| What are the magical qualities of Beowulf? | – He can swim for days on end- he can breathe for extended periods of underwater |
| How does his name tell us that he is no mere human? | – He is Beo (Bear) and Wulf (Wolf). his name does not begin exactly as his father’s name, Edgetho |
| What word is repeatedly said in Beowulf? | “Almighty God” |
| What is the message that it is trying to portray? | Men must learn to behave responsibly, and to love and be faithful to one another |
| What are the religious comments made in Beowulf? | The creation story of Genesis is paraphrased, hell is cited as the home of evil, the abel and cain tale is mentioned explicitly. Just as evil is punished, good prevails |
| What are the Anglo Saxon traditions that were illustrated? | Sword-wielding slayer of monsters, upholder of the right, warrior chieftain.- recorded their dreams, aspirations and fears |
| Where was it taken place in? | Sixth Century, Scandinavia and told in old english |
| What are scops? | traveling minstrels during the Anglo Saxon |
| Robert Cotton | (1571-1631) the only original manuscript of the complete 3182 line poem comes from his collection of medieval manuscript |
| Seamus Heaney | In 2000, Irish poet published his translation of Beowulf to public acclaim |
| Epic | a long narrative poem, sometimes developed orally, that celebrates the deeds of a legendary or heroic figure- early epic- homer’s Iliad from ancient Greece, captured the cultural and religious values of the peoples who created and retold them |
| Common Features of epics | – the hero battles forces that threaten the order of his world- the story is told in a serious manner, often in special, elevated language |
| Legendary Hero | A larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales |
| What makes Beowulf a classic legendary hero? | Boastful self confidence, his feats of strength, and his victories in battle |
Beowulf Cornell Notes
February 24, 2020