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Connecting with History
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Resources
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Beowulf
Beowulf is both the first English
literary masterpiece and one of the earliest European epics written in the
vernacular, or native language, instead of literary Latin. The story
survives in one fragile manuscript copied by two scribes near the end of the
10th or the first quarter of the 11th century.1
Beowulf was written in England,
but is set in Scandinavia. It is an
epic poem told in historical perspective; a story of epic events and of great
people of a heroic past. Although the author is unknown, its themes and subject
matter are generally believed to be formed through
oral tradition, the passing down of
stories by scops (tale singers) and
is considered partly historical. At the same time some scholars argue that,
rather than transcription of the tale from the oral tradition by a literate
monk, Beowulf reflects an original interpretation of the story by the poet.
M. H. Abrams and
Stephen Greenblatt argue in their
introduction to Beowulf in the Norton
Anthology of English Literature that, "The poet was reviving the heroic
language, style, and pagan world of ancient Germanic oral poetry [...] it is now
widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a
Christian and that his poem reflects
well-established Christian tradition.2
Resources for the Study of Beowulf
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Beowulf: A Hero's Tale
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"When sleep was at its deepest, night at its
blackest, up from the mist-filled marsh came Grendel stalking . . ."
Thus begins the battle between good and evil, for lying in wait and anxious to
challenge the ogre Grendel is a young man, strong-willed and fire-hearted. This
man is Beowulf, whose heroic dragon-slaying deeds were sung in the courts of
Anglo-Saxon England more than a thousand years ago.
Award-winning author and illustrator James Rumford forges his own account of
Beowulf with the few Anglo-Saxon words still present in our language. These
iron-strong ancient words recall the boldness of the original poem and, together
with Rumford's pen-and-ink illustrations, they fashion an unforgettable story of
a hero who never gave up—no matter how difficult the struggle—no matter how deep
and dark the night.
Publishers Weekly
What you have heard before is nothing." So begins
this strikingly illustrated adaptation of Beowulf. Restricting his
vocabulary almost exclusively to words with Anglo-Saxon origins, Rumford fashions a type of epic language: "It was then that Wiglaf
showed his true heart-strength. Shieldless, with seared hands, he stuck his
gleaming sword into the dragon. This freed Beowulf, who drew a knife from his
belt and buried it deep inside the fire-snake." Rumford's own "heart-strength"
comes through in his art, pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that convey
the ninth-century action with 21st-century immediacy. Large panels offer
detailed views of pivotal scenes, and Rumford's expert use of line generates an
almost visible degree of motion; when Grendel's mother menaces Beowulf, he seems
virtually to fall as she advances with her ominously curved knife. Behind the
art and text panels in the first two sections lurks the dragon that is to prove
so crucial in the end; in the concluding section, increasing numbers of crows
foreshadow Beowulf's death. A very skillful presentation. Ages 9-12. (Aug.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Recommended for the
Grammar Level, Connecting with
History, Volume 2
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Beowulf: A Hero's Tale
by James
Rumford
$17.00
hardcover
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Beowulf the Warrior
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Master storyteller Ian
Serraillier has rewoven in modern narrative verse the story of Beowulf, the
oldest epic in the English language. He succeeds in making this classic tale
accessible to today's youth. A wonderful read-aloud introduction to the
classic tale, but also fine for independent reading
Recommended for the
Logic Level, Connecting with
History, Volume 2
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Beowulf the Warrior
by Ian
Serrallier
$7.95
softcover
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Composed toward the end of the first millennium,
"Beowulf" is the classic Northern epic of a hero's triumphs as a young warrior
and his fated death as a defender of his people. In his new translation--a
national bestseller that is the winner of the Whitbread Award--Nobel Laureate
Seamus Heaney has produced a work that is both true, line by line, to the
original poem and a fundamental expression of his own creative gift. This new
edition includes illustrations, many from the time period of the story, and
photographs of artifacts to compliment the story and pull the reader even more
deeply into the time of warriors and heroes.
Recommended for the
Rhetoric Level, Connecting with
History, Volume 2
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Beowulf: Illustrated Edition
by Seamus
Heaney
$24.95
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