Commentary Shuffle Flashcards
Oft him anhaga are gebideð, metudes miltse, þeah þe he modcearig geond lagulade longe sceolde hreran mid hondum hrimcealde sæ, wadan wræclastas. Wyrd bið ful aræd! Swa cwæð eardstapa, earfeþa gemyndig, wraþra wælsleahta, winemæga hryre: "Oft ic sceolde ana uhtna gehwylce mine ceare cwiþan. Nis nu cwicra nan þe ic him modsefan minne durre sweotule asecgan. Ic to soþe wat þæt biþ in eorle indryhten þeaw, þæt he his ferðlocan fæste binde, healde his hordcofan, hycge swa he wille.
Start of The wanderer
Images of the heart / Mind
Solitariness and hostile natural world
(afterlife)
EME NOTES 'oft' can mean 'often' and 'always' 'are' means await or endure 'hrimcealde' is a hapax legomenon 'Swa cwæð' not elsewhere in AS corpus.
Þæs ne wendon ær witan Scyldinga þæt hit a mid gemete manna ænig, betlic ond banfag, tobrecan meahte, listum tolucan, nymþe liges fæþm swulge on swaþule. Sweg up astag niwe geneahhe; Norðdenum stod atelic egesa, anra gehwylcum þara þe of wealle wop gehyrdon, gryreleoð galan godes ondsacan, sigeleasne sang, sar wanigean helle hæfton. Heold hine fæste se þe manna wæs mægene strengest on þæm dæge þysses lifes.
EME NOTES
Ne mæg werig mod wyrde wiðstondan, ne se hreo hyge helpe gefremman. Forðon domgeorne dreorigne oft in hyra breostcofan bindað fæste; swa ic modsefan minne sceolde, 20oft earmcearig, eðle bidæled, freomægum feor feterum sælan, siþþan geara iu goldwine minne hrusan heolstre biwrah, ond ic hean þonan wod wintercearig ofer waþema gebind, 25sohte sele dreorig sinces bryttan, hwær ic feor oþþe neah findan meahte þone þe in meoduhealle min mine wisse, oþþe mec freondleasne frefran wolde, weman mid wynnum. Wat se þe cunnað,
Start of The Wanderer, as he is describing his feelings of Isolation.
Images of the spirit and heart as wandering, and must be kept in breast.
His isolation is shows in contrast to past companionship (golden minne/ he who in meandhall my spirit knows, etc)
EME NOTES
‘breostcofan’ is singular- when many people have one thing it is often described in the singular not plural
‘earmcerig’ - unlike other compounds, this one consists of two adjectives
eðle bidæled,- it is common in exile poems to show people being deprived
‘wintercerig’ winter could be a ssad with old age, or sad as winter
Nolde eorla hleo ænige þinga þone cwealmcuman cwicne forlætan, ne his lifdagas leoda ænigum nytte tealde. Þær genehost brægd 795 eorl Beowulfes ealde lafe, wolde freadrihtnes feorh ealgian, mæres þeodnes, ðær hie meahton swa. Hie þæt ne wiston, þa hie gewin drugon, heardhicgende hildemecgas, 800 ond on healfa gehwone heawan þohton, sawle secan: þone synscaðan ænig ofer eorþan irenna cyst, guðbilla nan, gretan nolde, ac he sigewæpnum forsworen hæfde, 805 ecga gehwylcre. Scolde his aldorgedal on ðæm dæge þysses lifes earmlic wurðan, ond se ellorgast on feonda geweald feor siðian.
EME
‘cwealmcuman’- Hapax legomenon meaning ‘murderous visitor’ emphasises his ‘otherness’, irony that he enders as hungry guest and leave a different kind of guest
freadrihtnes- Tautological poetic compound meaning lord lord
heardhicgende hildemecgas- only found in beowulf
irenna- means iron, synecdoche for sword
forsworen- either means that Beowulf had foresworn it, or that Grendel had bewitched it.
‘ellorgast’ : hapax legomenon. alien spirit, again he enters- Joyce Tally Lionarons- “[in] hope of full-feasting” (734a), he departs to become a different sort of guest to a different set of hosts’.
hu sliþen bið sorg to geferan, þam þe him lyt hafað leofra geholena. Warað hine wræclast, nales wunden gold, ferðloca freorig, nalæs foldan blæd. Gemon he selesecgas ond sincþege, 35hu hine on geoguðe his goldwine wenede to wiste. Wyn eal gedreas! Forþon wat se þe sceal his winedryhtnes leofes larcwidum longe forþolian, ðonne sorg ond slæp somod ætgædre 40earmne anhogan oft gebindað. þinceð him on mode þæt he his mondryhten clyppe ond cysse, ond on cneo lecge honda ond heafod, swa he hwilum ær in geardagum giefstolas breac.
