Pre-Christian Poetries

Epic

• Beowulf (1000AD)
  • The earliest and greatest epic
  • Authorship unknown
  • 3,200 lines
  • Written in West Saxon dialect
  • Teutonic epic poem (Teutons or Germans)
  • No actual Anglo-Saxon character is celebrated
  • Partly historical, partly mythical
  • Lines are without rhymes
  • Alliteration is used in the verse
  • Poetic lines have the use of stress
  • It has likeness to Homer’s Odyssey
  • The story of Beowulf got passed by mouth for 300 years before it was written
  • Elegiac mood is there
  • “On Translating Beowulf” is an essay by J.R.R. Tolkien

  Plot

  • Beowulf is the son of Scyld
  • Nephew of Higelac, King of the Geats
  • Beowulf is the 6th century warrior from Geatland
  • From Geatland Beowulf goes to Denmark
  • With 14 companions Beowulf crosses the sea
  • In Denmark, Grendel, the monster attacked the great hall of Hrothgar, King of Danes for 12 winters.
  • The name of Hrothgar’s hall is Heorot
  • The monster Grendel was envious when he heard the sound of joys in Hrothgar place
  • Beowulf defeated three:
  • • a) Grendel (Lake Monster)
    • b) Grendel’s mother (a merewif/mermaid or Sea witch- Her upper body is of a beautiful woman; and she has a tail like a fish)
    • c) Fire breathing dragon
  • Beowulf teared Grendel’s hands and hung those in the hall
  • Grendel ran away in pain
  • Grendel’s head was cut off when Beowulf went down to fight with Grendel’s mother in deep sea
  • Beowulf slays Grendel’s mother in her den, under deep sea
  • Beowulf came back to Geatland and became king
  • He ruled there for 50 years
  • To kill a fire spewing dragon he went to his neighborhood and both the Dragon and Beowulf died
  • Opening lines:

    “Lo! the Spear-Danes’ glory through splendid achievement The folk-kings’ former fame we have heard of, How princes displayed then their prowess-in-battle. Oft Scyld the Scefing from scathers in numbers”

  • Ending lines:

    “So lamented mourning the men of the Geats, Fond-loving vassals, the fall of their lord, Said he was kindest of kings under heaven, Gentlest of men, most winning of manner, Friendliest to folk-troops and fondest of honor.”

• A. Widsith (7th Century)
  • Unknown author
  • Meaning- ‘far goer’ / ‘far wanderer’ / ‘far traveller’
  • First recorded singer of English race
  • Poem of 150 lines
  • About a scop who had travelled in different places and was welcomed by many kings
  • He was rewarded for his singing
  • In this poem he speaks of his wanderings
  • The element of love of course is not there in this poem
  • The chronological span of the poem covers 200 years of history
  • The historical account can not be fully trusted
• B. Deor’s Lament
  • Poem of 42 lines
  • Another name ‘The Complaint of Deor’
  • Written in first person narrative
  • Mood of the poem is personal
  • Deor was a scop
  • He complained and lamented as he was supplemented by another scop, Heorrenda, even after his long services
• Heroic Poems or Historical Poems
  • a) The Battle of Maldon (10th Century)
    • Poem about a battle of 991AD
    • It is remarkable for the Germanic ethos of loyalty to the leader.
    • Poetry of 325 lines
  • b) The Fight at Finnsburh
    • Fragmented poem
    • Magnificent war song and description of a fight at Finnsburh
  • c) The Battle of Brunanburh
    • It talks about the victory of Saxon Kings
  • d) Waldere
    • Fragmented heroic poem
    • It has speeches of wounded, injured warriors
    • One of the finest of narrative pieces of vigour and power
• Elegy
  • a) The Wanderer
    • Wanderer is an old man
    • He is lamenting as he once was happy under the service of his well loved lord
    • But after his Lord’s death he has become a lonely man journeying across icy seas
    • He also talks about an attack in his youth, his close friends and kins were killed and their memories remained with him.
    • It is sometimes attributed to Cynewulf (Anglo-Saxon Religious poet)
  • b) The Seafarer
    • Begins with a 64 lines monologue of an old sailor
    • He is remembering hardship and struggle of a sea-life
    • It seems to be in 2 different parts: Hardship of ocean life and isolation at the sea
    • Ezra Pound has translated this poem
• Love Poem
  • a) Husband’s Message
    • Husband was forced to live wife and his homeland
    • He wrote a message in wood-piece explaining his love, days at war etc
  • b) Wife’s Lament
    • Female narrator
    • The wife is speaking about her grief