c
is an Old English heroic epic poem of unknown authorship, dating as recorded in the Nowell
Codex manuscript from between the 8th[1][2] and the early 11th century,[3] set in Denmark and
Sweden. Commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature,
c has been the subject of much scholarly study, theory, speculation, discourse, and, at
3182 lines, has been noted for its length.
In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, battles three antagonists: Grendel, who has been
attacking the resident warriors of a mead hall called Heorot in Denmark; Grendel's mother; and
an unnamed dragon. The last battle takes place later in life, after returning to Geatland (modern
southern Sweden), where Beowulf has become king. In the final battle, Beowulf is fatally
wounded. After his death his retainers bury him in a tumulus in Geatland.
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The main protagonist, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the
Danes, whose great hall, Heorot, is plagued by the monster Grendel. Beowulf kills both Grendel
and Grendel's mother, the latter with a magical sword.
Later in his life, Beowulf is himself king of the Geats, and finds his realm terrorized by a dragon
whose treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a burial mound. He attacks the dragon with the
help of his @ , but they do not succeed. Beowulf decides to follow the dragon into its lair, at
Earnanæs, but only his young Swedish relative Wiglaf dares join him. Beowulf finally slays the
dragon, but is mortally wounded. He is buried in a tumulus by the sea.
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Beowulf is considered an epic poem in that the main character is a hero who travels great
distances to prove his strength at impossible odds against supernatural demons and beasts. The
poet who composed Beowulf, while objective in telling the tale, nonetheless utilizes a certain
style to maintain excitement and adventure within the story. An elaborate history of characters
and their lineages are spoken of, as well as their interactions with each other, debts owed and
repaid, and deeds of valor.
An Old English poem such as c is very different from modern poetry. Anglo-Saxon poets
typically used alliterative verse, a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal structuring
device to unify lines of poetry, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. This is a technique in
which the first half of the line (the a-verse) is linked to the second half (the b-verse) through
similarity in initial sound. In addition, the two halves are divided by a caesura: "Oft =
yld
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efing \\
eaþena þreatum"
The poet has a choice of epithets or formulae to use in order to fulfill the alliteration. When
speaking or reading Old English poetry, it is important to remember for alliterative purposes that
many of the letters are not pronounced the same way as they are in modern English. The letter
"h", for example, is always pronounced (Hroðgar: HROTH-gar), and the digraph "cg" is
pronounced like "dj", as in the word "edge". Both f and s vary in pronunciation depending on
their phonetic environment. Between vowels or voiced consonants, they are voiced, sounding
like modern v and z, respectively. Otherwise they are unvoiced, like modern f in "fat" and s in
"sat". Some letters which are no longer found in modern English, such as thorn, þ, and eth, ð ²
representing both pronunciations of modern English "th", as in "cloth" and "clothe" ² are used
extensively both in the original manuscript and in modern English editions. The voicing of these
characters echoes that of f and s. Both are voiced (as in "clothe") between other voiced sounds:
oðer, laþleas, suþern. Otherwise they are unvoiced (as in "cloth"): þunor, suð, soþfæst.
Kennings are also a significant technique in c They are evocative poetic descriptions of
everyday things, often created to fill the alliterative requirements of the metre. For example, a
poet might call the sea the "swan-road" or the "whale-road"; a king might be called a "ring-
giver." There are many kennings in c , and the device is typical of much of classic poetry
in Old English, which is heavily formulaic. The poem also makes extensive use of elided
metaphors
J.R.R. Tolkien argued that the poem is an elegy.
