Themes: Revenge

Revenge shows up in Hralf Kraki between King Helgi and Queen Olof. The revenge starts when King Helgi decides he wants to marry Queen Olof. When he goes to ask for her hand in mairage he gets too drunk and is tarred, shaved, and stuffed into a bag and sent back to his ship. He arrived home, but soon set went back to see Olof. Knowing that Queen Olof was extremely greedy, Helgi dressed as a begar and made her follow him to some treasure in the forest. He then raped her and went on his way. They had a daughter named Yrsa who lived with Olof and was treated like a dog and had to work out in the field. She was never told who her parents were. Helgi paid another visit to Olof, but saw Yrsa and fell in love with her. They went back to Helgi's kingdom, had a child together, and were very happy. This was unacceptable to Olof, so she soon went to Helgi's kingdom and told Yrsa that that was her father. Yrsa got upset and went back with Olof. Olof was very happy because she caused Helgi to be unhappy and depressed for years.

Characters from Hrolf Kraki

Halfdane: mild-mannered, easygoing, quiet, good natured. He had three kids. One was a girl named Signey, and two sons named helgi and hroar. He was killed by his brother Frodi.

Frodi: harshest and greediest of men. Killed his brother Halfdane. He took control of the Danish Kingdom. Killed by Helgi and Hroar because they set fire to his hall.

Helgi: Halfdane's son, Killed Frodi and rules over Denmark. He hears about Queen Olof, and wants to marry her so he goes to see her and gets embarassed and is sent away. He then comes back and rapes her and has a child named Yrsa and marries her and has a kid named Hrolf with her. A strange woman (Elfin Woman) shows up at his house one night and they have a kid named Skuld. Killed by the Beserkers.

Hroar: Halfdane's son, Killed Frodi. Marries Ogn. Got the ring from his brother, and shortly after, Hrok comes asking for the ring, but he doesn't allow him to have it, but says he can look at it. Hrok then throws the ring into the water and it is lost for some time. He chops off is leg and sends Hrok home with a stump. He has a kid named Agnar who eventually finds the ring. He is killed by Hrok when they invade.

Signy: Halfdane's daughter. Marries Jarl Saevil and has a kid named Hrok.

Regin: Helgi and Hroar's step father and loved the boys very much. He helped the boys get away from King Frodi.

Vifil: a freeman who lived on an island just the ways off of Halfdane's land, and was life long friends with Halfdane. He had two dogs, named Hipp and Ho, and he was well versed in the arts of magic.

Agnar: Ogn's son who finds his fathers long lost ring. He is a great warrior

Heid:

Olaf: She is the Queen of Saxland. She is like a warrior king, beautiful in looks, yet cruel and arrogant in temperament. Embarrasses King Helgi and has a daughter with him named Yrsa and disowns her until she finds out that she married Helgi and sees that they are happy then she ruins their happiness by telling Yrsa that her husband is her father.

Yrsa: King Helgi's and Queen Olof's daughter. She is disowned and is sent to work in the field by her mother. She marries her father and has an offspring with her. She returns home with her mother once she is informed that she married and had a kid with her father.

Hrok: Signy's son who kills Hroar and trows Hroar's ring into the water. He is captured later by King Helgi.

Adils: King of Sweden, powerful and greedy. He wants to marry Yrsa

Skuld: Helgi's child and grows up with Helgi and shows a vicious temperament at an early age.

Berserkers: They are sort of Adils warriors. They go into battle without armor and can be productive or out of control. They are sent to hide in the woods to kill King Helgi when he returns to his ship.

Svipdag: Svip's son. Wants to go see Adils because he thinks they will be more enterprising if they went to see King Adils. A battle broke out between him and the Beserkers and at the end of it King Adils wanted Svipdag to stay with him, but he wanted to go, so he did.

Svip (his advice to his son): He was a farmer who lived in Sweden and had been a great champion. He knew of magic. He had three sons named: svipdag, Beygad, and Hvitserk. He warns Svipdag that Adils is not trust worthy. He has a dream that Svipdag is in trouble so him and his other two sons go to help him. His advice to Svipdag is: "Do not envy others and avoid arrogance, for such conduct diminishes one's fame. Defend yourself if you are attacked. It is becoming to be humble, yet at the same time you must make a bold showing of put to a test."

Bjalki: He is the one who Svipdag and his brothers sat next to at the feast at King Hrolfs.

Bera: She is young and beautiful and is in love with Bjorn, and is the daughter of a freeman. She has three sons named: Elk-Frodi who was part elk on the bottom, Thorir who was man with dogs feet, and Bodvar whom she loved the most.

Bjorn: King Hring's son, and his mother dies. He is in love with Bera and gets turned into a bear by day and man by night by Queen Hvit and has to eat his fathers cattle. He hunted down and killed and leaves Bera with three sons.

