General Information.

Beowulf, with more than 3000 lines, is one of the oldest English poems. One could say that it is Beowulf one of the biggest proofs of how social and mythical thinking was on the Anglo-Saxon era. But, Beowulf is a deeper epic poem than what can be caught at first read.

It becomes an epic poem first, and after a tale of mystical creatures and heroes. The only manuscript of this tale has no date, therefore, the exact date or year of creation, or even a period cannot be narrowed. The physical manuscript, the pages, and the type of paper gives us a different story. By studies made by scholars the manuscript can have about 1000 years.

Nut the manuscript did not only had Beowulf to offer. Besides it, the paper also had several poems, cards, a compendium of crazy creatures known as the “The Wonders of the West”, and a different poem, poorly copied, known as “Judith”.

The manuscript that contains Beowulf, has changed hands constantly. The first official owner is a student of old English, Laurence Nowell. Once he died, the manuscript changed hands to a Sir Robert Cotton, and, in his legacy, he gave away the book to Sir Thomas Cotton, who therefore, gave it away to the country where it now became one of its greatest literature treasures.

On 10/23/1731 a fire broke out while the manuscripts of the Cotton’s were moved to a different place, most of the books were severely damaged while others simply destroyed.

The poem refers to the hero Beowulf, and his fight with the unknown in foreign land and the after glory of it, the rise and fall of his greatness and physical strength. The story also gathers around different kingdoms, and local problems with mythical creatures or monsters.

BEOWULF: A DEEPER LOOK

“Hwæt. We Gardena in geardagum,

þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,

hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.” ("Beowulf (Old English version) by Anonymous", n.d.)

A first call to hear the tale of Danish heroes, ancient kings and stories of glory and battle. This poem was not made to be read, as we can see in verses 1-5, but to be heard, to be promoted through oral approach. As any epic poem, family, origins of Earth and glory must be introduced. The first two chapters are based on these topics.

We have present in the book three different genealogies: The Geats (the family where Beowulf resides), the Thedanes (where Hrothgar is king) and finally the Swedes. They all have their own glory and heroes-like linage, and in the book the two of them who mix and work together are the Geats and Danes (or Thedanes).

In the book, the first enemy is introduced as a sleeping beast, who woke up by the music and celebration occurring on the land above. The Danes had constructed a hall where Hrothgar could reign and rule the land he was given.

These beast, described as a powerful monster, was in tremendous pain. A philosophical debate can be brought up by saying that if the monster, if the creature know as Grendel, was in pain and impatient, therefore is a creature that also knows good and peace.

But as explained in the verses 101-114, he was descendant of Cain, which takes the book into a Christian plot, and induces that when the story was told, the existence of the church, the bible and all the vision of the cosmos and deities was already stablished in the area.

As making an analogy of curiosity and Eve’s sin, Grendel is curious of what men did in Herot, and therefore, became one of Herot’s main problems. The beast, although gifted with human emotions, is ripped of any humanity and turned into a flawless and despicable beast.

The beast is forbidden to hear God’s voice, and therefore, its glory. Then, as any epic poem, a hero must be born to destroy this darkness, and Beowulf came to fulfill the archetype.

Beowulf presents himself as a brave warrior who comes from foreign lands to win glory out of a battle with the evil-miserable beast. A wish which is fulfilled when, in a single night, he attacks and breaks Grendel’s arm and therefore, bleeds out the beast and exposes the arm as a trophy in Herot.

But, not all God-forsaken creatures are heartless. Grendel was born out of another beast, described as she-wolf who seek revenge against Beowulf. In his second fight, he is flawless. Almost defeated but never in the ground, the strength of Beowulf’s conquers over the creature.

Beowulf dives into an arid and desolated lake, fighting his way around sea creatures, up until Grendel’s mother catches him and takes the hero to her cave. There, a fierce battle is set in motion.

The creature meets her fate when Beowulf, desperate to win, found a giant’s weapon and smashed the creature to her death. The epic poem takes us to the surface afterwards, where Beowulf’s companions are waiting for his commander.

He resurface with victory, which allows Hrothgar to bless and give gifts to his allies and saviors, praising for their strength and bravery. Even a horse and swords are given to him, and this fellow Geats.

These two events allow Beowulf to be granted great gifts and honors, and when he gets back to his land, he rules as a mighty warrior and king.

Years after, another creature filled with sin-like emotions arrives, apparently guarding a treasure which a servant steals. Beowulf, 50 years later, is forced to fight this beast and loses his life on the process, and with help of Wiglaf, one of his bravest soldiers, managed to destroy the beast and regain peace, but with the cost of his life.

Beowulf is always posed as the hero, as the victorious although his final win is not his. Also, we see a resemblance with the theory of Christianity, in which a male savior is accountable for great things.

Analyzing this book, one is able to capture the culture of honor, and of landlord’s, with mystical beasts living among them. It is classic example of the world the Anglo-Saxons lived in, their Cosmo vision, and their dreams and hopes to achieve the ultimate goal of a world filled with warriors and wars: honor even after death.

References

Beowulf. (2018). The British Library. Retrieved 5 February 2018, from https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/beowulf

Beowulf (Old English version) by Anonymous. Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 5 February 2018, from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version