Kenning In Beowulf

The Christian element seems to be too deeply interwoven in the text of Beowulf for us to suppose that it is due to additions made by scribes at a time when the poem had come to be written down. The Christian element had to be included by the original poet or by minstrels who recited it in later times. The extent to which the Christian element is

The Anglo-Saxon wanted to use the best materials to build the hall, since this is where everyone meets at.

Beowulf is a great piece of Anglo-Saxon literature that can be, and has been, translated in multiple ways. Of the many outstanding translations, two of which are by Burton Raffel and Seamus Heaney, different ways of writing are portrayed. Grendel’s description is written quite differently in both translations. Heaney’s translation is more similar to the Anglo-Saxon style of writing than Raffel’s translation.

Beowulf: A New Telling by Robert Nye is about a character named Beowulf who has to fight evil by using strength, but by also using cleverness. Beowulf’s name means “bee hunter” and Beowulf loved bees. In the story a hall is built it is called Hall Heorot. “By day it towered above men’s heads like a second sun, so bright were it’s walls and roofs”(p. 5). Once the hall is made, a monster comes and eats people at night.

The old styled wording of the kennings brings readers to a new world- they’re able to feel the “old time feeling” in a modern translation. “The use of kennings had such an effect on poetry that many phrases often became cliches. For example, there are many kennings that are used over and over in the story Beowulf. Some examples are: “mail-shirt” for armor, “dwelling place” for residence and “mail armor” for helmet. On the other hand, when the kenning was used with originality, it served the purpose of a metaphor and often had great variety and complexity” (Abrams). In Chickerings translation he keeps certain kennings such as “wine -hall” and “gold- giving”. This makes his translation so much stronger, and forces the reader be imaginative. Immediately making this interpretation the

Although the story of Beowulf is filled with references to religion and faith, many discrepancies occur throughout the story that suggest that Beowulf is not a Christian epic. The character of Beowulf frequently speaks to God and obviously believes in His existence. However, pagan practices are mentioned in several places. Beowulf often refers to another being rather than the Christian God. Pagan practices of cremation and blood-drinking are included in the epic. There are also frequent allusions to the power of fate, the motive of blood revenge, and praise of worldly glory. All of these aspects make Beowulf a pagan tale with a few Christian elements.

Within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and Heaven and Hell. Beowulf is the oldest known English epic poem. The manuscripts date back to about 1000 A.D., when two scribes wrote it down for posterity. The poem was handed down from the Anglo-Saxon period, and through the retelling of the poem, it changed a little each time. The poem creates an oral depiction of an epic hero who strived to fight against the forces of evil. There really was a “historical” Beowulf who helped the Geats and Danes fight off pirates, but he was neither King of the Geats nor Danish hero at any time. In fact, he was not considered a man of any

   In Beowulf the Christian element, which coexists alongside the pagan or heathen, sometimes in a seemingly contradictory fashion, is many faceted.

Because it was passed down for many years, Beowulf contains a unique mixture of pagan culture and Christian beliefs. The protagonist, Beowulf, is a mighty warrior who often cries out in petition to the Christian God. In contrast Hrothgar, the King of Herot, is a pagan leader who makes sacrifices to “old stone gods” in times of strife (Beowulf 90). The author may have done this in order to provide the audience with a foundation for the story. Readers of the time were familiar with the Bible and all of its stories. Even today audiences have a firm grasp and knowledge on the events of the Bible. Through allusions to the story of Cain and Abel, and to God’s power and protection, the story applies a stronger and more effective skin to commonly known material.

Beowulf: A New Telling is a book for people that need reassurance that light will overcome darkness and that we need to accept that we have some darkness inside of us, then our weaknesses can become our strengths. Beowulf has to face many faces of evil, including Grendel, the cruel slimy creature who murders Beowulf’s friends and She, the wife of Cain and malicious monster that lives at the bottom of a pool of blood. He becomes king of Geats and is famous all throughout the land.

Christian symbolism in Beowulf within the poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the Christian religion to symbolize the elements of good and evil and Heaven and Hell. Beowulf is the oldest known English epic poem. The manuscripts date back to about 1000 A.D., when two scribes wrote it down for posterity. The poem was handed down from the Anglo-Saxon period, and through the retelling of the poem, it changed a little each time. The poem creates an oral depiction of an epic hero who strived to fight against the forces of evil. There really was a “historical” Beowulf who helped the Geats and Danes fight off pirates, but he was neither King of the Geats nor Danish hero at any time. In fact, he was not considered a man of any extraordinary qualities,

Christianity arrived in Northern Europe over one thousand years ago. This is evidenced by some of the earliest pieces of literature that we have. The epic poem, “Beowulf”, shows many references to the influence of Christianity on English culture. There are many parallels between characters in “Beowulf” and characters from the Bible. Many Christian themes and virtues are also portrayed in “Beowulf”. Throughout “Beowulf”, the theme of Christianity manifests itself through Christ-like images of Beowulf as well as his strength in God allowing him to ward off monsters of paganism.

The usage of kennings throughout Beowulf can be understood by a scholar, as a descriptive phrase or compound word that substitutes for a noun. From reading Beowulf, one would come to understand that kennings are used to describe objects into further detail. Some examples of kennings used throughout Beowulf are “mail-shirt” which means armor, “sea road” meaning the ocean, “mankind’s enemy” indicating Grendel, “battle sweat” meaning blood, “mighty water witch” suggesting Grendel’s mother, and “sleep of the sword” implying death (Raffel). As one can see, the practice of using kennings is to indirectly, as well as creatively, name a person, place, or thing. Kennings could also be understood by a reader as compressed metaphors, meaning they have a logical implication with only one or two words. Beowulf is one of the first well-known writings to include kennings, which are now used in everyday dialect. These can also be considered cliches. Because Beowulf is so greatly known for its usage of kennings, it makes for the perfect poem to better understand this literary

Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon epic that was transmitted verbally for hundreds of years before it was written down. Around the time of its composition, Christianity was beginning to gain prominence in England and was quickly replacing the animistic religion of the Celts. As a result of the dueling religions of the time, the poem includes influences from both Christianity and paganism, leaving its readers to wonder which religion had the most sway over the poet. Beowulf is a fundamentally more Christian epic on account of Beowulf’s resemblances of Jesus Christ, its allusions to the Bible, and its intimation of a supreme, monotheistic religion.

The first example that I found is on page 38 of our textbook, lines 91-97, and describes the story of creation as told by the poets entertaining in Heorot. This reference to Christian concepts would likely not have been present in the original pagan story. Moving on to lines 100-113, Grendel is described as an enemy from hell that encompasses evil and was cast out to the land of monsters by the Creator. Grendel is also described as kindred of Cain and the story of Cain and Abel is briefly described. This seems to be another example of the incorporation of Christian concepts into the story. On page 40, lines 174-192 the conflict between Christian and pagan values is more apparent as the author tells of pagan rituals that the characters are preforming and writes (translated) that “they know not how to praise the Prince of Heaven.” Jumping to page 65, lines 1269-1273, Beowulf is described as having called upon the strength and comfort of God to overcome Grendel. Similarly, on lines 2328-2330, Beowulf believed that he had angered the lord and that the burning of his hall and the surrounding lands by a dragon was caused by his breaching of ancient law. These ideas of the creator may have been inserted into the poem in favor of other ideas that contained pagan concepts and were less relatable to the people of the time. The final example of this mixing of Christian and