Beowulf Questions

Prologue

 1. It was unusual how Shield came to be the ruler of Danes as he started off as an abandoned orphan, but soon built his power to become king. His funeral was a grand affair. He was shipped off in a boat filled with treasures and gifts. Hrothgar is Shield's great grandson.

 Heorot is Attacked

 1. The magnificent work that Hrothgar undertook was a mead hall, Heorot, dedicated to the enjoyment of him and his serving men. Grendel attacked the hall slaying many of Hrothgar's men eventually taking over the hall; it lasted for twelve years. In response, the Danes prayed at shrines wishing harm on the monster.

 The Hero Comes to Heorot

 1. When Beowulf hears news of Hrothgar's problems with Grendel, he sets sail for Denmark with an army to kill the monster, Grendel.

 2. The Geats first meet a Danish watchman who stops and questions them. Beowulf explains that they arrived to help the Danish get rid of Grendel.

3. Hrothgar’s herald is Wulfgar of the Wendla tribe. He first asks the Geats, why they carry so much armor, and then he infers that they are there for adventure rather than primarily self-gain, because they seem courageous. Wulfgar tells Hrothgar that he shouldn’t deny their help because Beowulf is their leader. In reply Hrothgar says he knows Beowulf’s father, and tells Wulfgar to go get the Geats. I’m not that surprised of Hrothgar and Beowulf knowing each other, because Beowulf wouldn’t put his life and lives of others in harm’s way if he didn’t know Hrothgar.

4. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he is very skilled and experience and he plans to take on Grendel without any weapons, and for Hrothgar not to refuse him. Hrothgar paid off Beowulf’s father’s debts during a warning period for the Geats.

Feast at Heorot

1. Unferth’s jealousy causes him to claim that Beowulf can’t beat Grendel, and he brings up a time in the past when Beowulf lost a swimming competition to Breca. Beowulf tells Unferth that he’s drunk and the true story was that he was separated from Breca and pulled underwater by a sea monster, that he later killed. This episode shows how brave and confident Beowulf is throughout the story. Beowulf then accuses Unferth of him not being as brave as he said he was supposed to be, and if he was then Grendel would’ve never came to Herolot.

2. Queen Wealhtheow hands out mead Goblets to Hrothgar and then to the rest of the men during the feasting. Then she thanks God for Beowulf and after sits down next to Hrothgar.

The Fight with Grendel

1. Beowulf's preparations for his battle with Grendel differ from normal heroes in poetry in that he shed his armor instead of putting more on because he planned to fight Grendel with his bare hands instead of with a sword and such.

2. When Grendel enters Heorot, he immediately begins to eat the sleeping soldiers as he did many times before. Instead of eating Beowulf, Grendel is surprised with a fight as Beowulf never fell asleep and Grendel wasn't initially able to escape Beowulf's tight grasp. Despite Beowulf's death grip, Grendel managed to escape, but not without leaving his arm behind.

Celebration of Heorot

1. Sigemund was a great hero who slayed a horrible dragon that was a keeper of a treasure chest that he won by slaying him. The treasure won by Sigemund symbolizes the gold rewards that Beowulf earned from the ring-giver, King Hrothgar. Sigemund's story is told to celebrate Beowulf and compare both of their heroic acts. Heremod is known as an evil Danish king who turns against his own people. This clearly resembles the reverse of Beowulf’s characteristic and by comparing and contrasting Beowulf to two different kings, the narrator indicates that Beowulf will be king later in the story.

2. Hrothgar responds to Beowulf's deed by celebrating him and pronouncing him as both a son and man that will never be forgotten. Hrothgar then goes on to give Beowulf many gifts, including a sword. Since Beowulf was successful in his attempt to save the Danes, Unferth doesn't have much to say to him as he has become much more humble.

3. The singer sings of Finn during the feasting (lines 1070-1158). The exact details of the Finn story are not clear, but in general, what happens? What does it suggest about the wisdom of using a woman as bride to heal enmity between tribes? The singer sings the story of Finn during the feast. Basically, in the story Finn, Lord of the Frisians, marries Hildeburgh, a Dane, to end a feud between the two tribes. The idea was to use the bride to ensure that the families wouldn’t feud anymore but obviously this was a bad idea. The Frisians killed Hildeburgh’s brother when he came to visit her. Finn was also eventually killed out of revenge.

