Lesson Aims • General General points points about Old English English poetry poetry • Old Engl English ish poetr poetry y collec collectio tions ns • Perfor Performan mance ce / Authors Authorship hip / Audien Audience ce • Technicaliti echnicalities es of Old Old English English Poetry Poetry • Consid Consider er some some Old Old Englis English h poems poems
A small topical digression…
Months
Days
Bede, De temporum ratione
Fusion and appropriation Christianity arrives in 597 AD
Saxon days started the previous evening
Conversion by appropriation
Thus ‘æfen’ or evening is part of the next day
Celtic feast of Samhain, Norse feast of Vetrnætr ‘appropriated’ > Feast of All Hallows
e.g. Midsummer’ Midsummer ’s Eve, Christmas Eve
Fusion and appropriation
End of summer …
‘Like the Celtic counterpart, the people used to Christianity arrives in this 597 night AD by lighting Saxonlarge days bonfires started the celebrate to previous evening frightened spirits and demons, because on this night they freely roamed the world. It is also on Conversion bthis y apnight proprthat iatioOdin n Thus ‘æfeto n’lead or evthe ening is part was supposed of thein next spectral horsemen and hounds theday Wild Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt lasted throughout winter, peaking Celtic feast of Samhain, at Yule's night before endinge.g. theMidsummer’ following year on Midsummer ’s Eve, Norse feast of Vetrnætr May Eve (Walpurgis' Night).’ Christmas Eve ‘appropriated’ > Feast of All Hallows
Fusion and appropriation Christianity arrives in 597 AD
Saxon days started the previous evening
Conversion by appropriation
Thus ‘æfen’ or evening is part of the next day
Celtic feast of Samhain, Norse feast of Vetrnætr ‘appropriated’ > Feast of All Hallows
e.g. Midsummer’ Midsummer ’s Eve, Christmas Eve
ealra halgena æfen All Hallow’s Eve (31st October)
Fusion and appropriation Christianity arrives in 597 AD
Saxon days started the previous evening
seggon Thus ‘sumne æfen’ or eþ veisne ning imann, s part þæt nan mann ne leofode, þeday him blod lete of the next on ealra halgena mæssedæg, o ððe gif he Celtic feast of Samhain, gewundod wære.’ e.g. Midsummer’ Midsummer ’s Eve, Norse feast of Vetrnætr (Tables of Lucky and Unlucky ChristmasDay) Eve
Conversio‘nAc by we apprgehyrdon opriation
‘appropriated’ > Feast of All Hallows
ealra halgena æfen All Hallow’s Eve (31st October)
So? • You can learn learn a lot lot about about today from yesterday • Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon England England present presentss a fusion different languages, different beliefs (Christian v Pagan) • Also Christian Christian missionaries missionaries appropriat appropriated ed material 10 9
What Old English Poems do you know?
Beowulf, Judith, Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan, Andreas, The Fates of the Apostles, Soul and Body I, Homiletic Fragment I, The Dream of the Rood, Elene, Christ I, Christ II, Christ III, Guthlac A, Guthlac B, Azarias, The Pheonix, Juliana, The Wanderer, The Gifts of Men, Precepts , The Seafarer, Vainglory, Widsith, Waldere, The Fortunes of Men, Maxims I, The Order of the World, The Rhyming Poem, The Panther, The Whale, The Partridge, Soul and Body, Deor, Wulf and Eadwacer, Riddles, The Wife's Lament, Judgement Day, Resignation, The Descent into Hell, Alms-Giving, Pharoah, The Husband's Message, The Ruin, The Battle of Maldon, The Battle of Brunanburgh, The Fight at Finnsburgh ...
Beowulf, Judith, Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan, Andreas, The Fates of the Apostles, Soul and Body I, Homiletic Fragment I, The Dream of the Rood, Elene, Christ I, Christ II, Christ III, Guthlac A, Guthlac B, Azarias, The Pheonix, Juliana, The Wanderer, The Gifts of Men, Precepts , The Seafarer, Vainglory, Widsith, Waldere, The Fortunes of Men, Maxims I, The Order of the World, The Rhyming Poem, The Panther, The Christian Old and Whale, The Partridge, Soul 1) and Body,-Deor, Wulf and New Lament, Testament Judgement Day, Eadwacer, Riddles, The Wife's Battles Resignation, The Descent 2) into Hell,- Heroic Alms-Giving, 3) ElegiesThe Ruin, The Battle Pharoah, The Husband's Message, ? of Maldon, The Battle of Brunanburgh, The Fight at Finnsburgh ...
