Lecture Notes: Beowulf

Beowulf is written in the Heroic mode. There is only one surviving copy in print, so the author is not known. Further, it isn't known if this piece was written at the time of the events it details or if it is a memory written down much later in time. It seems to illustrate Scandanavian lore, though none of these characters are present in the historical Scandanavian texts. Most scholars assume that this story was told in Scandanavia, but written down later by monks or scholars in England. The Christian references in the text seem to point to some sort of Christian influence interfused with Germanic and Scandanavian tribal influences. It appears that the text, or oral story, to be exact, did not originally contain Christian references (to Cain and Abel or the Great Flood, for example); these elements were probably added later.

There are a whole host of people that study this text, but it is assumed to be dated at about 1000 AD. Since it has some Homeric elements, it is thought to be a stem from or an assist to that Homeric tradition noted for heroic literature. We don't know much about the one surviving copy, but we can try to explore the issues as we see them surfacing in the text.

It is important to pause and think about the language of Beowulf. Old English differs greatly from modern English (the language we speak). In its original text (a little bit like Russian), there are inconsistencies in spelling and grammar, and meaning and inflection is generally part of the word root or ending. In fact, some of the letters don't even appear in our alphabet. Most importantly, we need to remember that Beowulf would have been presented in the oral tradition; this is a text meant to be heard...like Shakespeare...and, in reading, we lose a lot of the flavor of the text. I know it is tough, but try to imagine a friend telling you this story at the bar. There would be hand gestures and the fullness of language.

Beowulf was a member of the Geats clan; they were a seafaring tribe likely from the coast of Sweden. They disappeared, literally, from history, probably through conquest, but they really did exist. So, is Beowulf real? I don't know. If he was real, he was likely born in 495 AD (Klaeber) and defeats Grendel and his mother is about 515 AD (Klaeber). Eventually, Beowulf becomes King of the Geats (this is documented in history) and then is killed later (some say 50 years, but there is no proof) by a dragon. Obviously, the dragon is speculative.

We are most interested in Beowulf's treatment of Grendel and Grendel's mother. Grendel is said to be of the line of Cain (from the Biblical Cain and Abel story). There is some speculation that Beowulf is similar in stature to something like the Loch Ness Monster, and his ancestors were the only survivors of the 40 day flood (Noah's Ark). Grendel's mother, however, is not portrayed in such grand terms; it is thought that she was smaller in size. They lived together in an underground system called a lair.

Grendel is problematic because he disregards law and custom. His mother, of course, demonstrates pure wrath and vengeance. As a didactic text (one that instructs), the characters of Grendel and his mother demonstrate the rules society should follow in terms of greed, uprisings, revenge, etc. However, the question remains...what would Grendel's mother say about the whole thing?

Here are some things to consider as you read:

1. What makes Beowulf a hero? What makes Grendel a monster?

2. Is it possible that Beowulf and Grendel represent types of persons found in society? If so, who?

3. How does exile function in this work?

4. For whom do we feel sympathy?

5. How would a feminist approach this text? A Marxist?

6. Should we feel sorry for Grendel's mother? For Grendel?

7. Can you see in the text where Christian influences are inserted? Find examples and post them on the blog.