The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is known for being the first work in English. The poem was probably composed several centuries before it was first recorded by the Anglo-Saxon bard and the poet, whose name remains unknown. The manuscript dates from the 8th – 11th centuries, while the actions described in the poem take place in the 5th – 7th centuries.
The article presents the plot of the Beowulf poem, a brief summary of chapters or main parts, and a brief analysis of the main topics.
The historical context of the poem
The Beowulf poem is considered native English, but there are a number of circumstances that dispute this opinion. Despite the fact that the poem was recorded by the Anglo-Saxon poet, the plot of the song was known among the people long before the VIII century.
Centuries before the creation of the manuscript, the British Isles, inhabited at that time by the Celts, were captured by the Scandinavian tribes, who brought along with their language and traditions their own folklore. It is proved that the plot of the poem can be traced in Scandinavian folklore even before the first Germanic tribes landed off the coast of England.
Literary form
It is believed that the song about Beowulf is written in poetic form, but it does not quite correspond to the traditional canons of poetry. Like many other early works of the Middle Ages, Beowulf was composed in the form of a song or ballad and written so that it was easier for singers to remember a huge amount of time (there are 3182 in the poem). "Beowulf" in brief and even translated from Old English loses its specific sound.
The song form of the Middle Ages was based on verses, but Beowulf is a work so early that it does not contain them. In fact, this is a text consisting of more than three thousand lines, not separated or interrupted by anything. In order not to get confused, the singers composed songs using the alliteration technique, where the phonetic system of repetitive percussion sounds and pauses is important.
Alliteration is used in every line of the Beowulf poem. A summary with quotes in the original (in Old English) with detailed descriptions of correct reading will help to evaluate the scrupulousness of the approach to song composition. The modulation of the voice and the tempo of reading also play a particularly important role for the melody of the lines.
Song of Beowulf: Summary and Structure
Being a song, Beowulf meets the demand of the average medieval feast. What did the audience most want to hear? Of course, tales of valor, courage and mighty battles in which all evil remains defeated.
The plot of the poem is based on the deeds of the glorious Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf. As befits the epic, the song about Beowulf focuses on battles with mythical creatures gifted with superhuman strength. There are three such battles in the poem: the first two follow one after another, glorify the strength of the main character and, which is not typical of the genre, pay special attention to the character of the warrior, his behavior outside the battlefield.
The third, final battle tells of the heroic death of a hero in the name of the safety of his people. It is typical of Scandinavian literature, replete with mythological creatures and human triumphs over them. At the same time, in the description of the battle, preparation for it, and especially the conclusion, there are a number of topics that are absolutely not characteristic not only of the folklore of the Germanic tribes, but also of the medieval epic as a whole, which adds to the uniqueness of the already unique poem “Beowulf” ".
The content of the chapters is based on the structure of the song, which is divided in meaning into three parts, corresponding to the three battles of the protagonist with Evil.
A brief analysis of the main topics
The first Anglo-Saxon epic includes elements that are not characteristic of the culture of the British Isles. The plot of the poem is absolutely Scandinavian, and this distinguishes the song about Beowulf from a number of Western European medieval epic poems.
Against the background of the inexhaustible theme of the struggle between good and evil, where good always remains the winner, despite the price of victory, the Beowulf song traces themes typical of especially Scandinavian folklore:
- The importance of treasures and gifts.
- A special trick in which armor and weapons are located.
- Praising strength and form, not only heroes, but also antiheroes.
- The double attitude towards neighboring nations is a desire to help in trouble and a willingness to attack on their part at the most inopportune moment.
Anglo-Saxon poem "Beowulf": a summary of the plot
Like all medieval epics, the first Anglo-Saxon poem celebrates the strength, dexterity and heroism of warriors. The retelling of the plot of the poem can be divided into three main parts, coinciding with the three battles of the protagonist.
In order to simplify the retelling of the plot, the summary of Beowulf is most easily divided into five small parts:
- Introduction, or exposure.