Old English Poetry • Survives Survives mainly mainly in 4 manuscripts manuscripts written written 975-1025 • Often Often only only one one copy copy of each each poem poem • 1. Beowulf Beowulf MS (BL, Cotton Cotton Vitelli Vitellius us A.xv) ‘Book of Monsters’ • 2. Junius Junius MS MS (Oxford, (Oxford, Bodleian Bodleian Librar Library) y) • 3. Vercelli Vercelli Book (Vercelli, (Vercelli, Italy) • 4. Exeter Exeter Book Book (Exet (Exeter er Cathe Cathedra dral) l)
Key Points • Untitled • Undated Undated - when were they composed composed vs when were they written down • Anonym Anonymous ous (wit (with h two exce excepti ptions ons))
Now we must praise the heavenly kingdom’s Guardian the Creator’s might and his purpose the work of the Father of Wonder, as he, the eternal Lord, established the beginning of each of the wonders. He first created earth for the children, heaven as a roof, the holy Creator. Then middle-earth, mankind’s Guardian, the eternal Lord, afterwards adorned for the children of the earth, Lord almighty.
Cædmon’s Hymn (670?)
‘Christ II’ from J. Kemble’s ‘On Anglo-Saxon Runes’ (1840) in Anglo-Saxon Runes (Anglo-Saxon Books, 1991)
C = cen = torch Y = yr = bow N = nyd = need E = eoh = horse W = wynn = joy U = ur = cattle L = lagu = lake F = feoh = wealth Or Cyn = mankind E(o)wu = ewe/sheep L(i)f J. = life ‘Christ II’ from Kemble’s ‘On Anglo-Saxon Runes’ (1840) in Anglo-Saxon Runes (Anglo-Saxon Books, 1991)
Beowulf, Judith, Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, Christ and Satan, Andreas, The Fates of the Apostles, Soul and Body I, Homiletic Fragment I, The Dream of the Rood, Elene, Christ I, Christ II, Christ III, Guthlac A, Guthlac B, Azarias, The Pheonix, Juliana, The Wanderer, The Gifts of Men, Precepts , The Seafarer, Vainglory, Widsith, Waldere, The Fortunes of Men, Maxims I, The Order of the World, The Rhyming Poem, The Panther, The Whale, The Partridge, Soul and Body, Deor, Wulf and Eadwacer, Riddles, The Wife's Lament, Judgement Day, Resignation, The Descent into Hell, Alms-Giving, Pharoah, The Husband's Message, The Ruin, The Battle of Maldon, The Battle of Brunanburgh, The Fight at Finnsburgh ...
In former days my mother and father Took me for dead, for the fullness of life Was not yet in me. But another woman Graciously fitted me out with soft garments As kind to me as to her own children, Tended me and took me under her care, Until under her shelter, shelter, unlike her children, I matured into a mighty one, as was my fate, My guardians then fed me until I could leave And could wander more widely on my own Journeys; she had the less of her own Sons and daughters because of what she did.
Analysing Poetry • Litera Literall - what what is the the poem poem about about • Thematic Thematic - what is the main message message of the poem (allegorical, moral, spiritual?) • Stylistic Stylistic - consider consider the the language language used used or any poetical devices to reinforce theme
Analysis: The Moth Riddle • Litera Literall - what what is the the poem poem about about a bookworm (insect and reader) • Thematic Thematic - what is the main message message of the poem (allegorical, moral, spiritual?) reading is pointless unless you understand understand the information • Stylistic Stylistic - consider consider the the language language used used or any poetical devices to reinforce theme - broadens out subject from moth to ‘he’, focuses in on object from words to ‘strong foundation’
Performance: Poetry was entertainment!
Vespasian Psalter
‘he [the scop] cometh to you with words set in delightful proportion, either accompanied with, or prepared for, for, the well enchanting skill of music, and with a tale forsooth he cometh unto you, with tale, which holdeth children from play, and olde men from the Chimney corner ...’ Philip Sidney, The Defence of Poesie (1580)
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Perform for Audience
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Perform for Audience • Make it memorab memorable: le: allite alliteratio ration, n, rhyme rhyme
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Perform for Audience • Make it memorab memorable: le: allite alliteratio ration, n, rhyme rhyme • The ‘As You Like It’ concept = give them what they want: - Stories/tales/themes that relate to them - Use ‘type-scenes’ they would expect - Technically good poetry
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What did they want? • Heroes Heroes / brave bravery ry / battle battless • Loya Loyalt lty y / fe feud udss • Meditation Meditationss on life life and and fate, fate, including including the harsher aspects - exile • Common Common type-sce type-scenes: nes: ‘beasts ‘beasts of of battle’ battle’ ‘arming of the hero’ ‘hero on the beach’
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Old English Poetry: The Technicalities • Each line > two half-li half-lines nes (a b; b; on-verse on-verse and and offoffverse), broken by caesura • Each half-line half-line = min. min. 4 syllabl syllable, e, two two stresses stresses (usually) fall on ‘meaningful’ elements • Within ithin line half-l half-lines ines are are linked linked by alliter alliteratio ation n • In ‘a’ one or both both stresses stresses alliter alliterates ates with with first stress stress of ‘b’
Or … • ‘… Anglo-Saxon Anglo-Saxon poetry poetry is is in reality reality a syzygy syzygy of dipodic hemistichs’ • S. Fry, The Ode Less Travelled (2005), p. 99
Grimre guðe,
ġif þu Grendles dearst (l.525)
/
x
/
x
(stress/unstress stress/unstress)
Grimre guðe, 1
2
3
4
ġif þu Grendles dearst (l.525)
(syllables)
= alliteration
Deep in my dark the dream shines Yes, of you, you dear always; My cause to cry, cold but my Story still, still my music Auden, The Age of Anxiety
Sievers 5 Types A
/
X
/
X
B
X
/
X
/
C
X
/
/
X
D
/
/
\
X
/
/
X
\
/
\
X
/
E
•Edward Sievers (1885) •/ = stress, \ = half-stress, x = unstressed or light stress
Sievers 5 Types A
/
X
/
X
Trochee?
