English 202
Kent-Drury

Lecture 3. Notes on Reading Beowulf

You may have read Beowulf in some form in high school, but it was probably an abridged version; many publishers and editors change the way the story is actually told to fit into our ideas about how narrative works--as essentially a linear narration of actions. Usually, such translations focus only on the exciting parts, and not the parts that really teach us the most of about what people thought at the time. If you read such an abridgement, it probably only included the three main battles Beowulf fights:

1. Beowulf versus Grendel
2. Beowulf versus Grendel's mother
3. Beowulf versus the dragon

But listeners and readers of Beowulf also had different expectations and ideas about the world than we do, and some of the most fascinating parts are . Here are some hints to help you get through Beowulf:

Medieval people viewed stories and history as cyclical, rather than causal and linear. For instance, when we watch the news, read a story, or consult a history, we expect a series of events arranged in a particular order so that we can figure out what happened and why it happened. Medieval people saw stories more as collections of examples that sometimes seem to modern readers as if they are all happening in the same temporal frame--or the same space and time--rather than spread out in a chronology. Consequently, in "Beowulf," similar stories are repeated over and over again with slight variations which tell us a great deal about values and ethics at the time. For instance, we hear several stories about kings, queens, marriages, battles, heroes, loyalty, leadership, etc.Hygd is described as a good queen--she lets the warriors admire her beauty and brings them mead (honey wine) in the hall. But Thryth (or Modthryth in some translations) is a bad queen because, when men look at her, she just has them killed (!!)

Instead of trying to read the story in terms of it's linear narration of events, try lining the stories in terms of the paradigms they present. When reading about a king, ask yourself, "What does this story tell me about what it takes to be a good king?" The same with other roles in Anglo-Saxon life: what does it take to be a good queen? leader? warrior? Who are good examples? Who are bad examples? Do the examples of good role models always show up in narratives with a happy ending? Does this bother us as modern readers? Why or why not?

The Beowulf poet tries to give his audience what it wants--a lot of artful variation. Consequently, the names of the characters keep changing. Beowulf is Beowulf, but he is also the son of Ecgtheow, the kinsman of Hygelac, etc. Of course, if you don't know who Ecgtheow and Hygelac are, you might not know it is actually Beowulf who is performing a particular action. Consequently--I suggest that you keep the map on p. 33 of your book and the family tree charts on page 35 handy as you read, just in case you need them. Also--consider constructing a character chart so that you can remember each character's various names.

View this British Museum exhibit of a Viking Burial discovered at Sutton Hoo to help you visualize some of what you are reading in Beowulf..

Review the definition of epic as a literary genre.

Instructor