Beowulf and Medieval Romances: Themes, Structure, and Society
Beowulf: Mythological and Pagan Elements
Beowulf features characters with epic lives, blending naturalistic and spiritual elements. Beliefs and ideas explain the unexplainable, showcasing human-like behavior with unique characteristics.
Pagan Elements
- Adoration:
- Nerthus: Unholy sacrifice to the God Earth Mother (line 175).
- Frey: God of fertility and weather. Symbols include the boar and the ship.
- Freyja: Goddess of love and fertility.
- Odin: Known as Votan, the Anglo-Saxon counterpart of Odin.
- Sacrifices: (lines 2444-62/ 2937-41)
- Mythology of ornaments: Shields, spears, swords (lines 303, 1281). Hrunting (Beowulf’s sword).
- Burial/Treasures: The more treasures, the better. King Scyld’s burial.
Formal Structure
- Synonyms, periphrasis, metaphors, kennings.
Medieval Romances: Chivalry and Adventure
Medieval romances are narratives in verse or prose, written in vernacular languages, featuring strange and exciting adventures of chivalrous heroes. Characters and events are remote from ordinary life, often written in Latin for official documents. The central theme is love, with fantastic elements, thought to be myths developed into popular tales.
Characteristics
The most interesting passages are those where the original myth is more alive. The best romances are less rationalized, humanized, and Christianized. Characters are flat, fixed, and do not develop according to circumstances.
Classification
- Matter of France: Romances concerning Charlemagne (Chansons de Geste).
- Matter of Rome: Retellings of stories from classical antiquity, such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar.
- Matter of Britain: Protagonist is Arthur, allowing more freedom to invent romances due to the lack of concrete evidence of his existence.
- Troylus and Cressida: Set in the Middle Ages but told in Troy. Widows’ circumstances varied by class; poor widows faced hardship, while upper-class widows gained independence.
12th Century Onwards: Cultural and Literary Shifts
King Alfred envisioned a country ruled by cultivated people who understood the necessities of others. People transitioned from servitude to working for themselves, learning to write and read, often instructed by the Church. New professions emerged, such as scribes who wrote down orally composed poetry and were hired by writers. Many scribes were monks and nuns who used italics as a typeface.
The Pecia System, where monks copied texts by distributing different copies to different people, allowed for continuous copying. Authorship, titles, and dates were not considered important. Monks and nuns produced a significant amount of literary writings.