Welcome, MHS Class of '08! It's a great pleasure to welcome you to your home on the web--your class blogsite.
Ever since we first began using online bulletin boards as a way to converse about literature and writing (all the way back in the early '90's, and please don't feel the need to comment about how long ago that was, or how old you were then), it was always my intent to do the same in my classroom. Admittedly, it took a little longer than I thought, but here we are.
I have put this space together for the benefit of your academic pursuit--to expand your ability to converse about the texts we will be discussing. This space is essentially yours to post relevant--and presumably intelligent--comments and questions regarding our readings. At the moment, that will shortly consist of Seamus Heaney's translation of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf." No doubt you have many question to pose--you can be certain that I did, when I first read it.
Please note the following rules:
1. ONLY students enrolled in MHS English IV Pd. 5/6 may post comments here. This is not a discussion board intended for the world--or any other MHS students.
2. Anyone who posts must do so with their REAL first name. Any posts found to be made using names other than real (for example, posting using another student's name) will be dealt with according to school disciplinary policy. And what's more, you won't receive due credit if your name isn't linked with your post.
3. All discussion will proceed in respectful, scholarly manner.
4. To ensure that #3 is obeyed, I will personally monitor all discussions on this blog. It's not that I don't trust teenagers to behave in responsible ways. . .oh, wait--yes, it is. I don't. Don't take it personally.
5. Do not expect me to comment on every posting, even if a question has been directly asked of me by one of you. I am much more interested to see whether your fellow scholars are capable of suggesting viable answers and explanations. I reserve the right to comment when and if I deem it necessary. Frequently, I will allow a discussion thread to continue unabated, in order to bring that thread into class for further investigation.
6. From time to time, if the mood strikes me, I may make a comment or pose a question, or refer you to some additional reading I've discovered. Just because I've done that does not make you obligated to respond. . .at least, not yet.
7. Just in case you haven't been told this yet--or you have, but forgot--please remember: this course is designed to prepare you for the traditional Composition class required of all college freshmen. Reconcile yourself to the gravity of that reality right now, and be prepared to handle the work that will reasonably emerge for you this year--if you must, remind yourself that the work you do now will pay larger dividends wherever you find yourself next year. Conduct yourself with that level of academic responsibility in mind.
8. Oh--and, yes, the blog will be a required element of your grade each marking period, so make it a part of your daily online ritual. Check it frequently, and post or comment consistently. The concept of "participation" is now no longer restricted to the classroom walls!
That's all I can think of at the moment, but I also reserve the right to change/adjust/modify/ invent as we go along. Because I can, that's why.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and seeing you all in in class each day.
MR. LAZ
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41 comments:
What happens if we comprehend the majority of the reading? How can we help others? My guess would be periodical checks on the blog. - K Fahey
On page 4 from our assigned reading, i was confused about what had happened to all of the literature stored at "one" monastary until the middle of the twelth century. What happened to the literature? Was it lost?
I also did not get the first thing about Mythic hero #3 during the power point, if any one has it please let me know. I have "The path is not always clear..." and thats it.
I think what was meant by mythic hero # 3 was that the hero either knows the end point of the journey but not what he/she will face, or the hero will know where they are going but not how to get there. Lisa S.
The literature of early England was not lost because if so, how do we know about them today? After the twelfth century, the written literature stored the old texts were spread among the monasteries because only the clergymen were taught to read and write. The spread of these texts would take a long time due to the facts that priests had to copy the text from one piece of vellum to a new one by hand.
Just wanted to say that I have never been interested in learning during english class and mostly just trying to breeze through the subject without actually caring. However, the way that Mr. Lazarow teaches and his influence could stir my thoughts into thinking otherwise. This year I expect to be difficult, but I expect to learn a lot and receive necessary information needed for college success. Fight on Penn State!
Did anyone ever see Lady in the Water? Its basically about the same thing we've been learning about. Most literature uses the same basic principles. Its sooo weird!! Jess O.