Bodvar Bjarki: He is the most perfect of the three boys from Bera, not a blemish on him.

Drifa:

Elk-Frodi: He is the son of Bera and Bjorn, and his bottom half is Elk. He left his mother and went to the road where he built a hut and killed people as they went by for money.

Haki:

Hakland:

Hardrefil:

Hjalti: He is Hott. King Hrolf names him this after he becomes a better warrior.

Hott: The one in the bone pit who continuously gets bones thrown at him. Bodvar goes and saves him and makes him into a strong warrior.

Hjorvard: Married Skuld, Hrolf's sister and is a very powerful king. Hrolf tricks him into holding his sword while he took off his belt, which made it so Hjorvard was the lesser of the two.

Hring: King of Norway. Bjorn's father. Marries Hvit. Puts a curse on Bjorn to be a bear.

Hromund:

Hvit: Marries Hring. She was set up to marry a powerful king, but she didn't want to so they were in hiding. Then King Hring asks to marry her and she accepts.

Storolf:
Vogg: The servant that Queen Yrsa gives King Hrolf to look after him and his men. King Hrolf gives him a golden ring and he says that he will avenge Hrolf if he were to live longer, but it doesn't really say much because there are higher ranked men who would better fit the job.
Vott:

Words of the day 2

Floppy discs are obsolete now that the zip drive has been created.

The paucity of the school caused the funding to go down.

When the kids visited the village, they acted like philistines because they did not respect their culture.

The girl was very meticulous about how she arranged her room.

The officious girl kept persisting that she be the one to do the announcements in the morning.

The kids perused the handout before going on their school trip.

The teacher mitigated his punishment for late homework.

The perfidy of the students caused the teachers to lock all the doors in the school.

The morose girl was mourned the death of her father.

Beowulf Study Questions

1) I don't think Beowulf is a good king. He was too focused on himself and self glory instead of defending his country. His job was to raise exceptional worriers to defend his country, but he didn't. Instead he tried to take on the responsibility of fighting and defending the country all by himself between the age of 80-90 and failed. He didn't realize that when he would come to die without a good army, he would leave the country very vulnerable for attack from the Swedes and not strong enough to protect themselves.

2) I think the most important part of part 3 is when the narrator is talking about the Treasure that Beowulf has at his funeral. This shows that Beowulf, all the way through life and even into death, wanted glory. That his main focus in life was self glory, success, heroism, and being a great worrier.

3) To me the most interesting part in Beowulf is how this is a Pagan text translated through the eyes of Christian. It brings different religion and thought to the text in all situations. It shows the same story through the eyes of different people, which opens up the book for all sorts of interpretation.

4) The dragon symbolizes Beowulf's tragic downfall and that he wasn't a good king because he wanted self glory, but lost which would lead to his nation falling to pieces.

Beowulf part 2

Themes- Role of Women- When Grendel’s mom does the job of a man by completing wergild. It’s not the women’s nature to kill people or to seek revenge. – Modthryth- She was a bad queen. If anyone looked her in the eye then she wanted to kill them, but once she got married to Offa. Queens are supposed to bring peace.

Hospitality- After the feast of Beowulf killing Grendel’s mom, the house-guard kindly showed Beowulf out and to where he was going to rest for the night. Hygalecs whife- when Hangest, Hygalec’s wife comes into the hall with a mead-jug, filling the cups that the worriers held out.

Peace pledge-- Freawars, Hangest's daughter, is given the hand in marriage to Ingeld as a peace pledge.

Ambush- Beowulf attacks Grendel's mother in her own home, but ends up getting attacked himself.

Pagan vs. Christianity- The monk appears when Beowulf is fighting Grendel's mother and is saved by his chain-mail, that holy god had decided the victory. When the narrator says "Bear up and be the man I expect you to be," This usually isn't found in the bible.

Allusions-When Grendel's mother's home is being described, how the water burns, it alludes to daughter of llyr, how the giants come from the lake. It also alludes to hell, because it's "burning" and the animals won't even go in it.

Heremod aludes to a type of Uther character. Not a good ruler/worrier and brought little joy to their people.

Motifs- Stories- Beowulf retelling his story about Grendel, and how he is a great worrier. Boar-shaped helmets. The giving of swords/armor as honor. Epic Boasts- Beowulf gives a little epic boast before he goes to fight Grendel's mother.

Parallels- When Beowulf goes to Ambush Grendel's mother, but she has allies and is on her home turf, Parallels Heorot when Beowulf went to Heorot and had help from his worriers to fight Grendel. Also when Hrothgar gives Beowulf the chain-mail and he is supposed to give it to his king parallels that there is going to be a fight between the Danes and Geats.