4. When the feasting resumes, what does Wealhtheow ask Hrothgar not to do?

Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar not to give the throne to Beowulf, but to trust in his biological son’s abilities to rule as king.  She believes that the throne should stay in the bloodline

5. Wealhtheow gives Beowulf a large, broad necklace. What later happens to it? What does Wealhtheow ask Beowulf to do?

6. It is foreshadowed that Beowulf gives the necklace to his uncle Hygelac, who wears it until he dies in battle.  She also asks Beowulf to guide and protect her children, but not to take the throne from them when Hrothgar dies. Why do so many men remain in the beer hall to sleep? Why is it a mistake?  So many men remain in the beer hall to sleep because they believe it is as safe as it once was now that Grendel is dead.  This is a mistake because Grendel’s mother comes to the hall for revenge for her son.  She takes one of Hrothgar’s esteemed men and the arm of Grendel back to her cave.

Another Attack

1. Grendel's mother came to Heorot to take her son's claw. It was out of anger and vengeance, not exactly similar to Grendel's reason.

2. Hrothgar's response was asking Beowulf to go to her lair and kill her, too. She had killed Hrothgar's best friend.

3. The mere (her lair) was an underwater lair under a dark lake. It had an eerie feel and was described as being very dark.

Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother

1. Beowulf tells Hrothgar to respond (if he should die) in a caring way for his own men that he should leave behind.

2. Beowulf sinks into the water for a few hours before he enters the mere.

3. He prepares for the battle by telling Hrothgar what he desires just in case he dies. Beowulf takes his ring-marked blade sword.

4. When Beowulf enters the mere, Grendel's mother grabs him but his armor defended him. It's surprising that it take half a day to get down there but those monsters have each other.

5. The sword breaks while Beowulf tries to strike Grendel's mother.

6. At one point Beowulf is on the floor, with Grendel's mother sitting on him and drawing her knife. How does Beowulf escape? Beowulf escapes because his mail protected him from the blow.

7. How does Beowulf kill Grendel's mother? What weapon does he use? What happens when she dies? What does Beowulf take with him from her home? What happens to the sword he used to kill her? Beowulf notices and uses an enchanted sword hung on the wall. He escapes by drawing the unnaturally heavy sword built by giants and slicing Grendel's mother’s neck with it. When she died, the cave burned with light. The sword melted so that the hilt was all that was left.

8. What happens when Beowulf returns to the surface? Did his men expect him to return?

When Beowulf returned to the surface, he found his men waiting, but none of the Danish. It is clear that the Geats were skeptical of his return, so they were pleasantly surprised.

Further Celebration

1. What does Beowulf give to Hrothgar? He gives Grendel's head and sword hilt.

Further Celebration

2. Hrothgar tells Beowulf an important story about how someone good with deeds and intentions can just as quickly turn bad. Heremod let greed take him over and that led to his ultimate demise. Hrothgar wants Beowulf to know not to let the praise he is receiving go to his head.

3. Beowulf gives Unferth the sword before he leaves.

Beowulf Returns Home

1. Hrothgar is worried Beowulf may become too arrogant and be unable to fight successfully if these small battle victories get to his head.

2. Hygd is Geat’s queen. She is a good queen where as Modthryth is a bad, evil queen.

3. Beowulf reports to Hygelac that Hrothgar may marry his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld. Why does he plan to do that? What does Beowulf expect the result will be? (Remember the Finn story, lines 1070-1158.) How does Beowulf think the peace will be broken? Is this the type of report we expected from the hero Beowulf, or are we seeing a new side of him? Beowulf reports to Hygelac because he knows that the wedding could cause problems with the family. Beowulf expects the wedding to recreate family tension and violence and Hygelac to not like the idea. We would expect this from Beowulf because he likes to stop situations before they occur and likes to plan for the problem if it can't be fixed.

4. How does Beowulf report about his own adventures? Does he report accurately?

Beowulf reports about his own adventures as slightly exaggerated, but mostly accurate in the ways they are told.

5. What does Beowulf do with the treasure he was given? What does Hygelac give him? What Beowulf does with the treasures he is given is he offers them to his Lord and gives it to other people also. What Hygelac gives Beowulf is land, a large house, and the sword of the Geats.

The Dragon Wakes

1. How much later does Part 2 take place? What kings have died in the meanwhile? What danger now exists? Part 2 takes place fifty years later. The kings that have died in the meanwhile are King Hygelac and King Heardred. The danger that now exists is a dragon.

2. The dragon is angry because someone stole its treasure even though the man only took the cup because he was scared by the dragon. The treasure was put there by a lord who had lost all of his friends and family.

3. He destroyed everything as he searched for the thief.

4. Beowulf thinks he is being punished for something he has done.  He decides to order a new shield and fight the dragon with only a few people.