- The battle with Grendel.
- The battle with Grendel’s mother.
- The battle with the dragon.
- Conclusion
However, the song form of the Beowulf poem should be taken into account. A summary of the verses divides it into a larger number of parts due to the considerable volume.
Introduction and exposure. Part one
Introduction and familiarity with the characters and the situation in which they are located occupy about 200 lines of the song. Like many other epics of early European literature, a poem about Beowulf begins with a sufficiently detailed description of the situation. A summary of the first lines is as follows.
In the first verses, the author introduces readers to the great kings of antiquity who ruled the glorious Danish people. In their place came the powerful king Hrothgar, under whose leadership the kingdom grew and prospered. Hrothgar built a huge feasting hall and for many days Danish warriors merrily celebrated in it.
The noise and thunder of fun caught the attention of a cruel swamp monster named Grendel. At first, the angry Grendel dragged and devoured 300 glorious warriors, then he began to come every night until the great hall died down and darkened, becoming more like a crypt than a festive hall.
Khrotgar bitterly regretted the lost warriors, but, knowing the incredible power of the monster, he did not dare to ask his subjects to fight with Grendel.
Part two: getting to know the main character
The rumor of disasters that hit Danish relatives reached King Higelac, who ruled over the Gautes. The powerful nephew of King Beowulf volunteered to go swimming in order to help Hrothgar defeat the monster. Beowulf gathered a squad of fourteen warriors and hit the road.
Having sailed to the shores of Denmark, Beowulv with his comrades goes to the court of Hrothgar. The people on the way are amazed at the article and the force of the moored warriors and hope for their help.
Most of the hundreds of lines introducing the reader to Beowulf are devoted to describing the armor and weapons of the Gauta squad. The summary of Beowulf presented in the article does not pay attention to descriptive scenes, although it is worth noting that the weapon receives special attention of the author throughout the song.
The battle with Grendel. Part one
Grendel is one of three powerful opponents, the battle with which makes up the bulk of the Beowulf poem. The content of the battle due to the volume of lines is conveniently divided into two parts.
Beowulf, having sailed to help Hrothgar at the hour of need, gives hope to the Danes and awakens a spirit of fun in them. Hrothgar is familiar with the exploits of the mighty Gaut and at the feast in honor of the hero promises Beowulf if he wins, many expensive gifts and all that the warrior will only ask for.
However, not all subjects of the Danish king are well disposed. Envious Unfert belittles Beowulf's strength and glory, predicting his death in a duel with the swamp monster. Beowulf, despite his youth and inexperience in diplomatic affairs, does not go on about the obsessive Unfert and adequately responds to the badass.
Part two: the battle with the monster
Warriors finish the feast early and leave the Gautian retinue in a large festive hall in anticipation of Grendel. Beowulf goes to bed without armor and weapons, because he knows that a monster can be defeated only by equal strength and skill.
In the middle of the night, Grendel bursts into the hall and grabs one of the warriors. Waking up, Beowulf immediately rushes at the enemy and grabs him by the huge paw tightly. The battle with Grendel is heavy and long, the monster is more massive and stronger than the warrior, but, despite this, Beowulf has never loosened the iron grip on Grendel's paw. Already in the morning, the monster, tired of the fight, makes an awkward movement and Beowulf with force pulls his paw, which breaks away from the body with a crunch. Frightened Grendel runs away into his swamp, where he dies from a wound. The monster's hand remains in the hall and Beowulf presents it to Hrothgar.
The battle with Grendel’s mother
After a glorious and difficult victory over Grendel, Beowulf receives well-deserved praises, rich gifts and thanks from Hrothgar and all Danish warriors. Everyone sits down to feast and celebrate and does not expect the arrival of the enraged mother of Grendel, who bursts into the hall and grabs her closest friend and adviser Hrothgar. Being weaker and more careful than her son, she immediately runs away to her in the swamp, dragging a victim.
