• This is the earliest example of poetry written in Anglo-Saxon or Old English. It was apparently composed somewhere between the 7th and 8th centuries, although the only available manuscript dates from de 1100's.

• Lots of studies have been conducted and there is a great deal of controversy still, especially considering that the only manuscript was damaged in a fire in the year 1731.

• Beowulf is an epic poem, and tells the story of Beowulf, a Geat warrior who is summoned by Hrothgar, the Danish king, to fight against Grendel, a monster who is terrorizing his kingdom.

• Beowulf, in single combat, manages to cut off Grendel's arm. The monster later dies, but his mother comes back to seek revenge. Beowulf fights her and kills her in an underwater fight.

• The poem then tells how Beowulf became king of his people and how later in his life he fought a fire-breathing dragon.

• The ageing hero manages to kill the beast but loses his life. The last part of the poem deals with the mourning and the funeral rites of the great hero.

• Beowulf has many interesting characteristics as a literary work:

• Firstly, it is one good example of the use of alliteration. In fact, alliteration is one marked characteristic of Anglo-Saxon poetry.

• Secondly, the way things are named is often very imaginative, with several combinations of names to describe one thing, so a boat is called a wave-floater, a sea-goer, a sea-boat or a sea-wood. This is a technique called “Kenning”.

• Thirdly, the poem gives a very interesting insight into the costumes and beliefs of the people who were very similar to the Anglo-Saxons.

Genesis A & B• These two poems are not translations of the

biblical books but a retelling of the story using older germanic poetic forms still popular with the Anglo-Saxons.

• For unknown reasons the works are interpolated, with Genesis B being "embedded" into Genesis A.

• Genesis A is longer and seems to have been written earlier than Genesis B.

Genesis A & B• Both Genesis A & B appear in the so-called Codex Junius

which was compiled towards the end of the 10th century.

• In the codex Junius we can also find the stories of "Exodus", "Daniel" and "Christ & Satan", all of them in Anglo-Saxon.

• It is also interesting to know that we do not have any indication about the author of the Genesis stories.

• However, it is very unlikely that works of such diverse style could have been composed by just one person.

Genesis A & B• In this passage of Genesis B, Satan voices his

revolt against God:• (ll. 277-291) "Why should I slave?" quoth he. "I

need not serve a master. My hands are strong to work full many a wonder. Power enough have I to rear a goodlier throne, a higher in the heavens. Why should I fawn for His favour, or yield Him such submission? I may be God as well as He!... I will not serve Him longer."

Genesis A & B• This is the original text written in Old English also

called Anglo-Saxon:• "Hwæt sceal ic winnan?" cwæð he. "Nis me wihtæ

þearf hearran to habbanne. Ic mæg mid handum swa fela wundra gewyrcean.Ic hæbbe geweald micel to gyrwanne godlecran stol, hearran on heofne.Hwy sceal ic æfter his hyldo ðeowian, bugan him swilces geongordomes?

• Ic mæg wesan god swa he. Ne wille ic leng his geongra wurþan."

Cynewulf

• Early 9th cent.? Old English religious poet.• of Northumbria or Mercia. Four poems have been

ascribed to him on the evidence of his signatures in runes in the text of each of these poems. The poems, all more explicitly didactic than any earlier works, are: Juliana, The Ascension, Elene, and The Fates of the Apostles. Other poems, formerly thought his, are now attributed to poets of the “Cynewulf school.”

Alfred "The Great"• Alfred "The Great" became king and the ruler of the

kigdom of Wessex in 871.• He is especially remembered for his tenacious defence of

Britain against the hordes of Danes (Vikings), whom he defeated in several battles.

• He is also known for his interest in promoting learning. He seemed to be convinced that in order to have a great nation the people needed to be educated. Thus, he encouraged translations of works from Latin into English, sometimes translating some himself.

• Apparently he is responsible for the compilation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, an important work of history written in Old English.

• Epic Poem: it is a poem of considerable length that tells of the adventures of a hero who has to undergo a series of ordeals to achieve greatness. Mio Cid, La Araucana, The Ring of The Nibelungs and Beowulf are some well known epic poems.

• Alliteration: It is the repetition of the initial consonant of a stressed syllable in two or more words of a line of poetry. E.g.:

to bid his henchmen a hall uprear,the master mead-house, mightier far