5. Hygelac died fighting a monster and after Beowulf swam through the ocean with 30 sets of armor. Queen Hygd offered Beowulf the chance to become king but he declined and decided to advise Heardred.

6. Heardred was killed along with his father at the shield wall fighting the Heatho-Scilfings. After Heardred's death, Beowulf was ascended to the throne. Under his reign, the feuding with the Sweden terminated when Beowulf avenged Hygelac and his sons deaths. Conscious of avenging his fellow lords, Beowulf befriended Eadgils (one that was provided shelter by Heardred but was part of his death) and assembled an army to scrutinize Onela.

7. Beowulf was accompanied by 11 others when approaching the dragon.

8. Herebeald was killed by his brother on accident. Hrethel was devastated to see his young son be sent to the heavens so early on in his life. From this devastating loss on, Hrethel grieved his son’s death and gradually lost his passion, love, and care of his kingdom. War sprung up between Swede's and the Geats over waters which resulted in the death of Haethcyn, a Geat member. In revenge for Hygelac's death, Beowulf attacked the dragon with a sword, failing to harm the monster, and was blasted by the enraged dragon's fierce, powerful, and poisonous fire Breath, bitten on the neck by the dragons sharp teeth and was killed.

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1. Beowulf tells his companions to not fight the dragon because he knows it will be his very last battle.

2. The first time Beowulf and the Dragon fight, Beowulf enters the fight with confidence as he had defeated all of the major giants with just a sword and armor. When he throws his first blow with the sword he is frightened when the sword breaks. Beowulf's companions all leave except for one of them, Wiglaf. Wiglaf remains loyal to Beowulf because he had provided so much for them and gave them gifts even when he had done all the killing. Wiglaf could not imagine going against someone who had remained so loyal to him and his family. Wiglaf tells the others that Beowulf has provided them with good armor and weapons and that if one man falls they all fall together. He also explains that although Beowulf usually does the killing on his own, they must be there to support him when he needs it. Wiglaf calls out to Beowulf telling him that he has come to help. Wiglaf then goes to help him and the dragon blows fire, which makes his shield useless.

3. The second time Beowulf attacks the dragon, Wiglaf works with him. Beowulf is bitten in the neck and is extremely wounded. Wiglaf is able to stab the dragon and wound him very badly. Beowulf gains one last serge of energy in order to strike the dragon one last time to his death. Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon together; if one had not been there the dragon would not be dead. Beowulf dies in the fight with the dragon as he has been struck in the neck.

4. Beowulf asks Wiglaf to go and find the gold that they had just recaptured from the dragon. He wants Wiglaf to bring the gold to him before he dies. Beowulf finally sees the gold and thanks god for allowing him to defeat the dragon and provide treasure for the people. Beowulf wanted his body to be burned at the coastal headland and for it to be known as Beowulf's Barrow.

Beowulf's Funeral

1. As Wiglaf attempts to save Beowulf, the rest of the Geats return, but Beowulf is dead. Wiglaf tells the men that Beowulf had left all the treasure to them but that it was worthless because they had not stayed to fight with Beowulf. Wiglaf says that death will be better than such a life of shame to the men who had left their lord wounded on the battle field. Wiglaf expects that the Geats Empire will be destroyed in the future.

The messenger tells the city of Beowulf’s death. After Ongentheow killed Haethcyn, the Geats were threatened by Ongetheow, but they were saved by Hygelac the next day. Hygwlac proceeded to then kill Ongetheow and his men to avenge the death of his kin even though that morning Ongetheow and his men retreated the area. The messenger said to not get involved with the gold because it was cursed and anyone who steals it will get the punishment on them. The final image of the messenger’s speech was the dragon that killed Beowulf.

2. Wiglaf tells the crowd that if Beowulf listened to the people then he still would be alive. He also states that Beowulf was a brave and honorable man and not to think less of him or what he did. Although this was a disappointment, he was still given a proper burial because he was a military warrior/hero.

3. The dragon that killed Beowulf is pushed of a cliff by Wiglaf’s men and falls into the ocean and everyone was relieved.

4. During the funeral celebration (weird) everyone is sad of the great loss of Beowulf and mourns. It is ten days long and everyone places rings and jewelry to give respect to the fallen hero. After the funeral celebration, the people of Beowulf’s kin praise him and talk of his achievements. 

5. At the end of the poem, the Geats said that Beowulf was the “kindest of kings, friendliest, and most honorable man.” He was a most honorable man because he fought for his kin and people and was unselfish in his duties and gratitude. The description of friendliest and kindest is deceiving because although the Geats thought he was kind, Beowulf’s enemies did not think so. He killed them with no mercy and no regrets so his characteristics are based on perception. 

