Beowulf and the Demise of Germanic Legend in EnglandApplies comparative cultural history, or historical anthropology, to the study of Germanic legend as embedded in Beowulf and other Old English poetry. Demonstrates how the core legend of the bear-hero was shaped to serve successive ideological and political interests, and why Germanic legend vanished from England long before the Norman Conquest. Discusses pagan and Christian influences, the hero's two fights, and the kin-feud element. Excerpts are in the original and in modern English. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR |
Contents
THE EVOLUTION OF ANGLOSAXON PAGANISM | 9 |
THE CONVersion of EngLAND TO CHRISTIANITY | 31 |
CULTURAL ASSIMILATION IN THE ANGLOSAXON ROYAL | 51 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Æsir Æthelberht Alcuin ancestors ancient Anglo-Saxon England Anglo-Saxon Paganism Anglo-Saxon Royal audience battle Bede Beowulf Beowulf-poet biblical Cain Cambridge century Christian Clarendon comitatus context cult cultural Danes Danish death demons divine dragon Dumville dynasty Early Germanic Kingship Epic ethnic fact fertility fight Geats Germania Germanic legend giants gods Grendel Grendel's mother Guthhere hall heathen Hengest Heorot hero hero's heroic legend Hildebrand Hildeburh History Hnæf Hrothgar Hrothulf human Hygelac Icelandic ideological Indo-European Ingeld intertribal kill kin-feud kindred king king's kingdom kinsmen late pagan legendary lines Literature London lord Medieval monsters myth mythology narrative Nerthus Norse Odin Old English Oxford pedigree poem poem's poet poet's poetry political Ragnarök religion Roman Royal Genealogies Saga Scandinavia Sceaf Scyld seems seiðr Shamanism Snorra Edda social society spirit story structure Studies survived Tacitus Thor tion tradition trans tribal tribes typology Unferth violence Völuspá Waldere war-god warriors West Saxon Whitelock Widsið Woden wyrd