Folk epic. Poem about Beowulf. Epics, legends and tales - beowulf

The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is famous for being the first work of English language. The poem was probably composed several centuries before it was first recorded by an Anglo-Saxon bard and poet whose name remains unknown. The manuscript dates back to the 8th-11th centuries, while the actions described in the poem take place in the 5th-7th centuries.

The article presents the plot of the poem "Beowulf", a summary of the chapters or main parts and brief analysis main topics.

Historical context of the poem

The poem "Beowulf" is considered originally English, but there are a number of circumstances that challenge this opinion. Despite the fact that the poem was written down by an Anglo-Saxon poet, the plot of the song was known among the people long before the 8th century.

Several centuries before the creation of the manuscript, the British Isles, inhabited at that time by the Celts, were captured by Scandinavian tribes, who brought with them, in addition to language and traditions, their folklore. It has been proven that the plot of the poem can be traced in Scandinavian oral folk art even before the first ones landed off the coast of England.

Literary form

It is believed that the song of Beowulf was written in poetic form, but it does not entirely correspond to the traditional canons of poetry. Like many others early works Middle Ages, Beowulf was composed in the form of a song or ballad and written so that it would be easier for singers to remember the huge number of terms (there are 3182 in the poem). "Beowulf" in summary and even when translated from Old English loses its specific sound.

The song form of the Middle Ages was based on couplets, but Beowulf is so early that it does not contain them. In fact, this is a text consisting of more than three thousand lines, not divided in any way and not interrupted by anything. To avoid confusion, singers composed songs using the technique of alliteration, where the phonetic system of repeating words is important. percussion sounds and pauses.

Alliteration is used in every line of Beowulf. Brief content with quotes in the original (on p. detailed descriptions correct reading will help you evaluate the scrupulous approach to composing a song. Voice modulation and reading tempo also play a particularly important role in the melody of lines.

The Song of Beowulf: summary and structure

As a song, Beowulf meets the demands of the average medieval feast. What did the public most want to hear? Of course, tales of valor, bravery and mighty battles in which all evil remains defeated.

The plot of the poem is based on the deeds of the glorious Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf. As befits an epic, Beowulf's song focuses on battles with mythical creatures gifted with superhuman strength. There are three such battles in the poem: the first two follow one after another, glorify the strength of the protagonist and, which is not typical for the genre, pay special attention to the character of the warrior, his behavior outside the battlefield.

The third, final battle tells about the heroic death of the hero in the name of the safety of his people. It is typical of Scandinavian literature, which is also replete with human victories over them. At the same time, in the description of the battle, the preparation for it and especially the conclusion, there are a number of themes that are absolutely not typical not only for the folklore of the Germanic tribes, but also for medieval epic in general, which adds uniqueness to the already one-of-a-kind poem “Beowulf”.

Brief analysis of the main topics

The first Anglo-Saxon epic includes elements not typical of the culture of the British Isles. The plot of the poem is absolutely Scandinavian, and this distinguishes the song of Beowulf from a number of Western European medieval epic poems.

Against the backdrop of the inexhaustible theme of the struggle between good and evil, where good always remains victorious, despite the cost of victory, the song about Beowulf reveals themes that are typical especially of Scandinavian folklore:

• The importance of treasures and gifts.
• A special focus that contains armor and weapons.
• A celebration of strength and form, not only of heroes but also of anti-heroes.
• A dual attitude towards neighboring peoples - a desire to help in trouble and a readiness to be attacked by them at the most inopportune moment.

Anglo-Saxon poem "Beowulf": plot summary

Like all medieval epics, the first Anglo-Saxon poem glorifies the strength, dexterity and heroism of warriors. The retelling of the plot of the poem can be divided into three main parts, coinciding with the three battles of the main character.

In order to simplify the retelling of the plot, the summary of Beowulf is most easily divided into five small parts:

• Introduction or exposition.
• Battle with Grendel.
• Battle with Grendel's mother.
• Fight with the dragon.
• Conclusion.

However, it is worth considering the song form of Beowulf. A summary of the verses divides it into large quantity parts due to their considerable volume.

Introduction and exposition. Part one

The introduction and introduction to the characters and the situation they are in takes up about 200 lines of the song. Like many other epics of the early European literature, the poem about Beowulf begins with a fairly detailed description of the situation. The summary of the first lines is as follows.

In the first couplets, the author introduces readers to the great kings of antiquity who ruled the glorious Danish people. In their place came the mighty King Hrothgar, under whose leadership the kingdom grew and prospered. Hrothgar built a huge hall for feasts and for many days in a row the Danish soldiers celebrated joyfully in it.

