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LECTURE 6
OLD ENGLISH POETRY
HISTORICAL EPIC POEMS
English epic poems began with Beowulf. An epic poem is a lengthy, narrative work of poetry. Epic poetry tells a dramatic story in a poem. There are characters in the story. It is usually long and takes place in different settings. Epic poem started in pre-historic times of oral tradition. Beowulf is a typical example, written in Old English.
BEOWULF
Beowulf is the most important work in Old English literature. It is the oldest surviving German epic and the longest Old English poem. It is about three thousand lines long and the story includes three battles. This epic poem was likely composed between 700 and 750, in Anglo-Saxon language. It is a literary masterpiece.
Themes in Beowulf are:
Heroic Code
Good vs. Evil
Loyalty
Death and Defeat
Hospitality
The poem falls into two parts. The poem relates Beowulf’s heroic exploits over 50 years, including the fights with Grendel and his mother and with treasure-guarding dragon. It opens in Denmark, where King Hrothgar’s splendid hall, Heorot, has been ruined for 12 years by monster, Grendel. This monster carries Hrothgar’s warriors and devours them. Unexpectedly, young Beowulf, a prince of the Geats of southern Sweden, arrives with a small band of men and offers to cleanse Heorot of its monster. At first, Hrothgar is surprised then he lets Beowulf to fight with monster.
At night Beowulf kills Grendel and soon his mother came to revenge her son’s death. Beowulf beheaded her, too.
After this victory, Beowulf returns home as a king of Geats. Hrothgar sends him to his country as a king. After these fights Beowulf becomes a mighty and generous king of Geats for 50 years.
Finally, he had to fight a massive dragon to protect his people. He and dragon both die in the struggle, but he is heroic until the end.

LECTURE 7
OLD ENGLISH POEM “THE BATTLE OF MALDON”
The battle of Maldon took place on 11 August 991 A.D. near Maldon beside River Blackwater in Essex, England. Earl Byrhtnoth led Anglo-Saxons against Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat.
“The Battle of Maldon” is the name of a survived 325-line fragment of Old English poetry. It describes a historical fight between East Saxons and Viking raiders. It is incomplete. Its beginning and ending both lost. The poem is remarkable for its vivid, dramatic combat scenes and for its expression of the Germanic feature of loyalty to a leader.
The poem begins with Byrhtnoth ordering his men to stand and hold their weapons. The Viking sailed up to a small island in the river. At low tide, the river leaves a land bridge from this island to the shore. Olaf addresses the Saxons, promising to sail away if he was paid with gold and armour from the lord. Byrhtnoth replied, “We will pay you with spear tips and sword blades.”
When the Vikings cannot advance because of their poor position, Byrtnoth allows them safe conduct across the stream, and the battle follows. In spite of Byrhtnoth’s supreme feats of courage, he is finally slain. In panic some of the English warrior desert. The names of deserters are carefully recorded in the poem.
The Viking overcame the Saxons after losing many men, killing Byrhtnoth. After the battle his body was found with the head missing, but his gold-hilted sword was still with his body. The 325- line fragment ends with the speech of the old warrior.