Mythic hero #3 is the hero knows his destination but doesn't know how to get there, or the hero knows how to get there but doesn't know what to expect along the way..-Matt R
So can anyone think of any good ones?? All I've got so far is Tom Sawyer and Odysseus. I guess you could throw in Penelope, Odysseus' wife, too, because she had to deal with all the suitors....maybe??
Our recent discussions have been very interesting, probably because we're on the topics of some of our favorite movies and not books written before humor was invented. Kidding! But in all seriousness, it was really neat to reflect on all those movies containing heros we've seen in our lives and how they all fall under the same pattern in their own unique ways. One hero I would like to point out is a man we all know and love, Ron Burgundy. With all this hero discussion I think we overlook those comedic, silly movies. I ran through our list of characteristics of a hero and found he fit right in except for the most important part, a quest. What is his journey? Is Ron Burgundy really a hero or is Anchorman just following the standard three part rise and fall aspect of conventional movies. Although he isn't necessarily a "mythic" character, he was certainly a hero to those of the great city of San Deigo, which we all know in German means...Saint Deigo. Please help me.
-Will
Well I was sitting in my family room watching tv, when this comercial for a new movie came on! It was the Seeker. This movie seems to run along the same guide lines for the Mythic Hero Archetype. A young boy struggling through school, is enlightened by the guide. They show him he has special powers, and needs to use those powers to save the world! Well doesn't that sound a bit familiar? So i ran to my computer to get that example out of the way. But everyone is having so much trouble with this. If you don't remember Mr. Laz saying this then i'll refresh your memory! This applies to everyday life. The Child turns into the Parent, and then they have a child. And so the cycle begins. You can use any example from your own experiance to tie into this concept. Sooo... don't think too hard! It's right in front of you!!!! K Fahey
I like the approach you took Will! I never thought of broadening my search to other genres of movies! If you have to, dig into the Disney movies, they are mostly identical to the Mythic Heroic Archetype. K Fahey
Funny Will, but also very true. Before I posted I ran and looked at all our movie collection. It was surprising how many there were that used the Heroic Archtype. I tried to think back to all the books I've read, but that's almost as impossible as Mr. Laz picking a favorite movie. I didn't even think about looking at Disney movies though. Aladin would be a really good one.
I just got done from rewatching Anchorman just to see if I could spot any more examples and I came to the conclusion that Ron Burgundy is NOT a mythic hero. The mythic hero goes through an exhausting journey that symbolizes the journey of life. While Anchorman deals with many of the problems that life entails (love, friendship, finding yourself), it doesn't signify the journey of life itself. Although I was wrong the first time, I think I know have a greater understanding of archetypes and what a mythic hero is.
This one was bound to come up so I guess i'll start it off.
IMPORTANT
IF YOU HAVE NOT READ EVERY HARRY POTTER BOOK THIS MAY SPOIL SOME THINGS SO DONT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS
Harry potter, Novel or movie, whichever you would like to refer to, is a great example of the mythic hero archetype.#1 Harry has a scar on his forehead ( which is symbolic of him beign different than everyone else, it makes him an outcast in a way) from surviving the "killing curse" from Voldemort (the bad guy). Harry may have crossed the threshold at many different points in the series, but i would think the most likely would be when he is informed of his real identity as a wizard and his past, or when he finds out he is the chosen one. #2 He has incredible witts and common sense, and has a lot of luck (or maybe skill) on his side, but his vunerablity is, the scar on his forehead, and the fact that he is only an inexperienced boy (at the start anyways). #3 He has no idea what the path is or how to get there. He only knows that he must kill Voldemort. #4 His quest is very dangerous, and he is constantly escaping death's shadowy grasp. He feels very lonely, even though he has friends, and he thinks that he alone has to do his quest. he often is tempted to give up due to the magnitude of his quest.