Beowulf: fighting to be remembered
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Was Beowulf pagan or Christian? Was he a viking? What was his motivation?
This lecture introduces the historical and cultural context of the Old English poem Beowulf. Key themes are the syncretism of Anglo-Saxon Christianity and Old Norse paganism, the role of medieval women as "peace-weavers," poetic techniques such as kennings and understatement, the king-thane relationship in chiefdoms, "ubi sunt" laments for the impermanence of life, and the double-meaning of "dom" or "judgement" (both worldly and divine).
Just a note to say thank you for posting these videos. I'm currently reading Beowulf, so useful to learn some background and analysis. I'll be watching the rest of your course soon.
Great. Thank you.