Appositive- When Hrothgar is explaining Aeschere. He says that he was a soul-mate to him, a true mentor, and his right hand man when it came to tasks.

Litotes- When Grendel's mother's home is being described so horribly, the narrator says "That is no good place."

Wyrd and Wergild- After Withergeld died and his men were doomed, the Shieldings quickly claimed the field. Also when Hengest says he suspects the good faith of the Heatho-Bards the truth of their friendship and the trustworthiness of their alliance with the Danes.

Symbols- Hrothgar talks about the hilt, and he said how the flood destroyed the tribe of the giants, which symbolizes noah and his arc.

Foreshadow- When Hrothgar gives Hengest through Beowulf the treasure suggests that they are going to go to war.

Part I review for Beowulf

List of Characters:

Grendel- monster that was condemned to hell. He came to Heorot and ate/killed lots of worriers. Beowulf tears his arm off and kills him. Eats 30 people the first time. Desendant of Cain.

Beowulf- Geetish Worrier/ Hero. He has faught many creatures and defeated them all. He defeats Grendel. Hygalec's nephew, Ecgtheow's son. Owes Hrothgar.

Ecgtheow- Given sister of Hygalec, and he isn't Geat until he marries her. Hrothgar pays his weirgild for the person he kills.

Hrothgar- King of Danes. Lets Beowulf kill Grendel. Good ruler. Dad was halfdane. Built Meadhall, Heorot in honor of himself.

Fitela- In the Frisian digression. Nephew of Sigmund and is suggested that he betrayed Sigmund.

Sigmund- Dragonslayer. The scop relates Beowulf to him suggesting that he will later slay a dragon (foreshadow). He is ambushed eventually. Greatest hero in oral poetry up until this time.

Wulfgar- Messenger between Beowulf and Hrothgar. Advisor to the King.

Heremond- Was first an admirable Danish Hero, but became a vicious, miserly king who alienated his own people. Selfish, murders those close to him for his own greed, is exiled by his own worriers and killed by the Jutes in Juteland.

Finn- King of Frisians. Made a deal with the Danes that they be treated like royalty.

Hnaef- Danish leader who is aligned through the frisians through the marriage of Finns sister. Killed in ambush.

Hengest- He becomes leader of the Danes after Hnaef is killed in battle. Perhaps a Jute. Completes werguild.

Wealhtheow- Queen of Danes, Hrothgar’s wife. She is a symbol of what a Queen should be: beautiful, hospitible, peacemaker.

Unferth- Drunk Worrier who is jealous of Beowulf and acuses him of not being a good worrier, or not living up to his stories. Everything a worrier shouldn't be: Jealous, coward, can't handle drink, kin killer.

Shield- He arrives to Denmark on a ship and becomes king. Founder of the Danes. Is a great ruler, and when he dies is sent back out to sea with lots of gold and jewels in honor of his great ruling. Moses like character

Halfdane- Beow’s son. Good king. Grandson of Shield.

Beow- son of shield. Becomes King and has Halfdane.

Literary Terms and Examples:

Kenning- 1) Word-hoard for treasure hoard 2) Shadow-stalker for Grendel 3) Hall-thanes for Danish worriers.

Litotes- 1) After Unferth accuses Beowulf of lieing, and Beowulf says “It was mostly beer that was doing the talking.” 2) When Beowulf has Grendel in a death grip, the narrator says “it was the worst trip the terror-monger had taken to Heorot.”

Flytes- 1) When Unferth accuses Beowulf of not being a good worrier and Beowulf proves that he really is a good worrier. Beowulf's put down of Unferth.

Appositive- 1) “those seafarers sighted land, sunlit cliffs, sheer crags, and looming headlands.”

Alliteration- 1) Build up of words starting with the same letter. “to sail the swan’s road and seek out that king.”

Censura (definition)- A strong pause within a line. Breaks up a sentence.

Symbol- 1) Grendel’s name means god cursed scream in old english 2) Heorot symbolizes royalty; translated as hart, which is a deer, which symbolizes royalty. Also symbol of center of community.

Allusion- 1) The hall towered its gables wide and high and awaiting a barbarous burning alludes to the future destruction of the hall as a result between the Danes and the Heatho-Bards 2) “The shielding nation was not yet familiar with feud and betrayal” this contrasts the present comity with the future, and that Hrothulf, King Hrothgar’s nephew, will later betray Hrothgar’s sons and usurp the throne. 3) The saga of finn alludes to Beowulf and that he is going to battle a dragon and die trying. Deals with the history. 4) Bible Able and Cain. Grendel is a descendant of Cain, Cain is a Kin Killer. Neither one payed the Weirguild. 5) Story of Sigmund. It's an oral tale that everyone knew.