#5 he is accompanied in part by his school house, and memebers of the order of the phoenix (the rebel good guy team). Most importantly he has his friends Ron and Hermoine. With all of these companions none are more present than Ron and Hermoine, and neither of them are present during the "final battle". Harry does that alone. #6 Harry has many guides; his teachers, some of his friends, but most importantly, he has the schools headmaster Dumbledore. Just like the Archetype suggests Dumbledore is revered, odd, offers important advice, is ussually ambiguous with his advice, and he is much more than he reveals himself to be. He is also older, and is not powerful enough to defeat the enemy; only Harry is. Harrys initiation is survivng Voldemort's curse. Lastly Dumbledore does not accompany Harry for the entire Journey, he is killed, leaving Harry alone, and unsure. #7 Harry has multiple descents into darkness, the greatest of which in my opinion, is when he must face voldemort, knowing he has to let himself be killed. When Harry faces his destiny he returns to the light as the archetype suggests, and is revived( i forget whether he actually died or it just seemed like he died). Either way he is returning to the light, and a huge burden is lifted from him, he is cleansed and renewed. #8 After he is "killed" by Voldemort and isin purgatory, or sleeping, or in dream world or whatever you want to call it,he talks toDumbledore and finally receives full enlightenment, EVERYTHING IS NOW CLEAR. Every question from the 1st novel is now answered (I think). #9 Harry is killed as a part of the process of a acheiving the goal. This is the only Archetype that may not be 100% dead on. This is because he is revived again. im not sure but i actually think that as long as he suffered some sort of wound along thwe way it counts so then it would be right. He sufferes several emotional and physical wounds along the way, and during the final battle. #10 Harry becomes the new guide. HE gets married and has kids, he is now his kids teachers.
the end
Harry Potter officially mimics the Arcetype for a mythic hero.
I doubt any one read the whole thing, or this, but i wanted to prove how dead on it is.
Sorry about all the spelling / grammer errors that are most likely going to be all over the place. I diddn't re-read it, because well, it's really long.
A great film that follows the Mythic Hero archetype is 300. #1. At the beginning of the film, Leonidas is cast out into the harsh winter and is forced to survive on his own. He eventually defeats the wolf that has been stalking him and returns home to be crowned king. This aspect fits in because he is from inside the community but possesses a hidden difference of being extremely skilled in combat. #2 The king may be an extremely skilled fighter, but he is still mortal and will do anything to protect his family. #3 Leonidas must leave his home in order to protect the city state at a choke point which is foreign to the troops. #4 Leonidas is in the midst of an eternal battle between countless hordes of Persians in a land that is far from his home. The burden of protecting the land is on the soldiers, but since Leonidas is the king it ultimately rests on his shoulders to protect the people. He is constantly tempted to abandon the quest and is bribed by Xerxes to surrender and spare his own life. #5 Leonidas is accompanied by his soldiers who help him hold off his enemy, but in the end, many of them fall in battle. #6 In this film, the only guide is the one that teaches Leonidas to be a strong spartan before he goes off on his own to survive the wilderness. #7 The hero descends into darkness when he is bribed by Xerxes after his army has been surrounded. Leonidas has a choice to join the Persian army, spare Sparta, and become a general in his army, or die in battle. He is begged by his troops and almost gives in. #8 Leonidas changes in that he and his troops are then willing to sacrifice their lives to stop the Persians. He then refuses wishing Xerxes that "may he live forever" (spartan insult- death in battle glorious) and scars the god king, showing that he is still mortal. #9 The hero in this film is killed in the process of achieving his goal, showing that the god king is mortal and protecting his land. #10 Finally, knowledge of Leonidas is brought back to Sparta by Dilios , who uses this knowledge of the enemy to gather 40,000 Greek soldiers to fight the Persians which Dilios leads himself. The film is a narrative by Dilios, whom in the beginning is seen telling the tale of Leonidas to children.
The discussion of the Mythic Hero Archetype made me think of how all genres of literature and films follow some type of outline, similar to the hero archetype. For example, most romantic comedies follow the same scheme of: boy meets girl, they fall in love, boy and girl get in a fight, they reconcile, and they live happily ever after. Though this sounds elementary, the discussion in class made me realize that this basis to the majority of all stories follow an archetype. Specifically, the mythic hero archetype made me think of Surf Ninjas! Its an old movie, but it follows this archetype very obviously. Brittany M.