The noise and roar of fun attracted the attention of a cruel swamp monster named Grendel. First, the angry Grendel dragged away and devoured 300 glorious warriors, then began to come every night until the great hall fell silent and darkened, becoming more like a crypt than a festive hall.

Hrothgar bitterly regretted the lost warriors, but, knowing about the incredible power of the monster, he did not dare ask his subjects to fight Grendel.

Part two: meeting the main character

Rumors of the disasters that befell the Danish relatives reached King Hygelac, who ruled over the Gauts. The king's powerful nephew Beowulf volunteered to go on a voyage to help Hrothgar defeat the monster. Beowulf gathered a squad of fourteen warriors and set off.

Having sailed to the shores of Denmark, Beowulv and his comrades head to the court of Hrothgar. People encountered along the way are amazed by the strength and strength of the arriving warriors and hope for their help.

Most of the hundreds of lines introducing the reader to Beowulf are devoted to a description of the armor and weapons of the Gaut squad. The summary of Beowulf presented in the article does not pay attention to descriptive scenes, although it is worth noting that weapons receive special attention from the author throughout the song.

Battle with Grendel. Part one

Grendel is one of three powerful opponents whose battle forms the bulk of Beowulf. Due to the volume of lines, it is convenient to divide the content of the battle into two parts.

Beowulf, sailing to the aid of Hrothgar in his hour of need, gives hope to the Danes and awakens in them the spirit of joy. Hrothgar is familiar with the exploits of the mighty Gauth and at a feast in honor of the hero, he promises Beowulf, in case of victory, many expensive gifts and everything that the warrior asks for.

However, not all subjects of the Danish king are well disposed. The envious Unferth belittles Beowulf's strength and glory, predicting his death in a duel with a swamp monster. Beowulf, despite his youth and inexperience in diplomatic affairs, does not follow the lead of the obsessive Unferth and responds to the bully with dignity.

Part two: fight with the monster

The warriors finish the feast early and leave the Gautian squad in the large festive hall, waiting for Grendel. Beowulf goes to bed without armor or weapons, because he knows that the monster can only be defeated by equal strength and skill.

In the middle of the night, Grendel bursts into the hall and grabs one of the warriors. Having woken up, Beowulf immediately rushes at the enemy and firmly grabs his huge paw. The battle with Grendel is difficult and long, the monster is more massive and stronger than the warrior, but despite this, Beowulf never loosened his iron grip on Grendel’s paw. Already in the morning, the monster, tired from the fight, makes an awkward movement and Beowulf forcefully pulls his paw, which comes off the body with a crunch. Frightened, Grendel runs into his swamp, where he dies from his wound. The monster's hand remains in the hall and Beowulf gives it as a gift to Hrothgar.

Battle with Grendel's mother

After a glorious and difficult victory over Grendel, Beowulf receives well-deserved praise, rich gifts and the gratitude of Hrothgar and all the Danish warriors. Everyone sits down to feast and celebrate and does not expect the arrival of Grendel's furious mother, who bursts into the hall and grabs Hrothgar's closest friend and advisor. Being weaker and more cautious than her son, she immediately runs away to her swamp, dragging the victim with her.

The king is saddened and asks Beowulf to once again help the Danish kingdom. The glorious Gaut is ready to follow the monster into the swamp, but not before putting on his impenetrable heavy armor and taking with him an ancient sword that can cut through anything. In the event of his death, Beowulf asks Hrothgar to send gifts to Hygelac. Having gathered himself, the Gautian warrior follows the bloody trail to the swamp and dives into the depths.

Beowulf sinks to the bottom all day long, fighting swamp monsters. Thanks to the armor, the warrior reaches Grendel's house safe and sound. There, at the bottom of the swamp, an angry mother sits over the body of her son. She immediately attacks Beowulf, wrapping her scaly body around him and preventing him from striking freely. Those attacks that the warrior manages to make do not cause any harm to the monster. Remembering the mighty sword, Beowulf loosens his opponent's grip and delivers a single blow, instantly cutting off the monster's head.

Only a few days later Beowulf rises to the surface of the swamp, where his already desperate comrades and Hrothgar are waiting for him. Upon seeing the monster's severed head, the king praises Beowulf's strength and valor and thanks him for his service. At a feast in honor of the second victory, Hrothgar composes a song about the courage of the Gautian warrior and promises that his exploits will not be forgotten forever and ever.

Fight with the dragon. Part one

Heroes of medieval epics rarely manage to reach old age, especially for works based on where the main goal of a warrior is death in a glorious battle, guaranteeing the hero a place in Valhalla.

Having participated in many battles and increased his military glory, Beowulf is forced to take the throne of his uncle Hygelac. Under his rule, the land of the Gauts prospers and grows rich. Beowulf rules his kingdom for many years and protects the safety of his subjects. Now he is already old and feels that the end of his glorious life is near. All the seasoned warrior asks is to leave this world in battle and earn Valhalla.

