Chapter IThe Anglo-Saxon Period(449-1066) Historical BackgroundCelts (Britons) 不列颠人Roman Conquest 罗马人征服(55BC--78AD--410AD)English Conquest 英国人征服(5th cn-7th cn: a band of Teutons: Angles, Saxons, JutesAnglo-Saxon Period)Danish Conquest 丹麦人征服(8th--11th: Vikings)Historical BackgroundLiterary BackgroundCeltic language 凯尔特语Latin(Christianity: Roman civilization)Anglo-Saxon/Saxon盎格鲁-撒克逊语Old EnglishKing Alfred the Great Literature: two divisions1. Pagan: poetryAnglo-Saxons' poetry in the form of oral sagas2. Christian:under teaching of the monksCaedmon: 凯德蒙 latter half of the 7th cn.Cynewulf: 基涅武甫religious subjects Representative worksWidsith/The Traveller's Song 《远行客》The Seafarer 《航海者》Beowulf《贝奥武甫》 I. General Introduction I. General Introduction §A. importance 1. England’s national epic 2. the greatest of Germanic epics in the English language 3.the oldest surviving epic in English literature 4. a fabulous starting point of English literature Epic: a long narrative poem about the deeds of one or more heroes or a nation's past history, usu. in a grand ceremonious style. Most epics deal with the exploits of a single individual and also interlace the main narrative with myths, legends, folk tales and past events. e.g.: Homer's Illiad & Odyssey 《伊利亚特》《奥德赛》 Vigil's Aeneid 《埃涅阿斯纪》 John Milton's Paradise Lost 《失乐园》 Epic 史诗(in verse) Primitive epic/folk epic(of oral tradition, not written down)e.g. Homer's Illiad, Odyssey Beowulf The Song of Roland 《罗兰之歌》Literary epic/ art epic(is composed with pen and ink)e.g. Vigil's Aeneid John Milton's Paradise Lost Epic 史诗(in prose) Monk epic: 滑稽史诗 funny use of the elaborate conventions of epice.g: Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock 《卷发遇劫记》e.g.: Tolstoy's War and Peace James Joyce's Ulysses Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath •B. the writer originating from the collective efforts of oral literature and then written by an unknown the scribe•C. the time written：：at the beginning of 10th century•D. the time discovered not discovered until 1705 (the only existing manuscript) •E. the event it was about and the time composed much earlier reflected events about the beginning of 6th century when the forefathers of the Jutes lived in the southern part of the Scandinavian peninsula F. language：： Old English G. about who hero: Beowulf, one of the national heroes of the English people / a great Scandinavian warrior of the 6th century H. the subject matter the whole song is essentially pagan in spirit and subject matter I. the contents A. It is about the deeds / adventures of the Teutonic hero Beowulf B. 3182 lines C. 2 parts (pagan) + an interpolation (clearly made by the Christian copier) between the two II. Subject MatterII. Subject Matter•2 parts: A. prologue: the earlier history of the Danes B. Part I: the fight against Grendel and then Grendel’s mother Part II, the fight against the Dragon III. The Story of Beowulf III. The Story of Beowulf A brief introduction•Hrothgar, king of the Danes •Heorot, the great hall, feast, annoys Grendel•Grendel, a half-human monster, from the moors•mingles 30 warriors, 12 years, no one dares to enter the hall•Beowulf, a young man, nephew of Hygelac, king of the Geats, a people in Jutland, Denmark, + 14 companions •a feast of welcome, lie in the hall for the night •Grendel comes, seizes and devours one of Beowulf’s men, then attacks Beowulf•Beowulf, no sword, grapple single-handed•earthquake, strength of 30 people, tears off one arm and one shoulder•Grendel, mortally wounded, rushes out •feast in the hall, Beowulf goes to the palace •the next night, the mother of Grendel, avenges, takes the dearest friend of Hrothgar•Beuwolf follows the bloody trail, plunges into the water for a day, finds the she-monster, fights, cuts off the head of hers, finds the body of Grendel, cuts off its head, returns, feast, sails home, becomes king •50 years later, subjects stole treasure from a cavern, firedrake, guard for 300 years•the firedrake enraged, fire•with Wiglaf, slew the firedrake, mortally wounded, happy to see the treasure for his people •died, bonfire and was cremated, ashes with the treasure, tremendous mound, beacon, to serve his people after death IV. Artistic Features of Beowulf IV. Artistic Features of Beowulf Beowulf represents the highest achievement of the Old English.•The most striking / distinct feature in its poetical form is the extensive use of alliteration. In alliterative verse, certain accented words in a line begin with the same consonant sound. There are generally 4 accents in a line, three of which show alliteration Beowulf represents the highest achievement of the Old English.•The most striking / distinct feature in its poetical form is the extensive use of alliteration. In alliterative verse, certain accented words in a line begin with the same consonant sound. There are generally 4 accents in a line, three of which show alliteration•Thus made their mourning the men of Geatland,•For their hero’s passing, his hearth-companions •Another feature of Beowulf is the use of elided metaphors / kenning. “Ring-giver” is used for king, “hearth-companions” for his attendant warriors, “swan’s bath” or “whale’s road” for sea, “sea-wood” for ship; such metaphors occur in great numbers •A further stylistic device which should be noted is the use of repetition and variation. The same idea is expressed more than once by the use of different words which are more or less synonyms. •Understatement can also be found to give an impression of reserve and at times a tinge of ironical humor, which is often regarded as a characteristic of the English language. Such phrases as “not troublesome” for “welcome”, “need not praise” for “a right to condemn” are examples of understatements. V. Spiritual qualities reflected V. Spiritual qualities reflected •Like Homer’s poetry, Beowulf sings of the exciting adventures of a great legendary hero whose physical strength demonstrates his high spiritual qualities, i.e. his resolution to serve his country and kinsfolk, his true courage, courteous conduct, and his love of honor. In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, and selfless, ready to risk his life in order to rid his people of evil monster. 。