None of importance
Ne þearf ðǣr þonne ǣniġ anforht wesan þe him ǣr in brēostum bereð bēacna sēlest, ac ðurh ðā rōde sceal rīċe ġesēċan 120of eorðweġe ǣġhwylċ sāwl sēo þe mid Wealdende wunian þenċeð. Ġebæd iċ mē þā tō þan bēame blīðe mōde, elne myċle, þǣr iċ āna wæs mǣte werede. Wæs mōdsefa 125āfȳsed on forðweġe; feala ealra ġebād langunghwīla. Is mē nū līfes hyht þæt iċ þone siġebēam sēċan mōte āna oftor þonne ealle men, well weorþian. Mē is willa tō ðām 130myċel on mōde, ond mīn mundbyrd is ġeriht tō þǣre rōde. Nāh iċ rīċra feala frēonda on foldan, ac hīe forð heonon ġewiton of worulde drēamum, sōhton him wuldres Cyning,
‘langunghwila’ is a hapax legomenon
‘mundbyrd’ is specific often to religious texts
Ða þæt onfunde se þe fela æror 810 modes myrðe manna cynne, fyrene gefremede (he wæs fag wið god), þæt him se lichoma læstan nolde, ac hine se modega mæg Hygelaces hæfde be honda; wæs gehwæþer oðrum 815 lifigende lað. Licsar gebad atol æglæca; him on eaxle wearð syndolh sweotol, seonowe onsprungon, burston banlocan. Beowulfe wearð guðhreð gyfeþe; scolde Grendel þonan 820 feorhseoc fleon under fenhleoðu, secean wynleas wic; wiste þe geornor þæt his aldres wæs ende gegongen, dogera dægrim. Denum eallum wearð æfter þam wælræse willa gelumpen.
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ðonne onwæcneð eft wineleas guma, gesihð him biforan fealwe wegas, baþian brimfuglas, brædan feþra, hreosan hrim ond snaw, hagle gemenged. þonne beoð þy hefigran heortan benne, 50sare æfter swæsne. Sorg bið geniwad, þonne maga gemynd mod geondhweorfeð; greteð gliwstafum, georne geondsceawað secga geseldan. Swimmað eft on weg! Fleotendra ferð no þær fela bringeð 55cuðra cwidegiedda. Cearo bið geniwad þam þe sendan sceal swiþe geneahhe ofer waþema gebind werigne sefan.
Hostility of environment, and how nature has replaced human companionship
Swimmað eft on weg’ this applies to the sea birds. Link to Seafarer where bird-song replaces human speech
visions of the mind/heart
lifiaþ nū on heofenum mid hēahfædere, 135wuniaþ on wuldre, ond iċ wēne mē daga ġehwylċe hwænne mē Dryhtnes rōd þe iċ hēr on eorðan ǣr scēawode on þysson lǣnan līfe ġefetiġe ond mē þonne ġebringe þǣr is blis myċel, 140drēam on heofonum, þǣr is Dryhtnes folc ġeseted tō symle, þǣr is singal blis, ond mē þonne āsette þǣr iċ syþþan mōt wunian on wuldre, well mid þām hālgum drēames brūcan. Sī mē Dryhten frēond, 145se ðe hēr on eorþan ǣr þrōwode on þām ġealgtrēowe for guman synnum.
‘ġeseted tō symle, þǣr is singal blis’ typical latin formula’
figure of lord/retainer, and visions of the meadhall in heaven
promise and anticipation of joy
transience of life & suffering
Com on wanre niht scriðan sceadugenga. Sceotend swæfon, þa þæt hornreced healdan scoldon, ealle buton anum. Þæt wæs yldum cuþ þæt hie ne moste, þa metod nolde, se scynscaþa under sceadu bregdan; ac he wæccende wraþum on andan bad bolgenmod beadwa geþinges. Ða com of more under misthleoþum Grendel gongan, godes yrre bær; mynte se manscaða manna cynnes sumne besyrwan in sele þam hean.
Grendel as ‘other’: described in terms of ‘enemy’. See him as he acts to penetrate the impenetrable meadhall, thus penetrating the heroic values and stability that the hall presents. His ‘otherness’ is set up against plurality of sleeping warriors. (contrast, though, that we see his approach, giving him narrative time, perhaps). enemy of god, too.
Pathetic Fallacy- darkness depicting foreboding
EME NOTES
‘Com…scriðan’ (came gliding) is an effect that is repeated three fold (com…gongan / com…siðian), leading to a highly dramatic, bell-like toll announcing his arrival.
‘Sceadugenda’ (shadow-walker) may link to the way he always attacks at night, but also his position as cast out from God’s light.
‘swæfon’ sleeping- how are they asleep? Mitchell and Robinson suggest it shows manly indifference in the face of danger, Klaeber writes that it enhances the bravery of Beowulf.