Collaborated with Judith Lee, Haley Kestler, Imanie Patel, Victoria Tonascia, Taylor Williams, Megan Stevens, Elizabeth Smith, Shailynn Joseph, Haley Stowe, Stevie Wisz, Courtney Reyburn, and Hannah Hurd!

My University

Well today's class period went by pretty fast because it was a minimum day schedule. I really didn't have time to get much work done, besides my journal. When I wasn't writing I was either talking to my friends or going over some last minute topics for my AP Bio quiz, that was the next period. I felt like I could get off track from doing primarily English related assignments because I'm pretty much caught up on everything besides starting The Color Purple for my literary analysis. As the week goes on hopefully I will stay on track for the most part and go over my Beowulf notes and collaborate with my group again, and have a discussion on them as well.

This Life Is Your Life Rap

Collaborated with Judith Lee and Hannah Hurd for this beautiful musical interpretation of the Laughing Heart!

Beowulf Online Chapters 1-10 Notes

Prolouge

-A King named Scyld the Scefing was a wealthy man who was looked up to by the people of his town.

-Nobody challenged him, he was better than everyone else

-Had a son and named him Beowulf.

-Son was looked up to and was generous to all the people of the town. 

-Ship created to hold dead body, very wealthy items, 

-Description of armor and expensive weapons.

-Ship sent to sea, talk about a flood

-People mourn for the death of the child.

Chapter 1

-A new person came to the thrown named Healfdean. 

-Was a strong leader

-Had four children Heorogar, Hrothgar, Halga, one not living 

-Heorogar was known for his bravery on the battle field.

-A hall was built in his honor 

-Creates an award called Heorot

-Talks about a banquet and a feud between father-in-law and father over wealth. 

-Something of evil comes from "moor-land" to hurt the happiness 

- Cain awakens (evil creature) to ruin the fun. 

Vocab

-march-rieve- A disturber of the border, one who sallies from his haunt in the fen and roams over the country nearby. This probably pagan nuisance is now furnished with biblical credentials as a fiend or devil in good standing, so that all Christian Englishmen might read about him. "Grendel" may mean one who grinds and crushes.

-Ettins-Giants

Chapter 2 

Went to house and found group of people mourning the death of a person 

The next morning Grendel found out his servant of 12 years was murdered

That night Grendel looked for the person who killed his servant and was determined to get his revenge

The murder wasn't hard to find and Grendel found who he thought killed his servant

There was another person continuing to murder people ruthlessly 

People said he still lurked the "moorlands" but nobody said where this place was because they were so afraid 

People prayed that they wouldn't be killed by this person but also prayed he would be forgiven by god 

Chapter 3 

Grendel seen as a hero and people thought his valor should be recognized by the king 

Grendel chosen to lead a group of 14 men (called the Geats) to sea 

He and his men found the place they were sailing to - Danes 

Get off boat armed with weapons and shields 

Met by a warden (" scylding clansman") on horseback that was armed 

Warden explains that his job is to protect the people of Danes from sailors who land there

He also explains he had never seen people come there and be so obvious that they were warriors

Warden tells them that he is praying for them on their voyage 

Chapter 4
-the warrior (seafarer) leader claims he is the son of Ecgtheow who's widely known and honored by many
-the warrior got wind of the "monster" that tortures and haunts the Danes and demands that he and his men attempt to defeat this "scathing", "dark ill-doer" monster
-agreeing with the plan, his men marched to the village/palace in which Hrothgar loved
-some men were assigned to guard the boat and escort the others to the palace, protecting the boat from their foes; "guard it kept o'er the man of war..."
-the men can see the shimmery, glistening, gold palace from afar
-the men who were assigned to guard the boat and also escort the other men then return to the boat where they spend their time being on the lookout
Chapter 5
-the men, while marching, observe the shiny, well-decorated streets and atmosphere of Heorot
-the men were approached by a proud, curious warrior who stopped the men and asked what their purpose of arrival was
-Beowulf, the leader of the men, and Wulfgar(the warrior described above) discuss the matters. Wulfgar directs the leader and his men to the throne of Hrothgar
-Wulfgar asks Hrothgar to speak to the men
and exclaims that Beowulf appears to be a strong, firm leader; "In weeds of the warrior worthy they, methinks, of our liking, their leader most surely, a hero that hither his henchmen has led."