Not far from the royal court, an unlucky passer-by found a treasure guarded by a sleeping dragon. Not knowing the consequences, he took only one small cup from a pile of jewelry, but the dragon, sensing the theft, awakened and began to attack neighboring settlements. The rumor about the winged serpent very soon reached Beowulf, who swore an oath to protect his subjects from any misfortune until his last days. The king orders himself to be bound with a heavy shield to protect himself from dragon flames and prepares for what he feels is the last battle of his life.

Part Two: Beowulf's Heroic Death

Taking that same ill-fated thief as his guide and equipping a small detachment, the king of the Gauts bravely goes towards his fate. On the way to the serpent's lair, the warriors encounter a fiery stream that is impossible to cross. Beowulf lures the dragon into battle with a loud cry.

Seeing a terrible fire-breathing snake, the warriors run away, leaving their king. Only the brave young Wiglaf remains by Beowulf's side. The old warrior strikes the dragon with his sword, but his strength is no longer the same, and the sword splits in half from the impenetrable scales of the snake. The dragon bites through Beowulf's neck and blood flows from the wound. Faithful Wiglaf, wanting to help his king, stabs the dragon in the stomach, burning his hand in the process.

Having collected last strength, the king thrusts a long dagger into the side of the serpent with such force that the monster falls dead. Beowulf was victorious again, but his wound was fatal. In his last moments, the king thanks the Gods for the liberated treasures and bequeaths to Wiglaf his throne and responsibility over the people.

Conclusion

The last will of the glorious Beowulf is to burn his body on the seashore and pour a huge mound over the ashes, which will be seen by sailors landing on the shores of the kingdom.

The cowardly warriors, drooping, return to the place where the king died, where the desperate Wiglaf is still trying to revive him. The young heir to the throne bitterly reprimands the squad for their cowardice and says that this weak-willed act will bring a lot of grief to the Gautian people now that Beowulf can no longer protect them. Wiglaf predicts wars with neighboring tribes, who were just waiting for the death of the Gautian king.

The people are saddened and depressed by the news of Beowulf's death. His body is burned on a ritual pyre, and the roar of the flames is drowned out by human cries. The mound over the king's body is built on a cliff that descends into the sea.

On the way from myth and heroic tale to its classical form, the medieval heroic epic went through many stages of development. The earliest of them, or archaic, is represented by mythological tales about the gods that developed in Scandinavia. This was followed by a transitional “heroic period,” when the ancient narratives about the cultural heroes-ancestors who defeated chaos and gave people culture were colored with “historicism.” At the next stage, the classical epic itself arose, based on an epic interpretation of real historical events, and then - extensive epics affected by the influence of courtly culture. The Anglo-Saxon poem "Beowulf" belongs to the monuments of the transitional period; the plot underlying it goes back to myth and fairy tale, but is interpreted in the spirit of "historical" legends about tribal leaders, feuds and civil strife that tore apart early medieval Europe.

Beowulf was first published in early XIX c., during the period when the romantics aroused interest in the Middle Ages. This monument of Anglo-Saxon literature has reached us in a single manuscript from the beginning of the 10th century. and has many signs written work, created by an educated cleric around the 8th century. However, there is no doubt that the surviving text is based on an older oral poem. It arose, perhaps, even before the migration of the Angles and Saxons from the continent to British Isles, which lasted from the middle of the 5th to the beginning of the 7th century, and for several centuries was performed and modified by squad singers - ospreys. Besides many stylistic features poems characteristic of oral folk art, this assumption is supported by the fact that the events in Beowulf unfold in the lands of the Danes (Danes) and Geats (Gauts), but not at all in Britain. Both the Danes and the Geats, East Germanic tribes that lived in the south of Scandinavia, were apparently neighbors.

Beowulf is an extensive alliterative poem in Old English containing 3,183 verses. It is customary to highlight two episodes: the hero’s victory over Grendel and his mother and the battle with the dragon. The very first lines of the epic introduce us to the world of heroic Scandinavian legends.

The once young Scyld Skefing, sailing to the shores of Denmark on a boat, became the first king of this country, which after his death was ruled by his descendants. King Hrothgar, the son of Healfden, during whose reign the events of the first episode of the poem unfold, also belonged to the family of Scyld Skefing.

The rich and generous King Hrothgar built the beautiful Heorot Palace ("Deer Chamber") for feasts with his retinue. However, the fun did not last long for him: Grendel, a terrible monster who lived in a nearby swamp, began to come to Heorot at night and devour Hrothgar’s warriors. No one could cope with Grendel until the hero Beowulf, the nephew of King Hygelac, who ruled the Geats, arrived to help the Danes.