B
X
/
X
/
Iamb?
C
X
/
/
X
Antispast?
D
/
/
\
X
Ionic major?
/
/
X
\
/
\
X
/
E
Choriamb?
•Edward Sievers (1885) •/ = stress, \ = half-stress, x = unstressed or light stress
Poetic Style • Allite Alliterat ration ion - double double allit alliterat eration ion,, ornamental alliteration • Parall Paralleli elisms sms and variat variation ion • Comple Complex x micro-s micro-stru tructu ctures res such such as ‘ring ‘ring compositions’ (chiastic structure e.g. ‘abccba’) • Poetic Poetic dictio diction n - ‘kenni ‘kennings ngs’’ • Uses ‘formu ‘formulas’ las’ > oral oral formulaic formulaic theory theory • = comp compli lica cate ted d synt syntax ax
So, Old English poetry • Has Has two two half half-l -lin ines es • Each half-l half-line ine has has two two stresse stressess or beats beats • Lines are linked linked by alliter alliteration ation but we also also see internal rhyme • They They have repeat repeated ed phrases phrases which which they they reused reused • It was was performed performed,, off off the cuff, cuff, from from memory memory • Does Does this this remi remind nd you you of of anyth anything ing??
Authorship • We know poems poems are are untitle untitled d • We know it was an oral oral culture culture moving moving to a literate one • We know poems poems were were written written down down c. 1,000 • So who or what what is an author in Old English? English?
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Sources and analogues which appear elsewhere: e.g. Sigurd in Volsungasaga
6th century Beowulf
Beowulf
8th century composition
Beowulf
Old Norse: 13th Century
Beowulf
c. 1,000 AD
Scribe(s) as authors? Author dictated it? 38
Deor
Deor • Litera Literal: l: A series series of stanza stanzass telling telling of mythical, heroic events from Germanic past, ending with poet’s plight • Appears Appears in the the Exeter Exeter Book Book but but an earlie earlierr date? date? • Thematic: Thematic: That passed passed away away, so may may this - ‘things ‘things can only get better’ • Audienc Audience: e: storie storiess of their their roots, roots, conso consolat lation ion • Technical echnically ly good and and interest interesting ing poetry poetry • But But who who is the the auth author or?? Deor Deor?? • A poem that that links links or interlaces interlaces with with other other aspects aspects 40 of 46
Wayland the smith > Wayland’s smithy > Old Norse Literature > Wagner Wagner
Weland knew the torment of the serpents upon him resolute man, he had suffered s uffered hardships; he had sorrow and longing for his companions, the pain of winter-cold, he often encountered misfortune since Nithhad had laid constraints upon him, supple sinew-bonds upon the better man. As that passed over, so can this.
Wayland
Franks casket, c. 650
The Three Wise Men
Wayland
The Three Wise Men
Halloween
Franks casket, c. 650
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Summary • Old Engl English ish poems poems are are untitl untitled, ed, and and anonymous • Mostly Mostly survive survive in 4 manuscr manuscripts ipts c. 1,000 1,000 AD • Range Range from from riddle riddless to epic epicss • Old English English poetry poetry has a tight structure structure with with strict rules • Issues of authors authorship, hip, audien audience, ce, perform performance ance
Next Next Week eek • How does does Old Englis English h surviv survive? e? • The Birth Birth of of Engli English sh Pros Prosee • Who were Alfred, Alfred, Ælfric, Ælfric, and Wulfsta Wulfstan? n? • Why shou should ld a pregn pregnant ant woma woman n not eat eat acorns?
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