Characters:

The Geats- Beowulf’s clan, Beowulf born around 495

The Dantes- residents of Denmark, Scylding is Anglo Saxon lineage

The Swedes- lived in Sweden north of Geats

Finnsburh- the Fight at Finnsburh overlaps with Beowulf estimated time period and so studied together, example of Germanic heroic lay describing warriors experiences in war

Grendel- monster Beowulf killed and symbolic of when bad Cain killed good Abel (revenge), Beowulf is cause of trouble because rebel, Grendel’s mother is constant vengeful and represents cycle of war even when enemy seems to be defeated

I don't know if needed (above) but it was on the website and the characters are kind of confusing to know who are people talking but I think with rest of notes it will hopefully make sense! Thanks again for all your participation!!!

Chapter 6

•Hrothgar is talking of Beowulf and only legends have been told (like rumors in today’s world) of how strong and great Beowulf is

•They thank god (grateful) for having him send Beowulf to relieve them of Grendel and his destruction

◦Grateful for someone/thing that they haven’t even met yet, they just know rumors and stories about.

•Like society today when we want to pay someone for their service but really we should just be grateful for their service and sacrifice to be there rather than having to pay them to make ourselves feel better about “hassling them”

◦hero’s don’t get hassled; they just go out and do because that’s their “job”

◦People get mad about Beowulf not taking the money and gold but why should he? He did a good deed and shouldn’t it just be left to that?

•Beowulf gets message that Hrothgar will accept him and his kin in his own kingdom for Beowulf’s bravery

◦Beowulf replies by giving story of his own battles and how he came to be known as a strong man. He fought animals and his foes, many at a time, for his people (the Geats) and to avenge them (symbol of hero)

•Beowulf knows his duty, in specific to defeating Grendel, and knows that he must use only himself and no other armor

◦knowledgeable of situation and knows what needs to be done. Doesn’t put brawn over brains

•“So, from thee, thou sovran of the Shining-Danes, Scyldings'-bulwark, a boon I seek, and, Friend-of-the-folk, refuse it not, O Warriors'-shield, now I've wandered far, that I alone with my liegemen here, this hardy band, may Heorot purge!” - I am not sure what he means by I have wandered too far?

•He knows he might die in battle and respects the “rules” of battle and lets his family know that if he is to die in battle, they shouldn’t worry about burying him properly.

◦Practical but still with hope that he will win the battle with faith

Chapter 7

•Hrothgar retells story of brother’s, Heorogar, death.

◦Killed by war between Wylfings and Scyldings over money and gold

◦Shows destruction of materialistic world and consequences of it

•“Then was this mead-house at morning tide dyed with gore, when the daylight broke, all the boards of the benches blood-besprinkled, gory the hall: I had heroes the less,” - descriptive language of how warriors died trying to defeat Grendel. Revenge Hrothgar wants. Passionate

◦Sit to eat after this gruesome story, shows culture and how they take death as a apart of life but then want revenge for wrongful deaths as do we in today’s world

Chapter 8

•Always refer to seafarers to tell a rumor or story, why?

•Enferth (son of Ecglaf) questioned Beowulf’s ability to actually fight Grendel and told of story where Beowulf and “rival” Breca swam the seas together and then Breca got out of the seas unharmed but he worries that Beowulf is not strong like Breca.

◦Questioning of strength is key in hero battle/adventure because it makes the hero think about his/her strength and if they really can achieve their goal

◦Also gives background to Beowulf and adventures

◦Questions that Beowulf will do anything without really thinking about it or consequences

•Beowulf reinforces that he is ready and states that he was a child and didn’t know better but he did bring swords for protection

◦He stayed by Breca until the very end until it was impossible to stay together because of the seas tearing them apart

◦Beowulf defeated the beast of the sea and that shows give evidence behind why he is worthy of fighting Grendel

◾He supports this accusation on inadequacy and backs up his point with evidence as seen in today’s culture with giving effective opinions and if you want people to believe you then you give them reasons to

◾He proves himself time and time again which is what a hero has to do because the people are putting their faith into him and they want credibility

Chapter 9

-Beowulf encounters evil sea monsters that make him feel threatened. So he kills them with his sword. He kills nine of them and they will never bother the sailors again. This is when he was separated from Breca. Reminds me of Moby Dick in a sense.

-He fought a difficult battle and the tides ended up taking him to the land of the Fins.

-Breca was on of Beowulf’s closest kin, but he left Beowulf in the sea where he had to fight giants on his own, but Beowulf doesn’t wish war with him. Beowulf believes that his bad will come to him.

-Grendel is the son of Ecglaf. Grendel was very jealous of Hrothgar so he brought him humiliation. Now Grendel would “rot in hell”. (Dante’s Inferno)

-Beowulf fears no feud with the Danish; he will fight, murder and eat with them and the next day finds out the strength of the Geats.