After the feast that Hrothgar threw for the guests, Beowulf and his companions spent the night in the Deer Chamber. At midnight Grendel entered there and, having killed one of the Geats, began to drink his blood. Beowulf grappled with the monster and, in a fierce fight, tore off his arm, but Grendel managed to escape and hide.

Hrothgar threw a feast in honor of the winner and rewarded him with rich gifts. However, at night a new misfortune followed, for Grendel's mother burst into Heorot. The new monster was unable to inflict much harm; she was driven away. The next morning Beowulf, who had spent the night in another chamber, went in search of her. The trail of blood left by the wounded Grendel led the hero to a vile swamp, where he saw many snakes and nasty creatures. Descending into the abyss, which took Beowulf a whole day, he fought with Grendel's mother and killed her with a huge “sword of giants”, which he tore from the wall. With the same sword, he cut off the head of the already dead Grendel, after which the sword disappeared from his hands. Beowulf's return to the Danes was celebrated with another lavish feast at Heorot and new gifts he received from Hroggar. The first part of the poem ends with the story of how the hero returned to his homeland to King Higelac.

The events described in the second part take place many years later. After the death of Hygelac and his son, Beowulf became king of the Geats and ruled them happily for 50 years. Then, however, a terrible dragon appeared in the country, the keeper of a rich treasure from which the precious cup was stolen. The dragon takes revenge on people for her, devastating their lands. Beowulf, who is no longer young, fights the dragon and defeats it, but receives mortal wounds, for the dragon manages to bite the hero with its poisonous tooth. The curse placed on the treasure by its last owner comes true - anyone who captures it is doomed to death. The whole poem ends with a description of Beowulf's funeral. The funeral pyre is set on a whale cape, jutting deep into the sea. After Beowulf's body and armor are burned, a high mound is erected over the ashes, visible from afar. The funeral lament of 12 heroes around the mound glorifies the hero and his deeds.

"Beowulf" is a very unusual example of a medieval epic genre. It retains many features archaic epic, which are combined with signs characteristic of classical heroic epic, the folk pagan worldview is intertwined in it with Christian motifs.

What makes the poem archaic, first of all, is the opposition between space and chaos, a world ordered and organized and, thus, good, going back to myth, and a world where disorder and evil reign. This opposition runs through the entire poem. Skild Skefing arrives in Denmark, which did not know order and stability before him, organizes life in this country, which, thanks to his rule, will know peace and happiness. The symbol of order brought by kings into the lives of their subjects and into the universe as a whole is Heorot, built by his descendant Hrothgar. That is why the forces of chaos, embodied in the images of monsters inhabiting the swamp, are so up in arms against the Deer Chamber and its inhabitants. In the second part of the poem, Beowulf acts as a bastion of civilization and space, fighting against the messenger of chaos - the dragon.

The opposition between space and chaos determines the conflict of the poem and its organization. artistic space. Throughout it, Beowulf, who has many of the characteristics cultural hero, fights universal evil, represented by disgusting chthonic creatures, and puts the world in order. All space associated with a positive beginning is cultivated space, belonging to human civilization. This is how Denmark is described in the poem, ruled by the descendants of Scyld Skefing, Heorot, the villages and fortresses of the kingdom of the Geats. The story about the “space of civilization” often contains such signs as richly decorated weapons and armor, festive utensils, and decoration of feast chambers. All of these are products of human hands, objects of civilization, evidence of man’s power over the world around him. They give shine and radiance to civilized space.

And the space in which the forces of evil reign belongs to the world of wild nature and symbolizes eternal darkness and chaos. Vast, vile and bottomless is the swamp in which Grendel and his mother live. The dragon is the keeper of the treasure and lives in a dark cave. The space of people and civilization is contrasted with the space of ancient monsters and universal chaos.

The proximity of Beowulf to archaic epic, on the one hand, and to fairy-tale folklore, on the other, largely determines the specificity of the image of the main character. He can certainly be classified as a cultural hero of the highest formation (the term of E.M. Melstinsky), defenders of the human world from the world of monsters. However, much in the appearance of Beowulf is reminiscent of the fairy-tale hero. Like the hero of the fairy tale, he accomplishes three feats, kills three monsters, and becomes a king. It is necessary to especially note the motif of dragon fighting, which is extremely widespread in the folklore of all countries. There are also some, albeit vaguely expressed, features in the characterization of Beowulf that indicate the kinship of his image with the fairy-tale “sydney” such as Ilya Muromets.

