The document provides background information on Beowulf, including that it is the earliest surviving epic written in English, was an oral tradition before being written down around 1000 AD, and its original manuscript is housed in a museum in London. It discusses Beowulf's family tree and relationships, Grendel and his family origins, the feud between the Geats and Swedes, and characters like Hrothgar, Wealtheow, and Unferth.

2. •Earliest surviving epic written
in English;
•Put down on paper before
1000AD;
•Oral Tradition…told in the
form of a story for centuries
before it was written down;

3. • It’s an epic;
• It’s a saga;
• It was originally written in
poetic form;
• It contains the common theme
of: GOOD vs. EVIL;
Mask

4. •The author is unknown/parchment
•From the Anglo-Saxon time period;
•Original/surviving manuscript in a
museum in London, England;
Viking Boat

5. • The author is unknown;
• From the Anglo-Saxon time
period;
• Original/surviving manuscript in a
museum in London, England;
Beowulf

6. Beowulf’s Family Tree
Swerting
Hrethel
Herbald Hathcyn Hygelac daughter
m. Hydg m. Ecgtheow
Beowulf
daughter Herdred
m. Efor

7. Hrothgar’s Family Tree
Scyld
(Shild)
Beo
Healfdane
Herogar Hrothgar Halga Yrs.
m. Wealtheow m. Onela
Herward Hrothulf

8. Children of Hrothgar &
Wealtheow
Hrethric Hrothmund Freaw
m. Ingeld

9. Ongentho
Onela Ohtere
m. Yrs
Eanmund Eadgila

10. And now for the Beowulf
Tabloids…
• Hathcyn & Herbald…was it really an accident?
• Why was he named Beowulf?
• My father was a killer…the story of Ecgtheow.
• Grendel’s twisted family tree and story.
• My Uncle is the King, but not Elvis.
• Hrothful’s got a knife…but no gun.
• You kill me, I’ll kill you…the story of the Geats &
the Swedes

11. The Tabloid’s Continued…
• Vikingar Who were these people?
• Scyld…was he a god or not?
• Grendel’s mama…that beauty queen…
• Brecca…Beowulf’s ‘boy’ friend?

12. Herbald and Hathcyn
• Hathcyn became king of the Geats after
accidentally killing his older
brother, Herbald. He killed Herbald in a
‘hunting accident’. He is eventually killed by
Ongentho, king of the Swedes
⏎

13. Beowulf…the name
• Possibly means "bee wolf" (in effect equal to
"bear") from Old English beo "bee" and wulf
"wolf".

14. Ecgtheow
• Beowulf’s father, Hygelac’s brother-in-
law, and Hrothgar’s friend.
• Beowulf was born in Denmark
• Ecgtheow had to leave Sweden because he
killed a member of the Wylfing tribe.
• When Beowulf was 6 years old, King
Hrothgar paid the Wergild or fine so they
could return home.

15. Grendel’s twisted family tree and
story
DAD = Cain
MOM = Loathsome, snake-like creature that lived in the fen.
THE FEN= misty place where all the evil of the world lived.

16. Grendel
• Father was Cain from the Bible.
• Mother was a creature that lived in a pool that
connected to the bowels of Hell. She had very
few human characteristics.

18. Grendel’s Momma
•Different translations have a different view than the
traditional translation.
•Traditional = more monster/less human
•Modern = more human/less monster

19. Hygelac
•Beowulf’s uncle;
•King of the Geats.
• Husband of Hygd. Hygelac.
• Heartily welcomes Beowulf back from Denmark.
• Son Herdred is in line to become king.

20. •Hrothgar’s nephew, Hrothulf
•Hrothulf betrays and usurps* his cousin, Hrethic, the
rightful heir to the Danish throne.
•Hrothulf’s treachery contrasts with Beowulf’s loyalty
to Hygelac in helping his son, Herdred, to the throne.
•He murders his two cousins, Hrethric and Hrothmund
after Queen Wealtheow gave him the job of protecting
her young sons.
•Hrethric and Hrothmund were just young boys!
*usurp – to take position of power illegally or by force

21. Geats vs. Swedes
•The history of the relationship between the Geats and
Swedes covers a period extending from Beowulf's
childhood to the probable continuation of the feud
after his death.
•The Swedish-Geatish wars refer to semi-
legendary 6th century battles
between Swedes and Geats that are described in
the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf.
•Little has survived of such battles in the Norse sagas
•Swedes succeeded in conquering the Geats…how do
we know this?

22. Who were the Vikings
•exclusively applied to men;
• weren't just raiders, but farmers, traders and settlers - and they
took their families with them when they moved from
Scandinavia;
•Most women's lives were bounded by hearth and home*, but
they had great influence within this world.
*a symbol of traditional family values and home life *

23. Scyld (Shild) Scefing
•Scyld Scefing the legendary ancestor of the Danish royal
lineage known as the Scyldings (legendary* royal family).
•He is believed to be the son of Odin;
•He would be half human/half god;
•He arrived at Denmark on a ship…alone, as a child.
*legendary – described in stories about old times and heroes

24. Brecca/Unferth
• a warrior in the tribe of the Spear-
Danes, challenges Beowulf's boasts and
claims about himself.
•When Beowulf shows up ready to fight
Grendel, Unferth tells a story he's heard
about Beowulf's swimming contest with
Brec a.

26. 13 th Warrior

27. •EPIC…narrative poem about a
hero’s deeds; BACK
•SAGA…details the relationship and
stories from one generation to the
next; BACK
•PARCHMENT…thinly dried animal
skins; BACK

28. The End…