-Beowulf will fight with them and Hrothgar, jewel-giver, is pleased with his will to fight. The queen snickers at this but still continues to wear her gold and carried the cup of the hall.

-The queen walked around the hall, first giving the king a drink (Hrothgar), and then giving the rest a drink. She was so happy that Beowulf had committed to fight with the Geats and if he didn’t help win the battle he would die in the process.

-The queen thanked the lord for her Savior, Beowulf.

-The son of Healfdene wants to get to bed, but speaks with Beowulf before he goes. They speak of the hopeful glory for the battle the next morning. Beowulf will remain in the hall bequeathing, or giving the power over to him. Healfdene’s son would obtain the power over the hall, which was called Heorot Hall, for the night. ( A will? In case he died in battle the next day, Healfdene would inherit the power?)

Chapter 10

-Hrothgar and Wealhtheow, the queen, go to bed, but have a guard watch their room in order to prevent the monster from getting to them. The monster being Grendel. (Frankenstein was a monster to everyone)

-Beowulf retires for the night and has a guard watch his armor, but he challenges the monster to a battle without armor or weapons. He says the gods will decide who is right.

-Everyone laid down to rest not fearing of dying or not returning home the next day. Although many people had not made it back, they had no worries.

-Metaphor of one man being different than the rest to god ruling over man-kind. Was Beowulf starting to earn the reputation of a god?

-Beowulf was the only man to lie awake looking at the wandering shadow in the hall. Beowulf could only think of the upcoming battle and would not sleep.
Collaborated with Shailynn Joseph, Haley Stowe, Stevie Wisz, Hannah Hurd, and Courtney Reyburn

Beowulf Textbook Pages 31-60

Pages 31-37

from Tristia Ovid, Translated by L. R. Lind: Book 10

 -Tristia had moved from her mother country, Dardanian Troy, when it was attacked by the Grecian Army.

  -Now in the Pontus, feels like the days go by like years

 -Despises the common theme of death races (referring to gladiator games and/or the continuous war between the Romans and their enemies)

 -Feels like a barbarian not being able to communicate with people of the new land, had to use body language

 -Was exiled from Rome

 -"Injured the power of Caesar the god," in result was sent to assimilate with the Scythian race as a punishment

  -Believes she deserved to be exiled but not to such a city

Far Corners of Earth by Tu Fu translated by David Hinton

 Describes a shift from the Chiang-han mountains where clouds begin to hover over to "a new waste of highway." Gradual decline in mood.

from Beowulf

-portrays the Anglo-Saxon culture of eighth century Britain

 -Beowulf: sword-wielding slayer of monsters, upholder of the right, warrior-chieftain

 -Takes place in sixth century Scandinavia, speaks Old English

 -Beowulf seeks to help the Danish King Hrothgar in fighting the swampland monster, Grendel.

 -first of the three mortal battles

 -Scops often told long narrative poems by mouth in Anglo-Saxon England which resulted in it's change and growth

 -finally written down in eleventh century

 -main themes: bravery, loyalty, heroism

 -The Electronic Beowulf Project revived the burnt original manuscripts of Beowulf.

Epic: a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates the deeds of a legendary or heroic figure

 -hero battles for the order of his world

  -story told in serious matter with sophisticated language

Legendary hero: a larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales

Vocab

Kenning

Caesura

Reparation

Solace

Purge

Writhing

Massive

Loathsome

Pages 38-41

Background

- England was changing from a pagan to Christianity, when Beowulf was created.

- Pagan Anglo-Saxons told tales rued by fate where people struggled against monsters in regards to their place in the world.

-The Christian converts taught that human choices between good and evil were at the center of creation.

- Beowulf interprets both the Christian and Pagan traditions

- Starts out during a celebration at Herot and outside is the murderous monster, Grendel

The Wrath of Grendel

- Grendel, the powerful monster grew upset with the constant music that played in the banquet hall of the Danish King Hrothgar that rejoiced in the beauty of Earth.

- Thousands of evil spirits formed from their murderous crimes due to God’s banishment of them by Cain’s responsibility for the death of Abel, who opposed God’s will.

- Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve; Cain killed his brother because he was envious of the attention Abel received from God.

- When all the warriors in the hall were done partying, Grendel went inside killed thirty men and took them back to his lair.

- In the morning the king mourned his companions that he lost, and knew it wouldn’t be the end of Grendel’s wrath.

- The only way the warriors could try to stay alive were if they escaped Grendel.

- For twelve winters Grendel’s defeat of the Danes ruled, killing many and most men.