The medieval epic took shape under the conditions of the disintegration of the tribal system and the beginning of the formation of military-political alliances of tribes and statehood. At this time, many ideas of the primitive communal period were still alive. Some features of the hero of the Anglo-Saxon poem are connected precisely with this. His very name Beowulf - “wolf of bees”, i.e. bear - can be considered as a relic of totemistic beliefs about the origin of one or another primitive family from an animal and close kinship with it. The motif of kinship, belonging to a glorious family generally plays a large role in the poem. The genealogy of the kings Hrothgar and Hygelac is retold in detail; Beowulf is said to be the nephew of the latter. When any hero is introduced, the names of his ancestors are revealed. So Wiglaf, the warrior who helped Beowulf slay the dragon, was “a kinsman of Elfhere, the son of Weohstan.”

And memories of the ancient struggle with chthonic beings (from the Greek word for “earth”: chthonic beings are the inhabitants underworld), both fairy-tale elements and remnants of tribal ideas are interpreted in Beowulf in the spirit of medieval epic heroics. It is important to remember here that epic poems depicted large, significant and, as a rule, military event past people. In "Beowulf" we're talking about, of course, not about the historical, but about the fantastic past, but it is presented in military terms of the struggle of two tribes - a tribe of people and a tribe of monsters. Attention is focused precisely on the fight, love story hero or episodes of him family life practically absent. The scale of the conflict depicted in it also brings Beowulf closer to the classic heroic epic. In both episodes we are talking about the fate of entire peoples - the Danes and Geats, who will inevitably die if the hero is defeated.

The system of characters in the Anglo-Saxon poem is also reminiscent of works of classical epic. As in “The Song of Roland” or “The Song of Sid”, all the characters are divided into “us” and “strangers”. The second camp, however, unlike the mentioned Romanesque poems, is not detailed and is represented by individual carriers of evil. But the structure of the “camp of our own” is quite consistent with what we find in later works of the genre. In Beowulf, as in the Song of Roland, there is a figure of the king, especially clearly represented in the first part. King Hrothgar is similar to Emperor Charles in his wisdom, justice, and in the fact that he is perceived by others as a bastion of order and stability. Folk storytellers unknown to us embody one of specific features medieval mentality - commitment to traditions and strict adherence to them - and in a special way they depict the wisdom of the Danish king, which is the basis of social order. It lies in the fact that he acts as he should, as the unshakable moral standards.

Hrothgar is certainly an ideal ruler. He is wise; it is not for nothing that the epithets “old and gray-haired” are used with his name. He cares about the well-being of his tribe, the poem calls him “shepherd of the people”, “protector of the people”, “guardian”, “guardian of warriors”. However, as in later examples of medieval epic, the ideal king does not perform the main feat, leaving this honor to the hero. Like Charles in The Song of Roland, Hrothgar does not play leading role in the development of events.

In addition to the hero, the “anti-hero” (whose function is performed in Beowulf by Greidel, his mother and the dragon), the wise king, the system of characters in the classical epic usually includes a squad. In this respect, the Anglo-Saxon poem is also close to later works of the genre. Like Roland, Beowulf is surrounded faithful comrades. He arrives in Denmark to help Hrothgar with 14 warriors, 12 knights mourn his death.

The figure is also very typical for medieval epic central character Anglo-Saxon poem. The complexity and scale of the tasks facing him make it necessary to idealize and exaggerate his image. The hero's appearance alone sets him apart from those around him. The first Dane who saw Beowulf's squad, addressing the guests, noted that he had never seen a stronger and more beautiful knight.

The weapon is good

Serves as a guarantee

Their strength and courage;

Mighty husband

He who brought the army,

A worthy leader!

(Translated by V. G. Tikhomirov)

The hero is highly endowed with military skills, strength and courage, he can defeat 30 opponents with one hand. Beowulf embodies the power of his entire tribe; he is the ideal valiant knight.

It is important to emphasize that Beowulf performs feats for the benefit of the entire tribe, his own or someone else’s. Heroic epic- and in this “Beowulf” is a typical example of the genre - it does not know an individual feat, performed for the sake of love for the art of war and personal glory. The actions of the Geat knight are aimed at protecting the tribe from the enemy, are carried out in the interests of the collective, and can be described as socially significant.

The fights in which Beowulf defeats Grendel, his mother and the dragon, of course, do not belong to history, but to fairy tales and myths. However, having been introduced into historical context, they acquire new illumination and are “historicized.” This is achieved due to the fact that the poem includes references to real historical events. So, in it you can find a story about the civil strife of the Danes and Frisians and, in particular, about Hygelac’s campaign against the lands of the Franks and Frisians, which probably took place between 516 and 531, about the Swedish-Geatian feud, etc. The creation of historical flavor is facilitated by genealogical digressions, which provide information about ancestors characters. As archaeological data testify, many of the realities of the objective world depicted in the poems are also historically reliable.