The king is saddened and asks Beowulf once again to help the Danish kingdom. Glorious Gaut is ready to follow the monster into the swamp, but before that he puts on his impenetrable heavy armor and takes with him an ancient sword that can cut through anything. In the event of his death, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to send gifts to Higelak. Having gathered, the Gautian warrior follows the bloody trail to the swamp and dives inland.
Beowulf sinks all day to the bottom, fighting with swamp monsters. Thanks to the armor, the warrior reaches the house of Grendel intact. There, at the bottom of the swamp, an angry mother sits over the body of her son. She immediately attacks Beowulf, clutching him with her scaly body and not allowing him to freely strike. Those attacks that the warrior manages to do do no harm to the monster. Remembering the mighty sword, Beowulf loosens the opponent’s grip and deals a single blow, instantly chopping off the head of the monster.
Only a few days later Beowulf rises to the surface of the swamp, where he is already waiting for the desperate comrades and Hrothgar. Seeing the severed head of a monster, the king praises Beowulf's strength and valor and thanks him for the service rendered. At a feast in honor of the second victory, Hrotgar composes a song about the courage of a Gaut warrior and promises that his exploits will not be forgotten forever and ever.
The battle with the dragon. Part one
Heroes of medieval epics rarely manage to reach old age, especially for works based on Scandinavian mythology, where the warrior's main goal is death in a glorious battle, guaranteeing the hero a place in Valhalla.
Having participated in many battles and increased his military glory, Beowulf is forced to take the throne of his uncle Higelak. Under his leadership, the land of the Gautas is flourishing and richer. For many years Beowulf rules his kingdom and safeguards the safety of his subjects. Now he is already old and feels that the end of a glorious life is near. All that an experienced warrior asks for is to leave this world in battle and earn Valhalla.
Not far from the royal court, an unlucky passerby found a treasure guarded by a sleeping dragon. Unaware of the consequences, he took only one small goblet from a pile of jewelry, but the dragon, sensing theft, woke up and began to attack neighboring settlements. The rumor of a winged serpent very soon reached Beowulf, who took an oath to protect his subjects from any adversity until his last days. The king orders him to forge a heavy shield to protect himself from dragon fire and prepares for the last, as he feels, battle in his life.
Part Two: Beowulf's Heroic Death
Having taken that ill-fated thief into the guides and equipped a small detachment, the Gautas king bravely meets his fate. On the way to the serpent's lair, warriors encounter a fiery stream, through which it is impossible to cross. Beowulf loudly lures the dragon into battle.
Seeing the terrible fire-breathing snake, the soldiers flee, leaving their king. Only the brave young Wiglough remains near Beowulf. The old warrior strikes the dragon with the sword, but his strength is no longer the same, and from the impenetrable scales of the serpent the sword is split in half. The dragon bites Beowulf's neck and blood spills from the wound. Faithful Wiglaf, wanting to help his king, stabs the dragon in the stomach, while burning his hand.
Gathering the last forces, the king thrusts a long dagger into the side of the serpent with such force that the monster falls dead. Beowulf won again, but his wound was fatal. In his last moments, the king thanks the Gods for the liberated treasures and bequeathed to Wiglaf his throne and responsibility over the people.
Conclusion
The last will of the glorious Beowulf is to burn his body on the seashore and pour over the ashes a huge mound that sailors will see when they approach the shores of the kingdom.
The frightened warriors, drooping, return to the place of death of the king, where the desperate Wiglough is still trying to revive him. The young heir to the throne bitterly chastises the squad for their cowardice and says that this weak-minded act will bring much grief to the Gautian people now that Beowulf can no longer protect them. Wiglough predicts wars with neighboring tribes, who were just waiting for the death of the Gautian king.
The people are saddened and depressed by the news of the death of Beowulf. His body is burned at a ritual fire, and human crying drowns out the roar of flame. A mound over the body of the king is poured on a cliff that descends into the sea itself.