- Grendel wouldn’t make peace or accept a truce or price

- Grendel continued to kill but wouldn’t touch King Hrothgar’s throne because it was protected by God, and the king’s council debated over remedies to get rid of Grendel.

- The King and council were conflicted by doing the Devils work by trying to get rid of Grendel and banishing him to hell, but trying to do right by God.

The Coming of Beowulf

- The death of the King’s son was extremely painful for the King and kingdom

Pages 42-44

- Higlac was the king of the Geats and Beowulf's feudal lord and uncle as well as a very strong man

- Higlac heard that Grendel violently forced and demanded a boat to be fitted out for him to go see Higlac

- Beowulf chose the mightiest, bravest, and best men of the Geats he could find to accompany him on his journey to Hrothgar (14 men total)

- He knew the sea would lead them straight to that distant, Danish shore

- They sailed their boat and arrived fully dressed in mail with the best armor and uninvited

- Hrothgar's lieutenant met them on the shore, demanding to know who they were and why they came unannounced

- He asked Beowulf to immediately explicate their reason for their visit before they take action against them

- Beowulf explained who they were and that they were there to hunt Grendel and protect the people and their King from the monster

- The mounted officer believed their words and that he and his men would guard their ship and protect it, saying that any warriors who battle Grendel successfully should go home bearing their love

- Once Beowulf and his men arrived at Herot, they were called in to see the King

- Beowulf arose and went to meet Hrothgar with some of his men, ordering a few to remain behind with their weapons

Vocab

- reparation: (n.) something making up for wrong or injury

- solace: (n.) comfort; relief

- mail: (n.) flexible body armor made of metal (in this context)

Pages 45-47

 Beowulf and his men arrive at Herot and are called to see the King 

-Beowulf ordered some of his men to stay with their weapons, while he took others and himself "into Hrothgar's Presence"

-Beowulf describes himself to the kind to make him seem more favorable, by saying things like "They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me ride form the darkest of war, Dripping with my enemies' blood."

-Beowulf over does it on the compliments to the king then asks for the kings permission to "purge all evil from this hall" (including Grendal, who Beowulf is willing to go into great battle against) Beowulf is willing to die for his cause and exaggeratedly says so. 

The Battle with Grendel 

-Grendal came from the marsh and journeyed to Herot and was met harshly with Herot being so firmly defended. 

-Grendal stormed through the doors quickly, saw the young and sleepy soldiers lining the halls, grabbed one and killed him, snapping shit and drinking the blood. 

-Grendal clutched Beowulf but was suprised by his strength and attack. Grendal's first reaction was to run but Beowulf didn't let him go. 

-Beowulf and Grendal battled violently. Herot shook and trembled, it was built to only come down in fire but the battle was a much great force.

Pages 48-50

-He was the strongest man, Beowulf was going to kill the "monster"

-Beowulf's men woke up to Beowulf fighting Grendel and were ready to fight, if needed; they were courageous, but Grendel was pretty indestructible against them and he could easily beat them all

-But, he(Grendel) was now declining, dying, and had been defeated

-His shoulder bone broke, a sign of the battle being over

-Beowulf won "glory, Grendel escaped" to his den though, to die a slow and miserable death

-Beowulf was very prod, the Danes were happy and his accomplishments were listed; he ended Hrothgar's people's problems

-Beowulf hung Grendel's "arm, claw, shoulder and all" on the rafters; it was basically a trophy of the victory and proof of the win

 The Monsters' Lair

 (there was a celebration of Beowulf's victory, but Grendel's mother kills Hrothgar's best friend and takes Grendel's claw, Beowulf hears from the king about the underwater lair)

-The king is talking the whole time

-peasants in fields saw female and male creatures and told the king's wise men
-Grendel they named the man one, no one knows if there were any before them or any other creatures like them
-The creatures lived in a secret wolf den with rocks and a waterfall to an underground lake (my visual interpretation of the text) It's very dark, roots hanging from the top, no one knows how deep
-The king wants Beowulf to kill the mother, Beowulf is his only help and hope of "being saved", he will reward him with gold and treasure for winning

 The Battle with Grendel's Mother

(Beowulf decides to kill her and goes to the lake)

