- Tristia had moved from her home country, Dardanian Troy, when it was attacked by the Grecian Army
- Now in Pontus, the days go by slow
- She despises the common theme of death races
- Feels like a barbarian not being able to communicate with people of the new land, they think its shameful to live without plundering men
- She communicates by making signs
- She was exiled from Rome
- "Injured the power of Caesar the god," was sent to assimilate with the Scythian race as a punishment
- She believes she should've been exiled but not to that city
Far Corners of Earth by Tu Fu
- Describes a shift of clouds over the Chiang-han mountains where there's loss and confusion
From Beowulf
- Anglo-Saxons/Britain embodied the traditions that shaped their world in one towering figure, Beowulf (sword-wielding slayer of monsters)
- Takes place in Scandinavia, told in Old English
- Beowulf seeks to help Danish king Hrothgar in fighting Grendel the swampland monster (1st of 3 moral battles)
- Traveling minstrels called scops captivated audiences w/long narrative poems that changed and grew from scop to scop
- Written down in 11th century
- Main Themes: Bravery, loyalty, heroism
- The Electronic Beowulf Project revived the burnt original manuscripts
The Epic
- Long, narrative poem that celebrates the deeds of a legendary figure
- Hero battles forces that threaten the order of his world
- Story told in serious manner
Legendary Hero
- larger than life character whose accomplishments are celebrated in traditional tales
Vocabulary
- Reparation: something making up for a wrong or injury
- Solace: comfort
- Purge: purify
- Writhing: making twisting or turning motions
- Massive: big and solid
- Loathsome: disgusting
Beowulf
- When created, England was changing from a pagan to Christianity
- Pagan Anglo-Saxons told tales rued by fate where people struggled against monsters in regards to their place in the world
- Christian converts taught that human choices between good & evil were at the center of creation
- Beowulf interprets both the Christian and Pagan traditions
- Starts out during a celebration at Herot and outside is the murderous monster, Grendel
The Wrath of Grendel
- Grendel, the powerful monster grew upset with the constant music that played in the banquet hall of the Danish King Hrothgar that rejoiced in the beauty of Earth.
- Thousands of evil spirits formed from their murderous crimes due to God’s banishment of them by Cain’s responsibility for the death of Abel, who opposed God’s will.
- Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve; Cain killed his brother because he was envious of the attention Abel received from God.
- When all the warriors in the hall were done partying, Grendel went inside killed thirty men and took them back to his lair.
- In the morning the king mourned his companions that he lost, and knew it wouldn’t be the end of Grendel’s wrath.
- The only way the warriors could try to stay alive were if they escaped Grendel.
- For twelve winters Grendel’s defeat of the Danes ruled, killing many and most men.
- Grendel wouldn’t make peace or accept a truce or price
- Grendel continued to kill but wouldn’t touch King Hrothgar’s throne because it was protected by God, and the king’s council debated over remedies to get rid of Grendel.
- The King and council were conflicted by doing the Devils work by trying to get rid of Grendel and banishing him to hell, but trying to do right by God.
The Coming of Beowulf
- The death of the King’s son was extremely painful for the King and kingdom
- Higlac was the king of the Geats and Beowulf's feudal lord and uncle as well as a very strong man
- Higlac heard that Grendel violently forced and demanded a boat to be fitted out for him to go see Higlac
- Beowulf chose the mightiest, bravest, and best men of the Geats he could find to accompany him on his journey to Hrothgar (14 men total)
- He knew the sea would lead them straight to that distant, Danish shore
- They sailed their boat and arrived fully dressed in mail with the best armor and uninvited
- Hrothgar's lieutenant met them on the shore, demanding to know who they were and why they came unannounced
- He asked Beowulf to immediately explicate their reason for their visit before they take action against them
- Beowulf explained who they were and that they were there to hunt Grendel and protect the people and their King from the monster
- The mounted officer believed their words and that he and his men would guard their ship and protect it, saying that any warriors who battle Grendel successfully should go home bearing their love
- Once Beowulf and his men arrived at Herot, they were called in to see the King
- Beowulf arose and went to meet Hrothgar with some of his men, ordering a few to remain behind with their weapons
- Beowulf and his men arrive at Herot and are called to see the King
- Beowulf ordered some of his men to stay with their weapons, while he took others and himself "into Hrothgar's Presence"
- Beowulf describes himself to the kind to make him seem more favorable, by saying things like "They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me ride form the darkest of war, Dripping with my enemies' blood."
- Beowulf over does it on the compliments to the king then asks for the kings permission to "purge all evil from this hall" (including Grendal, who Beowulf is willing to go into great battle against) Beowulf is willing to die for his cause and exaggeratedly says so.
The Battle with Grendel
- Grendal came from the marsh and journeyed to Herot and was met harshly with Herot being so firmly defended.