The opposition between space and chaos, which is so characteristic of Beowulf, also takes on a certain historical, or rather historical-social, aspect, which goes back to mythology. Space is the world of people, built according to certain laws that were historically inherent in early feudal society. The ruler is guided in his actions by duty towards his subjects and warriors, who pay him vassal allegiance: “Every warrior of ours is devoted to the king.” Mutual fulfillment of obligations determined by a person’s place in society makes the world of people organized and harmonious.

In a world of chaos, on the contrary, there is no social structure. The creatures inhabiting it are asocial, they do not even communicate with each other, no social or moral norms exist for them, they do not obey anyone, even their gender is unknown. Their complete unlikeness from people, their complete “exclusion” from society is emphasized by the fact that they do not even know how to use weapons - an unheard-of thing for the opponents with whom the heroes of the medieval classical epic fought.

Such a characteristic of the Middle Ages reality as Christianity is also reflected in Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons adopted Christianity in the 7th century. during the political and economic unification of the tribes that moved to the British Isles, and Christianity contributed to this unification. It is not surprising, therefore, that the contrast between heroes and monsters is interpreted in Beowulf as a contrast between pagans and Christians. Grendel is characterized in the poem as “rejected by God,” “a fiend of hell,” “an enemy of the human race,” his image is clearly associated with Satan. God helps the heroes, he is on their side, so they are confident of victory.

But God is the intercessor,

Weaver of luck,

Over the army of Gauta

I installed him as a leader

A hero whose strength

Won the upper hand

Above the enemy's power

In single combat, -

Truly it is said:

God from all eternity

Rules the fate of the human race!

(Translated by V. G. Tikhomirov)

Beowulf, defeating monsters and dragons, clearly resembles the biblical serpent fighters of St. George and St. Mikhail.

The fact that by the time the poem was written the Anglo-Saxons were already well acquainted with Christian legends is also evidenced by the fact that in Beowulf one can find numerous allusions to bible stories and even their retelling. Here are stories about the creation of the world, the flood, Cain and Abel and many others. It's interesting that everything biblical legends, included in the poem, are borrowed from the Old Testament; there are no gospel stories in Beowulf. This fact has not yet received a generally accepted explanation, although many of the guesses made are very interesting.

The abundance of biblical material in the Anglo-Saxon work convinces us that the processing of the plot in the later stages of its formation and the recording of the poem were carried out by educated people who had book learning, which at that time necessarily meant church learning. There are suggestions that the author of the edition of Beowulf that has come down to us was familiar with the works of the Christian poet of the 4th century. Juvenka, and perhaps even with Virgil's Aeneid.

Christian motifs in Beowulf do not destroy the pagan ideas underlying the tale, but are superimposed on them. In combination with heroic-epic and historical motifs, they create the originality of the Anglo-Saxon poem, which is a work of transitional poetry, combining the features of archaic and classical epic.

Range of concepts and problems

Archaic epic: ospreys, mythological basis, dragon fighting, opposition “chaos” and “space of civilization”.

Self-control task

Describe Beowulf, mentioning Hrothgar, Grendel, chthonic creatures, Christian motifs.

• Meletinsky E. M. Introduction to historical poetics epic and novel. M., 1986. P. 73.
• Melnikova E. A. Sword and lyre. M., 1987. pp. 78–79.

54. BEOWULF

“Beowulf” is an epic of the Anglo-Saxons, a tribe of Germanic origin who conquered Britain in the 5th–6th centuries and laid the foundation for the English people. The epic took shape in the 8th–9th centuries, is known in the 10th century, but it is based on folk tales dating back to more ancient times.

Beowulf is a typically mythological hero - the conqueror of monsters, similar to the Sumerian-Akkadian Gilgamesh, the Greek Hercules, and the Scandinavian Thor. His name means “bee wolf” (as the Anglo-Saxons allegorically called a bear). Probably, the image of Beowulf was originally associated with the bear cult, common among many tribes at an early stage of development.

The action of Beowulf takes place not in Britain, but in Scandinavia - the ancestral home of the Anglo-Saxons.

Beowulf, whose historical prototype has not been established, was, according to legend, the nephew of the king of the Geats (or Gauts) - a Scandinavian tribe that once inhabited southern regions Sweden.

One day Beowulf learned that the neighbors of the Geats, the Danes, had suffered a terrible disaster. At that time, Denmark was ruled by King Hrothgar. (He is mentioned in the chronicles: it is known that around 520 Hrothgar raided the Frankish lands.) King Hrothgar, so that he could have a place to feast with his warriors, ordered the construction of a spacious chamber, the more luxurious of which no king had ever had, and to decorate it with deer horns. That chamber received the name Heorot, which means “Deer Chamber.”

