The epic celebrates virtues of national, military, religious, cultural, political, or historical significance. An epic is a long narrative poem, composed in an elevated style, dealing with the trials and achievements of a great hero or heroes. Scholars debate almost everything about Beowulf, including the question of whether it should be considered an epic at all. Here, the extra spacing has been eliminated from brief quotes for the sake of simplicity. In the Anglo-Saxon, each line is separated into two parts by a caesura (indicated by spacing). Lines quoted are simply indicated in parentheses. Chickering, Jr.'s dual-language (facing-page) translation, Beowulf (New York: Anchor Books, Doubleday, 1977), introduction and commentary by the translator. Performances like this are presented in Beowulf by Hrothgar's court scop, honoring Beowulf. The poet's skill was judged by how well he could weave the stories into an effective, entertaining presentation. The scop's audience was probably familiar with the story and the various allusions in the poem.
The scop would sing or chant the poem, rather than recite it, usually to the accompaniment of a harp. The poem would have been performed for audiences at court or on the road as the scop (preferred pronunciation, "shop") found audiences to support him.
The poem was created in the oral-formulaic tradition (or oral poetic method), probably developing over a period of time with roots in folk tales and traditional stories until a single, very talented poet put it in something very near its current form. Signed copies available in my shop.Beowulf probably was composed in England sometime in the eighth century ad and written down circa1000 ad by a literate scop (bard) or perhaps a Christian scribe who was possibly educated in a monastery. Purchase The Wolf, The Walnut and The Woodsman from any good bookshop, or direct from the author. Preparing an evil power || Making its vile plansĬame the one whose name we quietly swear || That diavol. Unseen by tawny owl to tell || Or even tiny pipistrelleīy lurking under root and limb || Girding its fearsome loins Its cryptic camouflage || Found the nightjar kipping Unbeknown a fracture formed || And beneath it, a foulnessĪ shadow of shade || A darkness in the shallows Yet as sun and moon sauntered || Ignorant in celestial solitude The woodsman wielded his axe || Breathing life to the world While bavins baked || And ships sailed on bended knee In tongues a tenon deep || Sung in respectful timbreīy a wisdom woven in nature || Nurturing a home of wild When working woods || Were wooed in whispers Over to you … An extract from The Legend of Parousia What! A tale of a time || From troubadours of yore The Legend of Parousia should be read aloud with gusto, as a troubadour might in a moonlit forest clearing while her listeners gather among the shadowed tree boles. Without giving too much away, the extract below (and the longer recording) features only a small part of the 800+ word epic poem. My reading of The Legend of Parousia, from: The Wolf, The Walnut and The Woodsman
0 kommentar(er)