‘ana’ Beowulf always alone- ‘ana’ said of him seven times, and also of Grendel and Sigmund
‘under sceadu ‘ germanic belief showed underworld as a place of darkness
‘Grendel’- Viewpoint switches from inside to outside the hall
‘godes yrre bær’ - because he is the kin of cain
‘godsele’- contrast of bright hall with surrounding darkness and wasteland dark and full of monsters
Forþon ic geþencan ne mæg geond þas woruld
for hwan modsefa min ne gesweorce,
60þonne ic eorla lif eal geondþence,
hu hi færlice flet ofgeafon,
modge maguþegnas. Swa þes middangeard
ealra dogra gehwam dreoseð ond fealleþ,
forþon ne mæg weorþan wis wer, ær he age
wintra dæl in woruldrice. Wita sceal geþyldig,
ne sceal no to hatheort ne to hrædwyrde,
ne to wac wiga ne to wanhydig,
ne to forht ne to fægen, ne to feohgifre
ne næfre gielpes to georn, ær he geare cunne.
Beorn sceal gebidan, þonne he beot spriceð,
oþþæt collenferð cunne gearwe
hwider hreþra gehygd hweorfan wille.
EME
‘gesweorce’ unsure whether it ‘cannot grow dark’ or ‘doesn’t grow dark’
‘flet’- ‘Floor’, synecdoche for mead hall.
‘dreoseð ond fealleþ,’ common christian idea about the coming of doomsday, seen also in the Bickling homily
‘ne mæg weorþan wis wer’- again, common in homilies as introduction to a wise man
‘wintra dæl in woruldrice’ hypermetic (three stresses) line, often showing gnomic wisdom
Hē ūs onlȳsde ond ūs līf forġeaf
heofonlicne hām. Hiht wæs ġenīwad
mid blēdum ond mid blisse þām þe þǣr bryne þolodan.
150Se Sunu wæs sigorfæst on þām sīðfate,
mihtiġ ond spēdiġ þā hē mid maniġeo cōm,
gāsta weorode, on Godes rīċe,
Anwealda ælmihtiġ, enġlum tō blisse
ond eallum ðām hālgum þām þe on heofonum ǣr
155wunedon on wuldre þā heora Wealdend cwōm,
ælmihtiġ God, þǣr his ēðel wæs.
.EME NOTES
‘se sunu’- only time he is referred to as the Son, identified specifically as the second person in the trinity
‘eallum ðām hālgu’- WHO ARE THESE SAINTS?!?!?! no one knows but some people have guess. here are some guesses…ENOCH ELIJAH AND THE GOOD THIEF.
Hwilum heaþorofe hleapan leton, 865on geflit faran fealwe mearas ðær him foldwegas fægere þuhton, cystum cuðe.Hwilum cyninges þegn, guma gilphlæden, gidda gemyndig, se ðe ealfela ealdgesegena 870worn gemunde, word oþer fand soðe gebunden; secg eft ongan sið Beowulfes snyttrum styrian ond on sped wrecan spel gerade, wordum wrixlan. Welhwylc gecwæð 875þæt he fram Sigemundes secgan hyrde ellendædum, uncuþes fela, Wælsinges gewin, wide siðas, þara þe gumena bearn gearwe ne wiston, fæhðe ond fyrena, buton Fitela mid hine, 880þonne he swulces hwæt secgan wolde, eam his nefan, swa hie a wæron æt niða gehwam nydgesteallan;
EME
‘Hwilum’- both the stories of bad heremod and good sigemund end with an account of horse racing that ends with this word
‘gilphlæden…gemyndig’… assonance shows the skilful make of this section.
‘word oþer fand
soðe gebunden’ - shows artfulness of creating poetry
uncuþes- used of Grendel
‘fæhðe ond fyrena’- feuds and crimes, used of grendel
‘warm his nefan’ importance of this relationship
Wod under wolcnum to þæs þe he winreced goldsele gumena, gearwost wisse, fættum fahne. Ne wæs þæt forma sið þæt he Hroþgares ham gesohte; næfre he on aldordagum ær ne siþðan heardranhæle, healðegnas fand. Com þa to recede rinc siðian, dreamum bedæled. Duru sona onarn, fyrbendum fæst, syþðan he hire folmum æthran; onbræd þa bealohydig, ða he gebolgen wæs, recedes muþan. Raþe æfter þon on fagne flor feond treddode, eode yrremod; him of eagum stod ligge gelicost leoht unfæger.
.’rinc’- normally applied to humans but here to Grendel, K O’B O’K says how important this is. In bringing G across more he crosses the threshold of the human. In contrast, Beowulf when he prepares for battle does the opposite
‘dream’ already used 3 times. emphasis of jealousy
‘bealohydig’- used as noun.
‘recedes muþan’- if grendel approaching the building becomes human, then the building becomes monster, in this cannibalistic imagery.
Sona þæt onfunde fyrena hyrde þæt he ne mette middangeardes, eorþan sceata, on elran men mundgripe maran. He on mode wearð forht on ferhðe; no þy ær fram meahte. Hyge wæs him hinfus, wolde on heolster fleon, secan deofla gedræg; ne wæs his drohtoð þær swylce he on ealderdagum ær gemette. Gemunde þa se goda, mæg Higelaces, æfenspræce, uplang astod ond him fæste wiðfeng; fingras burston. Eoten wæs utweard; eorl furþur stop.
battle of will as much as physical strength
