero's struggle between
his personal beliefs and
mortality.
• Beowulf, the title character,
represents what the heroic
age values.
• Comitatus - the honor system
between a king or a lord and
his warriors.
• Beowulf offering assistance to
Hrothgar was an example of
Comitatus.
• Beowulf is an example of a
primary epic which means it
evolved from legends or folk
tales of a tribe. It was also
initially developed in oral
storytelling.
• It also employs digression, long
speeches, journeys and quests,
various trials or tests of the
hero, and even divine
intervention.
• Unlike the classic epics of
ancient Greece, Beowulf
does not begin “in medias
res” which means “into
the middle of things.”
The poem does not also
call upon the guidance of
a Muse.
• Beowulf is NOT part of the
history of Denmark or any
Scandinavian country.
• But its setting is somewhat
similar to what really
happened in those countries in
the 5th and 6th centuries.
• Comitatus did exist. The
funeral rites were also
practices of the people during
those times.

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