Heorot was surrounded by marshy swamps, and in their depths, in an underwater cave, lived a ferocious monster - Grendel, along with his mother, as bloodthirsty as he himself.

The loud cries of the feasting warriors, the clinking of health bowls and cheerful songs coming from the banqueting chamber disturbed Grendel's peace. In the dead of midnight, he crawled out of his lair and entered Heorot.

The king and the Danish soldiers, tired from the feast, slept, not sensing the approach of danger. In the blink of an eye, Grendel attacked the sleeping people. He tore apart several warriors sleeping closer to the door so quickly that they did not even have time to cry out. Grendal then devoured the bloody remains and crawled away into his swamp.

Waking up in the morning, the Danes discovered the disappearance of their comrades, saw traces of blood and realized that they had died a cruel death.

Since then, fear and sadness reigned in Heorot. Every night Grendel came there, killed and devoured several people.

The Danes were brave warriors, but no one dared to fight the monster, because everyone knew that it was invulnerable.

Grendel, forever protected from everyone by a spell,

Could not be defeated by the sharpest weapons,

With a precious sword, a spear, the best in the world

(Translations by Zamakhovskaya)

The Danes had to leave Heorot. The feast chamber remained empty and abandoned, no one entered it, and only Grendel crawled there at night, searching in vain for prey.

Beowulf decided to rid the Danes of the ferocious monster. Friends and relatives tried to dissuade the hero from such an intention, convincing him that he would only destroy himself in vain, but Beowulf insisted on his own. He equipped the ship and, with a squad of fourteen brave men who volunteered to accompany him, sailed to the shores of Denmark.

The Danes were alarmed when they saw armed Geats landing on their shores. But Beowulf announced that they had come as friends and wanted to speak with the king.

They were led to Hrothgar. Entering the royal dwelling, the Geats unfastened their swords, laid their shields on the floor, placed their spears in the corner by the door and, leaving two men to guard the weapons, appeared before the king.

Beowulf said: “Hail, King Hrothgar! I heard that you were being tormented by the bloodthirsty Grendel and because of his ferocity you were forced to leave Heorot, the chamber that is the best in the world. And now it stands empty, without any use for you. I have come to fight Grendel and defeat him!” The king replied: “If you really deliver me from Grendel, I will reward you like I have never rewarded anyone before.”

Beowulf and fourteen Geats went to Heorot and began to wait for the monster. Beowulf did not take a sword with him: he knew that Grendel could not be defeated with weapons, and relied only on his strength and good fortune.

Night has come. The Geats were overcome by sleep, and then Grendel crawled into the chamber. He looked around the sleeping people with a predatory gaze and, having outlined his victim, rushed at one of the warriors - and instantly swallowed him whole. Not satisfied, Grendel moved on, but at the same moment Beowulf grabbed him tightly by the clawed paw.

The monster immediately recognized the powerful hand.

Forever he had never known such an iron grip

None of the husbands of the whole sublunary!

A fight began between them. The walls of Heorot, made of thick logs, shook, the oak floor shook, and heavy benches overturned with a roar, which even ten people could not have moved from their place.

King Hrothgar and the Danes heard the sound of battle from afar and expected that Heorot was about to collapse and bury the fighters under him.

Meanwhile, Beowulf had already defeated the monster. Grendel was exhausted and thought only of escape, but could not free his paw, which Beowulf continued to squeeze as if with an iron vice.

Grendel rushed with all his strength - his shoulder came out of the joint, the veins tore, and the terrible paw remained in Beowulf's hands. And the monster, bleeding, crawled into its lair and died there.

For the Danes, blissful happiness has been resurrected,

Intelligent and brave, alien savior

Hrothgar's royal palace was cleared

And triumphantly ended fear.

The king ordered to restore order in Heorot, to put back in their places the benches that had been overturned during the battle, and to decorate the walls with gold-embroidered fabrics. The Danes and Geats sat down at the laid tables and began to celebrate Beowulf's victory over the ferocious Grendel.

The king said: “Oh, brave Beowulf! From now on I consider you my son!” He presented the hero with golden armor, a sword decorated with precious stones, and eight horses in full trim. Then Hrothgar's wife, Queen Wealhthe, placed twisted wrists on both Beowulf's hands, gold rings on her fingers, and a gold necklace around her neck, the heaviest of all necklaces in the world.

A lot of wine and honey were drunk, a lot of hearty speeches were said.

But then evening came, the feast ended. The warriors swept the floor, laid out bedding and went to bed in the same place where they had feasted.

But who would have guessed the threat of fate, its tread in the dark, Bringer of Death one of the heroes.

