Sword vs. War-Blade: Which is More Fun?

Beowulf is an epic hero’s story that tells the grand adventures of this manly man, who according to Hollywood looks like the guy below.

Beowulf the Manly Anglo-Saxon

However, you must remember that Beowulf is also a poem; thus it uses such common poetic devices as:

Personification: “The hall towered / high and horn-gabled—it awaited hostile fires, / the surges of war” (81-83). Obviously, the tower was not waiting for wars so that it could prove that it could still stand, towers do not have feelings. 

Allusion: “the Creator had condemned him [Grendel] / among Cain’s race—when he killed Abel / the eternal Lord avenged his death"     (106-108). There are consistent references throughout Beowulf to either Christian or Pagan gods, which makes sense because of how heavily people of this time relied on their religion to understand the world around them. 

There is one poetic device that is not as common as the devices printed above—kennings. When reading, did you happened to notice how two words, that often had nothing to do with each other, were combined together with a hyphen? Those hyphenated words are called kennings. Now I must give credit where credit is due, I did not know that these were called kennings. It was not until after I consulted Dr. MB, that I found out that these hyphenated words are actually a poetic device that is a trademark of Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry. 

I noticed these kennings throughout the book, but there was phrase that really stuck out to me and made me wonder if these hyphenated phrases meant something more to the text. When the coast-warden is asking Beowulf who is he and where he comes from, before Beowulf speaks the narrator describes his preparation for speaking in a peculiar way: “The eldest one [Beowulf] answered him, / leader of the troop, unlocking his word-hoard;” (268-269). The image of this great and strong warrior as he prepares to speak by unlocking his “word-hoard” is an alarming but also a thrilling image. 

There are two characteristics of a Kenning according to literarydevices.net:

1. They describe an object in detail

2.  They create a relationship between the subject and the object in an abstract but concise way

The use of the kennings is not to make you feel that you have to solve a bunch of little riddles to understand what the writer is actually trying to say. Their use is to bring you closer into the story and to create a richer world for you to explore along with the hero of the tale. Kennings bring a more eloquently written and vibrant meaning to seemingly boring words. Consider this; would you prefer to pick up a sword or a war-blade? I personally would be more excited about the war-blade. 

Beowulf: Why Say It In One Word When You Can Say It In Twenty?

I'll be honest. I've never read Beowulf before, and I never had a desire to do so. All I ever heard about was how boring it was and how it took forever to read. I was not exactly looking forward to tackling this piece of literature. When I sat down to read, I imagined it would be like hiking up a mountain. In the rain. With a backpack full of bricks. But I digress.

I found instead the writing style made the poem much more fun to read aloud. Please note that I wrote read aloud. I knew that the only way I would be able to focus on this poem and keep my brain involved was if I engaged my ears as well. Sure enough, it worked. I could visualize the action going on around me. I began to have fun with the poem. I changed my voice, tone, and facial expressions to match the characters and scenes that I was reading. Suddenly, I wasn't just reading the poem. I was in it.

One of my favorite parts of this poem so far is when Beowulf and his troop march up to the hall and are met by a soldier who says, "'From whence do you carry those covered shields,/gray coats of mail and grim helmets,/this troop of spears? I am herald and servant/to Hrothgar; never have I seen/ so many foreign men so fearless and bold./ For pride, I expect, and not for exile,/and for greatness of heart you have sought for Hrothgar'" (333-339).

It would have taken him a lot less time to say, "Who the heck are you?"

Of course, if everybody got straight to the point in this poem, it would be a lot shorter. It would be way easier. However, I don't think that's the point of this poem, because it's not meant to be read quietly to yourself. It's meant to be performed. The audience or reader is supposed to be actively participating in the poem. Reading it is just plain boring.

Some of the action sequences or dialogue of this story remind me of a kid telling me a story. They tell it in such a way that makes me want to scream, "Get to the point!" They make sure I get every detail whether I want it or not. The action sequences feel like a slow motion movie shot where I see every single miniscule detail.

The person reading this poem only has their voice to help the audience visualize exactly what happens in every single scene. These sequences are described in a way that makes sure you know what happens at every precise second. This can't have been easy to pull off.

In the last few lines of our assigned portion of Beowulf, Grendel is supposedly defeated. I highly doubt this. There's a lot more of the poem we get to read. Maybe I'll tire of the slow motion stories. For right now, I'll enjoy my hike up the mountain.

Welcome!

Welcome to our course blog! 

 This semester, we'll be reading some of the "greatest hits" of British Literature and learning about the ways that literature both shapes and is shaped by the culture that produces and enjoys it. It will be a great journey, and I look forward to sharing it with you all!

The Three Estates, from British Library MS Sloane 2435, f. 85. Image from http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/topic_1/illustrations/imestates.htm