Anglo-Saxon Period in literature
...LE” by King Alfred the Great (and his scholar). CHARACTERISTICS OF ANGLO – SAXON LITERATURE: 1) The lines do not rhyme. 2) The main stylistic device is alliteration. 3) There are four beats in each line and after the second beat there is a pause called ceasura. 4) The number of unaccented syllables differ, thus some lines are shorter and some are longer. It may be assumed that the scope probably hurried through long lines and sustained short ones. Famous Anglo – Saxon “RIDDLES” may be found in the Exeter Book and their authors used the device called prosopopeia. This means that the subject of the riddle is made to speak and presents his features. THE SEAFARER The man tells a story of his travels, he gives a very honest and realistic account of the hardships he suffered. He tells about cold, hunger and misery he experienced. The picture of the sea is rather bleak, the man concentrates on suffering rather than adventure. He concentrates on his loneliness, he complains that in his life there was no joy, only hard work. He spent hours in freezing cold and his only companions were waves and birds. People who live on the land and enjoy the life to the full, don’t realise how difficult and exhausting the life of sailors is. In the next part, the man remains his dreams about the life on the sea. When he was young, he was eager to try it, he wanted to experience thrills of life on the ship. He wasn’t interested in what the earth could offer him and he rejected the pleasures of the world. When he sets off, he suddenly feels free. In his words, we can find allusions to life on the earth which is just a short face before death and uniting with God and life in heaven. Heaven is decribed as “God’s great sea” and seems to be eternal. The wonderful poem of "The Seafarer" seems to be in two distinct parts. The first shows the hardships of ocean life; but stronger than hardships is the subtle call of the sea. The second part is an allegory, in which the troubles of the seaman are symbols of the troubles of this life, and the call of the ocean is the call in the soul to be up and away to its true home with God. Whether the last was added by some monk who saw the allegorical possibilities of the first part, or whether some sea-loving Christian scop wrote both, is uncertain. BEOWULF It was written about 7th or 8th century. The first manuscript comes from the 10th century and the first printed copy was made in 1805. The title was given i 1815. Some of the events and people presented are historical and some are legendary. In “Beowulf” typical things for germanic tribes are described: 1) they are warriors, couragious and loyal, 2) their leaders set an example for them, 3) they believe in faith, 4) they are ready to sacrafise their lives if necessary, 5) they love to feast and entertain, 6) the lords are hospitable for their guests. Essentially “Beowulf” praises earthly life, but there are christian elements in it: - act of creation, - Grendel is compared with Cain, - The sword is decorated with the scene from the Bible. Typical Anglo – Saxon customs can be: - Scyld’s funeral – sent to the sea with his armour and treasure, - Beowulf’s funeral – burnt on the pyre with his armour and treasure, - Feasts. Style: - the poetic vocabulary of “Beowulf” is remarkable for a large number of words with the same or similar meaning: warrior – thane, kinsman, - there are many compound words: iron – hard, fire – hard (sword); ring – bestower (king); wave – skimmer (ship), - most characteristic and important are elaborate metaphors called kennings: Grendel (“men – devourer”), King (“ring – giver” or “ring – bestower”), sea (“swan road”), sword (“battle flasher”) PLOT Beowulf is a long poem with no break in its narrative. It is also a masterful poem that weaves superhuman, almost magical powers around its heroic protagonist, Beowulf. As the symbol of both strength and goodness, he does quite extraordinary feats, but always with a powerful sense of social responsibility and morality. Hrothgar, an old man and the King of the Danes, is anxious and worried. He has enjoyed many years of prosperity and joy, but the good times have come to a halt. Grendel, a gigantic bear-like monster, has attacked the King in his own hall and killed thirty of Hrothgar's thanes. Grendel's attack came out of jealousy and without warning; and he continues to inflict violence on the Danish world. It is rumored that Grendel is a descendant of Cain, a character from the Old Testament who committed the first murder by killing his own brother out of jealousy. Beowulf, the nephew of King Hygelac of Geatland, is known as a great and brave man. He earned his reputation by swimming for seven days on the open sea and by using a sword to fight off sharks. When he hears about the attacks of the bloodthirsty Grendel, he sets sail for Danish shores in order to help Hrothgar master the monster. Beowulf plans to use his famous handgrip, which supposedly has the strength of thirty men, to conquer Grendel. When the King and Queen retire for the night, Beowulf lies down and falls asleep. Grendel barges in, snatches one of Beowulf's thanes, and tears him apart. The monster then turns on Beowulf, starting a...