At midnight, Grendel's mother came to Heorot to avenge her son. She grabbed the Dane Esker, a brave warrior and wise adviser to the king, and, killing him, dragged him into the swamp.

The king, learning about the new trouble, asked Beowulf: “Will you save us again?” And Beowulf replied: “If fate wishes, I will save you. But if it happens that I die, make sure that the Geats, my fellow countrymen, return to their homeland, and send to my uncle, King Hygelac, the gifts that I received from you yesterday.”

Beowulf decided not to wait for the mother of the ferocious Grendel to appear again in Heorot and destroy one of the people, but to fight her in her lair.

His plan was dangerous. No one had ever ventured into the swamps where Grendel and his mother lived. Even a deer, overtaken by dogs, preferred to die from their fangs rather than step into a terrible quagmire.

Beowulf saddled his horse and galloped along the trail of the monster. The Geats and Danes accompanied him with their king. At the edge of the swamp everyone stopped. Beowulf drew his sword from its scabbard, grasped it tightly in his hand and stepped into the gloomy quagmire.

The whole day, until the evening, he sank to the bottom of the swamp. Snakes and water dragons wriggled around him in the black water, but strong armor protected the hero from their poisonous stings and sharp teeth. Finally Beowulf reached the bottom. There, in pitch darkness, the mother of the ferocious Grendel was waiting for him. She furiously attacked Beowulf, squeezed him so that he could not move, and dragged him into the underwater cave where Grendel lay dead.

It was brighter in the cave. Beowulf managed to free himself from the monster's clutches and struck him with his sword. But the noble steel only slid across the scales. Then Beowulf saw on the wall of the cave a huge sword, suitable only for a giant. The hero grabbed him with both hands, swung and brought down the head of the ferocious Grendel's mother. The blade cut through the scales, and the monster collapsed dead.

Beowulf cut off Grendel's head to take with him as a trophy. He wanted to take the wonderful sword with him, but the blade suddenly began to melt like a piece of ice, and after a few moments only the hilt remained in Beowulf’s hands.

Meanwhile, King Hrothgar, the Danes and the Geats, who were waiting for Beowulf on the shore, thought that he was no longer alive. They saw how the dark waters of the swamp were stained with blood, and decided that it was the blood of a brave hero.

Great was their joy when the water stirred, and Beowulf appeared on the surface, alive and unharmed, with the severed head of the monster in his hands.

That day there was a feast again in Heorot, again everyone praised Beowulf.

The next night no one disturbed the peace of the sleeping people. Beowulf and his comrades returned to their homeland in glory. Soon Beowulf's uncle, King Hygelac, died in battle, and Beowulf became king of the Geats, wise and fair. Half a century has passed. Beowulf grew old and his beard turned white. And then disaster struck. One Geat, lost in the mountains, came across an abandoned path, and it led him to deep cave. Geat looked inside and saw countless riches dumped in a huge pile: gold and silver utensils, gems and pearls. But then the owner of the treasure appeared in the sky - a winged dragon. Geat grabbed one of the golden cups and started to run.

The dragon, after some time discovering the loss, began to look for the kidnapper, but did not find it. Then he unleashed his wrath on the entire land of the Geats. There was no salvation for anyone from him - he killed people and livestock, and burned villages and crops with his fiery breath.

Beowulf, despite advanced years, was still strong and courageous. Armed and taking with him twelve of the bravest warriors, he went to the dragon’s cave and challenged him to battle.

The dragon, spewing flame, flew towards the old king. The warriors accompanying Beowulf fled in fear, and only one of them, named Wiglaf, remained with his king.

Beowulf pulled out his sword and struck the dragon with such force that the blade shattered into small fragments. Faithful Wiglaf immediately gave the king a spare sword, but it was too late: the dragon managed to sting Beowulf with its poisonous sting. And yet the hero gathered his last strength, swung his sword and struck the dragon to death.

The old king sank to the ground next to the defeated dragon, leaned his back against the rock and said to Wiglaf: “For half a century I ruled my country and defended it from enemies; never once took an oath that he did not fulfill; never killed relatives or friends. Now life is leaving me. But I am not afraid of death."

So said Beowulf - and the light faded forever in his eyes.

Beowulf (other - English) - “bee wolf” - is the hero of the Anglo-Saxon epic of the same name, which takes place in Scandinavia. B., a young warrior from the Gaut people, goes overseas to save the Danish king Hrothgar from the monster Grendel, who has been attacking for 12 years

Beowulf Epic poem (VIII-IX centuries) Denmark was once ruled by a king from the glorious Scylding family named Hrothgar. He was especially successful in wars with his neighbors and, having accumulated great wealth, decided to perpetuate the memory of himself and his reign. He decided to build