Agnieszka Kuriata - Filologia angielska - Grupa II
HISTORIA LITERATURY ANGIELSKIEJ I AMERYKAŃSKIEJ
ELEMENTS OF ANGLO-SAXON CULTURE IN BEOWULF
The most important form of Anglo-Saxon culture was King Alfred. He was a great lover of literature, which started a big project of the Latin translation of the works of the local dialect, which makes them comprehensible to the public. The king also took part in the translation. He also owe the preservation of many Old English texts, including Beowulf. Anglo-Saxon used, of course, Old English, so work from that period must be translated into contemporary English. Their authors were Gentiles, believed in fate, and its literature passed on orally (not enrolled her). Christian monks in manuscripts accepted the scribes Old English literature, on the occasion of converting it and adding Christian morals. This gave a fascinating, sometimes even grotesque clash of cultures and faiths. Old English Poetry described the deeds of ancient heroes, including the Germanic kings, acting in a certain pattern for the audience, giving a code of ethics. It was a cultural heritage, which they brought with them to the island and who was very close to them, so that effectively competed with Christian standards. Poets to explain to the listeners of this new, strange and totally different world of the Old and New Testaments, have adapted to the old heroic formula. First Christian poems glorify the heroic deeds of Moses, Christ or even God the Father as before was celebrated deeds of Beowulf, which had an incentive to follow the same path. Anglo-Saxon specialty, however, were purely epic poems like Beowulf, and descriptions of the battles.
The oldest of the great old poems written in English and only surviving Old English epic story of two Germanic tribes, the Danes and the Geats. A poet who composed Beowulf, he was a Christian, and we have a poem explicit references to the Old Testament, but on the other hand - there are no references to the New Testament, which after all is the basis of Christianity, are a strong remnants of the old pagan times. Christianity had not yet managed in that time to eradicate pagan tradition and it is the basis of emotional power of the song. In a society of warriors, the most important relationship was a relationship chief, the king with his entourage (Thanes). This relationship was based on mutual trust and respect - Thanes fought alongside the king, and he too is lavished their booty and took care of them. This giving booty was important not only material, but primarily spiritual. Important were also family ties, in particular wergild, or "man-price". When someone in your family has been killed, your duty was to kill the offender, or to enforce payment on it, or just wergild. This led, of course, the endless bloodshed and continuous eruption of one another, Which tried - with little success - to prevent married couples. Characters in Beowulf are embroiled in a huge network of mutual debts which you can not escape. Death, fast and brutal, could come at any time and each side is inevitable.
Deals with a great hero , a legendary , mythical , or historical character . Glorifies it . Background - historical . It shows the hero in the world - the manners and customs. It has two functions: toying Uptown but epic poems were not written for the peasants and slaves and zoom in history. Have the function of history book, a chronicle. Books of the tribes can say. Facts and legends were treated in the same way, were just as real. The narrator tells the story of the past, in retrospect. The clear element of nostalgia for the golden age. The past is glorified. A special, dignified, elaborate language, full of metaphor, complex syntax and pathos. Panoramic treatment of a society - a mine of knowledge about old times. It must entertain the viewer, must be colorful, full of interesting events and must be administered in an interesting way. A lot of descriptions, details - serve retardation, which raises curiosity. At the beginning should be invocation, but in Beowulf it is not. Invocation was a request for inspiration - the poet adresses supernatural powers. In Beowulf we have instead of a prologue - genealogy Danes. Such pre-history to the history shown in the poem. As can be seen, there is no unity of action or time, or place, and normally it is.