Beowulf (hero)

Beowulf (pronEng|ˈBeɪoʊwʊlf/, /ˈBeɪəwʊlf, Old English IPA2|ˈbeːo̯wʊlf) is a legendary Geatish hero and later king in the Old English epic poem named after him, the oldest surviving piece of literature in the English language.

Etymology and origins of the character

A number of origins have been proposed for the name "Beowulf".

Bee-Wolf

Henry Sweet, a philologist and early linguist specializing in Germanic languages, proposed that the name "Beowulf" literally means in Old English "bee-wolf" and that it is a kenning for "bear".Sweet, Henry. (1884) "Anglo-Saxon Reader in Prose and Verse" The Clarendon Press, page 202.] This etymology is mirrored in recorded instances of similar names. "Biuuuwulf" is recorded as a name in the 1031 CE "Liber Vitae". The name is attested to a monk from Durham and literally means "bee wolf" in Northumbrian. Chadwick, Hector Munro (1983) "The Origin of the English Nation", page 294. ISBN 0941694097] The 11th century English "Domesday Book" contains a recorded instance of the name "Beulf".

Böðvarr Bjarki

In Norse legendary accounts, there is a hero named Böðvarr Bjarki whose identity with Beowulf has been the matter of much debate. [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14878 "The Relation of the Hrolfs Saga Kraka and the Bjarkarimur to Beowulf" by Olson, 1916, at Project Gutenberg] .] According to Saxo Grammaticus the hero slew a bear, but according to "Hrólfs saga kraka", he slew a dragon, whereas in "Bjarkarímur", Beowulf killed two beasts like Grendel and Grendel's mother. A scholar named Sarrazin also suggested that the name "Beowulf" was derived from a mistranslation of "Böðvarr" where -"varr" was interpreted as "vargr" meaning "wolf". However, this etymology was questioned by Sophus Bugge, who instead suggested that the personage Böðvarr Bjarki was derived from Beowulf.

Beow-Wolf

In 2005, Andy Orchard theorized an etymology on the basis of the common Old Norse name "Þórólfr" (which literally translates to "Thor Wolf"), stating in parallel that a "more likely" meaning for the name would be the "wolf" of the Germanic god Beow.Orchard, Andy. (2003) "A Critical Companion to Beowulf" ISBN 1843840294]

Biewolf

English philologist Walter William Skeat proposed an etymological origin in a term for "Woodpecker" citing the Old Dutch term "biewolf" for the bird. Skeat states that the black woodpecker is common in Norway and Sweden and further reasons that the "indominatable nature" and that the "bird fights to the death" could have potentially influenced the choice of the name.Skaet, Walter William. (1877) "The Name Beowulf" from "The Academy" 24 February 1877, page 163.] This etymological origin has been criticized as not being in accordance to Grimm's law and Skeat may have recanted the proposal at a later date.Shippey, Tom A. "Beowulf: The Critical Heritage" Page 387-388. ISBN 0415029708]

Beowulf manuscript

Origins in Geatland

As told in the surviving epic poem, Beowulf was the son of Ecgþeow, a warrior of the Swedish Wægmundings. Ecgþeow had slain Heaðolaf, a man from another clan named the Wulfings (according to Scandinavian sources, they were the ruling dynasty of the Geatish petty kingdom of Östergötland). Apparently, because the victim was from a prominent family the "weregild" was set too high, and so Ecgþeow was banished and had to seek refuge among the Danes. The Danish king Hroðgar generously paid the "weregild", and had Ecgþeow swear an oath.

Ecgþeow was in the service of the Geatish king Hreðel, whose daughter he married. They had Beowulf, who grew up with the Geats. Beowulf's childhood friend was Breca of the Brondings "supposed to be the inhabitants of the island Brännö, lying off the coast of West Gothland in the Cattegat". [The Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, the posthumous dictionary by Joseph Bosworth (1898), see [http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oe_bosworthtoller/b0127.html bróc - brot] .] This would be a realistic location for a childhood friend of Beowulf, and the poem describes a swimming contest between them.

Zealand and Grendel

When king Hroðgar, his wife Wealhþeow, and his court were terrorized by the monstrous Grendel, Beowulf left Geatland (West Götaland) and sailed to Zealand with fourteen warriors in order to pay his father's debt. During the night, Grendel arrived to attack the sleeping men. Beowulf attacked him without his sword and tore the arm off the beast. Grendel returned to the bog to die and his arm was attached to the wall of Heorot. The next day, Beowulf was lauded and a skald (scop) sang and compared Beowulf with the hero Sigmund.

However, during the following night Grendel's Mother arrived to avenge the death of Grendel and collect "weregild". As Beowulf slept in a different building he could not stop her. He resolved to descend into the bog in order to kill her. They fought beside Grendel's corpse, and Beowulf finally won with the aid of an enchanted giant sword stolen from the lair's plunder. Beowulf was recompensed with gold and horses by queen Wealhþeow, and they returned to Geatland.

Return to Geatland, Kingdom, and Death

Having returned, Beowulf took part in a historic raid against the Franks with his king Hygelac. Hygelac died during the raid, and Beowulf swam home in full armour. Back in Geatland, queen Hygd offered Beowulf the throne but Beowulf declined in favour of the young prince Heardred. However, Heardred received two Swedish princes, Eadgils and Eanmund who reported that they had fled their uncle Onela who had usurped the Swedish throne. This led to a Swedish invasion in which Heardred was killed. Beowulf was proclaimed king and decided to avenge Heardred and to help Eadgils become king of Sweden.

The event when Onela was slain was probably an historic event. Even though it is only briefly mentioned in Beowulf, it occurs extensively in several Scandinavian sources where it is called the "Battle on the Ice of Lake Vänern". For example, Snorri Sturluson wrote:

"Onela rode Raven, as they rode to the ice, but a second one, a grey one, hastened, wounded by spears, eastwards under Eadgils." [...] "In this fight Onela died and a great many of his people. Then king Eadgils took from him his helmet Battle-boar and his horse Raven."Fact|date=November 2007

(Although, in Snorri's text the names are in their corresponding Old Norse forms).

Beowulf ruled the Geats for 50 years, until his realm was terrorized by a dragon whose treasure had been stolen from his hoard in a burial mound. He attacked the dragon with his "thegns", but they did not succeed. Beowulf decided to follow the dragon into its lair, at Earnanæs, but only his young Swedish relative Wiglaf dared join him. Beowulf finally slew the dragon by cutting him in half with a dagger, but was mortally wounded by being stabbed with the poisonous horn of the dragon and was carried out by Wiglaf. He died after prophesying that the Swedes would attack the Geats once again. He was buried in a barrow by the sea.

Burial site

The Swedish scholar Birger Nerman has proposed the Skalunda burial mound (coord|58|33|N|12|59|E|) in Västergötland (West Geatland), Sweden to be Beowulf's burial mound. The large mound has not yet been excavated.Fact|date=November 2007

Historical parallels

The figure of Beowulf corresponds with a number of other contemporary figures known in the same place and time. However,since centuries of oral traditions have modified a number of events, it is no longer possible to find 100% matches between Beowulf and Scandinavian sources.Fact|date=November 2007

Hrólf Kraki

Beowulf and Hrólf Kraki are two well-known characters in the myths and sagas of ancient England and Scandinavia respectively. Both are supposed to have lived sometime around 450–550 AD, and much has been discussed over the years regarding their origins.Fact|date=November 2007

References