- Grendal stormed through the doors quickly, saw the young and sleepy soldiers lining the halls, grabbed one and killed him, snapping shit and drinking the blood.
- Grendal clutched Beowulf but was suprised by his strength and attack. Grendal's first reaction was to run but Beowulf didn't let him go.
- Beowulf and Grendal battled violently. Herot shook and trembled, it was built to only come down in fire but the battle was a much great force
- He was the strongest man, Beowulf was going to kill the "monster"
- Beowulf's men woke up to Beowulf fighting Grendel and were ready to fight, if needed; they were courageous, but Grendel was pretty indestructible against them and he could easily beat them all
- But, he(Grendel) was now declining, dying, and had been defeated
- His shoulder bone broke, a sign of the battle being over
- Beowulf won "glory, Grendel escaped" to his den though, to die a slow and miserable death
- Beowulf was very prod, the Danes were happy and his accomplishments were listed; he ended - Hrothgar's people's problems
- Beowulf hung Grendel's "arm, claw, shoulder and all" on the rafters; it was basically a trophy of the victory and proof of the win
The Monsters' Lair (there was a celebration of Beowulf's victory, but Grendel's mother kills Hrothgar's best friend and takes Grendel's claw, Beowulf hears from the king about the underwater lair)
- The king is talking the whole time
- Peasants in fields saw female and male creatures and told the king's wise men
- Grendel they named the man one, no one knows if there were any before them or any other creatures like them
- The creatures lived in a secret wolf den with rocks and a waterfall to an underground lake (my visual interpretation of the text) It's very dark, roots hanging from the top, no one knows how deep
- The king wants Beowulf to kill the mother, Beowulf is his only help and hope of "being saved", he will reward him with gold and treasure for winning
The Battle with Grendel's Mother (Beowulf decides to kill her and goes to the lake)
(Beowulf is speaking to the men)
- To Hrothgar, if he(Beowulf) should die during battle, he wants Hrothgar to be "Father and protector" of his comrades.
- He wants Higlac to have the things Hrothgar gave him. To Unferth, who questioned his bravery before the Grendel battle, he leaves his "famous old sword" <symbolic value
- He jumped into the lake without others responding, sank for "hours" before reaching the bottom
- Grendel's mother saw him, her "welcome" was trying to kill him, but his armor was too strong to penetrate
- She carried him to her home, he couldn't get out his weapon
- The fight brought other monsters swimming to see
- She brought him into her home which nothing could attack them in
- He attacked her but realized he couldn't hurt her
- They continue to fight, and she draws a blade on him, her only son, but she hit his armor and he was unharmed
- He then struck her across the neck and rejoiced at her death
- He then picked up his sword and went to find Grendel but found him dead
- Beowulf then left taking nothing but Grendels head and the jeweled sword
- The Geats rejoiced when Beowulf returned
- They then gifted the Danes with Grendel's head
The Last Battle
- Beowulf honored by Hrothgar; he becomes king and rules Greatland for 50 years
- Dragon comes into kingdom when Beowulf is an old man, he decided to slay the beast
before battle, tells his men about the royal house
- Wanted to fight without any armor, then realizes the dragon breathes fire
- Believes he's the only man who can do it
- Wants to claim dragon's riches
- Dragon attacked with breathe first
- His armor held up, then started to melt
- First time in life, he fought with fate against him
- His sword broke in two, but got a stab into the dragon
- Beowulf fell back, dragon attacked, breathed fire at him, he suffered
- Once king, now a beaten warrior, all other men fleed without helping him, only man that stayed was Wiglaf, Wexstan's son
- Onela got armor from the king. - Wexstan kept the shining gifts for his son but was killed. - His heir, Wiglaf, inherited the treasures. He went into war with Beowulf and was strong and courageous. - Wiglaf brought the soldiers together, telling them Beowulf had given them the swords, it is time to defend with them. It is better for them to suffer than to cause agony to the king. He yelled encouragement and went into the dragons deadly flames. - Wiglaf and Beowulf kill the dragon. The Beowulf is wounded and is dying. He asks Wiglaf to retrieve the treasure the dragon was protecting. The Spoils- Wiglaf goes into the cave. Finds lots of gold and sparkling things. He grabs as much as he can and takes it to the dying king. - Beowulf says he gave his life for this treasure, use it to help and lead his people. - He said he wanted to be burned high at the waters edge so sailors could see this tower and call it Beowulf's tower. He gave all he had to Wiglaf and said their family had been swept away as warriors and now he was following them. Then he died. - Wiglaf is mad at those who deserted Beowulf- The Geats burn his body. The Farewell- The Geats built the tall and strong tower Beowulf requested, his ashes sealed inside. All the treasure was left at his grave deep in the ground. - Twelve men road around the tower telling of their stories and sadness and of his greatness. They said there was not other king worthy of such praise.
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