LITERATURE & CULTURE OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

2023-2024
Unit 1 – Epic poetry. Beowulf.
Beowulf in Old English
1 Hwæt. We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.Oft Scyld
Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
5 monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
Seamus Heaney’s Translation (slightly adapted)
So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who 1. Spear-Danes: the Danes armed with spears
ruled them had courage and greatness.
We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns.
There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes, 4. scourge: affliction, menace
a wrecker of mead-benches, rampaging among foes, this 5. wrecker: destroyer
5. mead-benches: the place where one would sit to drink
terror of the troops had come far.
mead (‘a wrecker of mead-benches’, a party animal)
An orphan to start with, he would flourish later on as 5. foes: enemies
his powers waxed and his worth was proved. 6. flourish: prosper
In the end each clan on the far-off coasts 7. waxed: increased

10 ofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban
gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning. ðæm
eafera wæs æfter cenned, geong in
geardum, þone god sende folce to
frofre; fyrenðearfe ongeat
beyond the whale-road had to yield to him and
begin to pay tribute. That was one good king.
Afterwards a boy-child was born to Shield, a cub
in the yard, a comfort sent
by God to that nation. He knew what they had suffered,
10. whale-road: road of the whales (the sea)
10. yield: surrender, obey
13. cub: young dog or wolf, puppy

15 þe hie ær drugon aldorlease lange
hwile. Him þæs liffrea, wuldres
wealdend, woroldare forgeaf; Beowulf
wæs breme blæd wide sprang, Scyldes
eafera Scedelandum in.
20 Swa sceal geong guma gode
gewyrcean, fromum feohgiftum on
fæder bearme, þæt hine on ylde eft
gewunigen wilgesiþas, þonne wig
cume, leode gelæsten; lofdædum sceal
25 in mægþa gehwære man geþeon.
LITERATURE & CULTURE OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
the long times and troubles they’d come through
without a leader; so the Lord of Life, the
glorious Almighty, made this man renowned.
Shield had fathered a famous son:
Beow’s name was known through the north.
And a young prince must be prudent like
that, giving freely while his father lives so
that afterwards in age when fighting starts
steadfast companions will stand beside him 23. steadfast: loyal
and hold the line. Behavior that’s admired
is the path to power among people everywhere.
2023-2024

Work in groups and answer the following questions:

1) According to the text, what would be Anglo-Saxon cultural values that one honorable person should follow?

2) Can you find references to Christianity in the text?

3) Epic poetry uses a dramatic & elaborated style. Where can you see this elevated tone in Beowulf?