Epic Boast- 1) Beowulf’s boast about how great he is and all the sea monsters that he has killed. When he gives his resume to Hrothgar.

Epic Hero (Definition and how it fits Beowulf)- Epic journey, enforces value of his culture. Stonger, wiser, more moral than everyone else. Deeds on the battlefield, meeting fate, or wyrd, respect of king, bravery, giving of gifts He is the symbol for what the culture stands for or believes in, and is all of the above. Beowulf represents the ultimate worrier in a worrier culture. Often the epic hero also has a flaw (a heroic flaw) that serves to remind the culture of faults even in the best of things.

Motifs and Themes:

Exile- Exile is a motif that re occurs in Beowulf. It appears when Shield Sheafson is exiled from his home country and is put on a ship and lands at Denmark, only to become a great king and leader. It also appears when Grendel is exiled to hell, and takes a turn for the worst and becomes more evil than he used to be. Exile is the worst thing that can happen to you. Your value is part of a group. Look at Grendel and why he acts the way he does.

Kin Killing- one of the worst sins you could commit in the town because you can’t be forgiven for it because your family most likely won’t forgive you. The only punishment is Exile. An example is when Cain kills his brother Abel and is exiled. *Look at Finn.*

Ambush- Ambush appears both when the attacker is too blind so see the victim ready for him, or vice versa. It’s shown when Grendel is going to attack Beowulf, but Beowulf is ready for him, so he is defeated.

Wergild and Wyrd- Wergild (blood money) is when the family of the victim who is murdered seeks vengence on the murderer. For example when Beowulf’s father, killed Heatholaf who was a Wulfing and was banished for it, so Hrothgar pays the wergild. Wyrd is the idea of fate. No way to avoid this. Better to meet fate valiently than to try and run away from it. It appears when Beowulf is explaining what’s going to happen when/if Grendel wins the fight, and what would happen if he won the fight.

The Role of Kings- The king is supposed to protect and serve his country. Do what is best for it. Also to show leadership even in the worst of times. Example is Hrothgar being a good king even when Grendel had invaded. Keep peace, bring up worriers, give gifts, ring-giver (kenning for king).

The Role of Women- Women are used as a peace pledge, looking pretty, giving birth to worriers, and to be a kind hostess. An example is Wealhtheow when she provides good hospitality for Beowulf and his worriers during the feast.

The Role of Worriers- They are there to fight and defend their country, and also help other countries out if they owe a favor, or want self glory, swear alliegence to king. An example is Beowulf going to fight Grendel for King Hrothgar.

Paganism vs. Christianity- Both of these show up because the author was a Christian telling the story of a pagan, so the ideas and thoughts of pagans are told through a Christian point of view instead of a Pagan one. Beowulf is a Pagan text- Examples: who they sacrifice animals to, Monk (an example to it being a pagan text) says even though they weren't Christian, they did things so heroic that god protected them. Voice coming through is Christian, but things Beowulf does in his culture- killing demonds to increase reputation.

Words of the day

The scop wrote a very touching poem about how people should always love.

Jack’s sinew was destroyed when he tore his ACL.

The monster’s spawn was as destructive as he was.

The infamous basketball team hadn’t won a game in two years, until a superstar joined their team.

My mother’s hoary glasses made her look like she was living when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

The murky water is scary to swim in because you can’t tell if a crocodile is lurking just beneath the surface.

Our office had been cluttered for months, until we finally purged it of files and papers.

Bob’s reparation for destroying the huge toy Lego model took hours.

When my uncle’s funeral was full of lamented family members.

The group of heathens gathered by a rock to do their own worshipping.

The cowering dog stood behind his owner when he saw the enormous bear slowly heading in their direction.

The Death of Conchobhar

1) This story fits the theme of Paganism vs. Christianity because at first, everyone believed in Paganism. Then at the end of the story, Chonchobhar is told about Jesus getting crucified by the Jews and that he is born on the same day, but different year than him. After being told this, Chonchobhar, among one other man in Ireland, believed in Jesus. So, in order to avenge Christ against the Jews, he went and cut down a forest as to say he is putting an end to Paganism.

2) He is arrogant and likes a lot of attention. His main focus is himself.

3) I don't think Chonchobhar is a good king because he is more wooried and focused on his apperence then on defending his country.

4) They don't seem loyal or to plan things out very well, they kind of just go with the flow. For instance, they just put Meis-Geghra's head on a shelf and then Cet came and took it and slung it into Chonchobhar's head, causing him to die 7 years later. Also, religion is a big part of their lives.

5) A warrior they killed in combat and took his head to make a hard ball.

6) Cet spoke highly of Chonchobar to the ladies and persuaded them to go over to the side of the battle and distract him so he can kill Chonchobhar.