-(Beowulf is speaking to the men) To Hrothgar, if he(Beowulf) should die during battle, he wants Hrothgar to be "Father and protector" of his comrades. He wants Higlac to have the things Hrothgar gave him. To Unferth, who questioned his bravery before the Grendel battle, he leaves his "famous old sword" <symbolic value
-He jumped into the lake without others responding
-Sank for "hours" before reaching the bottom
-Grendel's mother saw him, her "welcome" was trying to kill him, but his armor was too strong to penetrate
-She carried him to her home, he couldn't get out his weapon
-the fight brought other monsters swimming to see...
Pages 51-53
-She brought him into her home which nothing could attack them in
-He attacked her but realized he couldn't hurt her
-They continue to fight, and she draws a blade on him, her only son, but she hit his armor and he was unharmed
-He then struck her across the neck and rejoiced at her death
-He then picked up his sword and went to find Grendel but found him dead
-Beowulf then left taking nothing but Grendels head and the jeweled sword
-The Geats rejoiced when Beowulf returned
-They then gifted the Danes with Grendel's head
Pages 54-56

The Last Battle

-Beowulf honored by Hrothgar
-He becomes king
-rules Greatland for 50 years
-Dragon comes into kingdom when Beowulf is an old man
-he decided to slay the beast
-before battle, tells his men about the royal house
-wanted to fight without any armor, then realizes the dragon breathes fire
-believes he's the only man who can do it.
-wants to claim dragon's riches
-dragon attacked with breathe first
-his armor held up, then started to melt
-first time in life, he fought with fate against him
-his sword broke in two, but got a stab into the dragon
-Beowulf fell back, dragon attacked, breathed fire at him, he suffered
-once king, now a beaten warrior
-all other men fleed without helping him
-only man that stayed was Wiglaf, Wexstan's son
-Wiglaf's mind was made up, he raised his shield and drew his sword
Pages 57-60
Onela got armor from the king. 

Wexstan kept the shining gifts for his son but was killed. 

His heir, Wiglaf, inherited the treasures. He went into war with Beowulf and was strong and courageous. 

Wiglaf brought the soldiers together, telling them Beowulf had given them the swords, it is time to defend with them. It is better for them to suffer than to cause agony to the king. He yelled encouragement and went into the dragons deadly flames. 

Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon. The Beowulf is wounded and is dying. He asks Wiglaf to retrieve the treasure the dragon was protecting. 

The Spoils

Wiglaf goes into the cave. Finds lots of gold and sparkling things. He grabs as much as he can and takes it to the dying king. 

Beowulf says he gave his life for this treasure, use it to help and lead his people. 

He said he wanted to be burned high at the waters edge so sailors could see this tower and call it Beowulf's tower. He gave all he had to Wiglaf and said their family had been swept away as warriors and now he was following them. Then he died. 

Wiglaf is mad at those who deserted Beowulf

The Geats burn his body. 

The Farewell

The Geats built the tall and strong tower Beowulf requested, his ashes sealed inside. All the treasure was left at his grave deep in the ground. Twelve men road around the tower telling of their stories and sadness and of his greatness. They said there was not other king worthy of such praise. 

Collaborated with Judith Lee, Haley Kestler, Imanie Patel, Victoria Tonascia, Taylor Williams, Megan Stevens, and Elizabeth Smith.

Vocabulary #1

adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
Ex: Patrick adumbrated Pride and Prejudice to his friend Sarah.
apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
Ex: To some people God is seen as an apotheosis of Christianity.
ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
Ex: Monks live Ascetic lives
bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
Ex: Some Christmas sweaters have bauble designs on them.
beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
Ex: Harold was beguiled by Becca's beauty.
burgeon - verb grow and flourish
Ex: the lillie's in the meadow burgeoned in the Spring.
complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction; number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
Ex: Paxton and Marcie complemented each other.
contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
Ex: The 4 year old child was contumacious after his nap.
curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
Ex: The cranky curmudgeon didn't let us tell him our own opinions on the driving age.
didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Ex: the didactic tutor helped John pass his Calculus test.
disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
Ex: Beatrice was disingenuous when breaking up with Paul, so he thought they were just on a break.
exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
Ex: The judge exculpated the witness.
faux - adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
Ex: The $50 jacket was made of faux fur.
pas - noun (ballet) a step in dancing (especially in classical ballet)
Ex: Missy Franklin knows how to incorporate pas movements in her routines.
fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
Ex: In chemistry class Phil fulminated chemicals in his lab.
fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap; pompous or pretentious talk or writing
Ex: The story was structured into a fustian style towards the antagonist.
hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
Ex: Darcy in Pride and Prejudice was hauteur to the Bennett's, at first.
inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
Ex: The police officer inhibited the drug dealer.
jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
Ex: Kristy gave a jeremiad about the 20 hour car ride.
opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
Ex: The opportunist bought 10 In N Outs.
unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience
Ex: The lawyer was unconscionable when prosecuting the opposing witness.