Beowulf and Its Significance in Anglo-Saxon England

editing the nation's memory, 2008

The poem Beowulf proved to be, from its first publication, a contested site for nationalist scholarship. Though written in Old English, it dealt exclusively with Scandinavia and its nearest neighbours. Was the poem, then, in essence a poema danicum, as its first editor called it? Or did it emanate from the disputed borderland of Schleswig, where Low German speakers were still in the nineteenth century under Danish rule? Interpretation of the poem was affected at every level by nationalist sympathies, but even more by sub-national and supra-national sentiments expressed by scholars of divided loyalties, including pro-German Schleswigers, pro-Danish Icelanders, and Englishmen such as Stephens and Kemble (respectively pro-Danish and pro-German, but outstripping all others in intemperate chauvinism). The poem's early politicisation continues to affect scholarship to the present day.

SELIM, 2020

This paper traces both the scholarly and popular reception of the Old English epic Beowulf from the publication of the first edition of the poem in 1815 to the most recent English novel based on it from 2019. Once the work was first made available to the scholarly community, numerous editions in various languages began to appear, the most recent being in English from 2008; once editions were published, Old English scholars around the world could translate the text into their native languages beginning with Danish in 1820. Translations, in their turn, made the poem available to a general audience, which responded to the poem through an array of media: music, art, poetry, prose fiction, plays, film, television, video games, comic books, and graphic novels. The enduring, widespread appeal of the poem remains great and universal.

Pacific Coast Philology, 1982: 16-23, 1982

Beowulf is the most widely appreciated Anglo-Saxon epic story. It is an unquestionable fact that the Geats and Danes in Beowulf are actually pagans and many got converted into Christianity. It is during 678 – 79, that missionary activity accidentally began when Wilfred landed in Frisia. It is he who preached gospel to heathens. It is believed that the date of Beowulf is between 975 and 1025. It is obvious that there cannot be a great turn in religion in few centuries between the two periods. It is therefore one can find the ideas and elements of both Paganism and Christianity, being blended in Beowulf. But then, it is Christianity that dominates the workmanship of the author of Beowulf. It is proved from looking at the text from numerical perspective and compares it with the Bible.

Beowulf in Contemporary Culture, 2020

Beowulf in Contemporary Culture (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press, 2020)

This essay examines three juvenile adaptations of Beowulf first published between 1898 and 1908 – A. J. Church’s Heroes of Chivalry and Romance, Thomas Cartwright’s Brave Beowulf, and H. E. Marshall’s Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children. It argues that the heroic and nationalistic ideology of these early versions is anchored in their material aspect. Indeed, publishers capitalized on the aura of the Middle Ages by selling editions with golden titles, decorated initials and reproductions of medieval drawings. The medievalizing aspect of these children’s books offered a suitable format for a tale presented as the founding text in English literature. Copyright © 2013 Children's Literature Association

Beowulf I [translated by] Seamus Heaney.-1st ed. p. cm. Text in English and Old English.

Literary Druid

This article explores "Beowulf" as an epic, delving into its prominent characteristics, including its heroic protagonist, the portrayal of larger-than-life conflicts, and its enduring legacy. The work draws upon scholarly analysis and critical interpretations to examine the significance of Beowulf within the context of epic literature. Through an in-depth exploration of Beowulf's plot, themes, and characters, this article demonstrates the epic qualities that have secured its place in the literary canon. The article focuses on analyzing the renowned Old English epic poem, "Beowulf". It explores the themes of heroism, valour, and the lasting impact of one's deeds. Through a detailed examination of the narrative structure, character development, and historical context, this article seeks to shed light on the significance and enduring popularity of "Beowulf" as a legendary tale. Moreover, the theme of valour depicted throughout "Beowulf" emphasizes the importance of honour, loyalty, and bravery. Whether it is Beowulf's renowned fighting skills or his loyal followers' unwavering support, the poem teaches us that valour is a quality that drives individuals to display immense courage and character when faced with adversity. This virtue resonates with readers, as it exemplifies the timeless values of courage and personal sacrifice that continue to hold relevance in modern society. "Beowulf" remains a timeless epic tale that embodies the ideals of heroism, valour, and the enduring legacy left by great warriors. The poem's narrative structure, with its battles against mythical creatures and exploration of human strength and weaknesses, captures the essence of heroism. Beowulf's unwavering bravery, his willingness to sacrifice for his people, and his triumph over evil serve as an inspiration to the people even centuries after its conception.

Literature Compass, 2007

This overview of late twentieth-and early twenty-first-century literary criticism charts the kinds of ongoing approaches diverse readers bring to the Old English masterpiece-approaches likely to be mainstays into the near future. The post-structuralist Beowulf has many faces: there is the archaic Beowulf, containing a dramatized social world from an anthropologically remote time and place; the feminist Beowulf, where the center of contention is over the marginality or not of female figures; the psychological Beowulf, replete with one dynamic or another of the unconscious or of the projected, monstrous Other, which in turn yields a monster-studies Beowulf. We also have the oral-traditional Beowulf with its political and ethnogenetic implications, the moral Beowulf, the comical Beowulf, and finally the dragon-inhabited Beowulf. Dozens of studies have been organized to illuminate these categories, while the survey ends on suggestions that the poem may in fact be formed deeply according to some arithmetical or geometrical scheme. By far among Old English poems Beowulf attracts the largest number of philological, metrical, textual, and literary-critical studies in any given year. One can hardly survey objectively the wealth of intelligent, provocative commentary in any discrete number of years, let alone in years characterized by upheavals in scholarly commentary. The curious reader should consult the annual bibliography published in the Old English Newsletter (OEN), with the Beowulf section's recent reviewers including Roy M. Liuzza, Susan E. Deskis, and Craig R. Davis. Also one should consult the extensive bibliographies of Victorian, modern, and contemporary scholarship accompanying A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert E. Bjork and John D. Niles (1997), along with Andy Orchard's A Critical Companion to Beowulf (2003). My modest aim is this: a review of the literary-critical work I have found most influential in the past fifteen years or so, work likely to stimulate further study along the many lines reviewed below and thus become the key inspirers of Beowulf criticism into the near future. This review has two parts: an overview with brief mention of the work that seems most important, followed by more detailed accounts of numerous studies including many of those mentioned in the general overview. However, before proceeding further, I should note some recent publications in textual and metrical areas within my time constraints, as well as