I am reading the Bourne Trilogy and many of the Mythic Hero points apply to the book. The only point that is different is the guide to the hero. For Jason Bourne, the guide is his alternate personality. There is "David Webb" and "Jason Bourne". They are both one human being but "Jason Bourne" is the cold-bolded assassin who works undercover for the CIA and "David Webb" is the scholar/family man. So long story short, "Jason Bourne" guides "David Webb" in his missions going after Treadstone.
Point 1 applies because when you first meet him, you don't know who he is and neither does he. So the audience joins him in his journey to find out who he is. Point 2 applies by that he maybe seem "invincible" physically by taking down anyone who attacks him but his weakness is more complicated. His weakness is not knowing who he is and not being able to recognize when he is "Jason Bourne" or "David Webb". For "Jason Bourne" his path is extremely difficult. Point 3 states that the character either knows his destination and not how to get there OR the character knows the route but not what is ahead. "Jason Bourne" doesn't have a clue on where he is going or what to look for. Later on in the book, he starts to get clues but they are rare. Point 4 is also different in the books. The hero is facing situations that he HAS faced before but they come out of instinct. He has no idea why he does certain things. For example, attacking the police in the movie when they ask for his papers. He is however in an "alien country", which is his mind. He knows Paris and the other countries he goes to. Point 5 applies because he meets Marie, who in the books is a Canadian Economics scholar and works for the Canadian government. In the movie she is a poor woman from Germany. He is always descending into the darkness, especailly in his mind, as stated in point 7. For Point 8, he somewhat is a different person. He recognizes who he is but still doesn't quite understand. He is confused. He is always wounded in someway (point 9). And finally, point 10, doesn't apply because yes, he finds Treadstone, but none of them understand the knowledge he brought back and they try to kill him on multiple occasions. Some is useful but since he is a part of a secret division of the CIA, no one in his community recognize his accomplishments.
If you like the Bourne movies, I highly recommend the books. They are completely different than the movies. ~Heather C
I remember that movie. Its so strange to think of all these movies/books and realize that they all do follow the Heroic Archtype. it makes you wonder if authors/directors keep a list of the heroic archtypes by them while they write/film. I can just picture them, "Outcast main character. Check! Weakness. Check!..." and so on. I noticed that no one really came up with TV shows (because most of them no are all the same), but I did think of a couple oldies. There used to be a Hercules show with Kevin Sorbo and though I doesn't exactly follow the real myth of Hercules, it does go along with the archtype. #1 He's outcast because of his strenght and that he is the son of a god and a mortal. #2 His weakness is his value in a life (he won't kill needlessly) and the love of his dead family. #3 He doesn't know what to do in order to defeat Hera (or at least to get her to leave him alone). #4 Even though he has godlike strenght, he can still be killed and his friends can be killed because of him. #5 He is accomponied by his best bud Iolaus, maybe once in a while Xena and Gabrielle might show up. Well you get the picture. I won't even get started on Xena because I'm sure most of you don't remember it much. Oh by the way, if you're looking to get the Beowulf book for class barnes & nobles and the Borders in the mall is sold out, but I don't know about the one on 38.
Hi. It's. Chris C. I was thinking about what Mr. Lazarow said today about thinking about books or movies you know that follow the Mythic Hero Archetype senario, and Harry Potter kept popping into my head. I believe that the Seventh book best demonstrates this. But it is present in all of them. For Mythic Hero #1 Harry does not know his own background so how are we supposed to. This is very mysterious. Mythic Hero #2 is demonstrated many times throughout the series. An example is when he looses all the bones in his arm. Mythic Hero #3 is demonstrated in the sevnth book when harry and his friends know exactly what they need to do (get the horcruxes), but they did not know where to find them. Throughout the series people are always trying to get in Harry's way. This demonstrates Mythic Hero #4. Harry is also always followed by his two best friends Ron and Hermione. There is Mythic Hero #5. number 6 is shown by the character of Albus Dumbuldor. If you recall It is always night when Harry Fights Voldemort, which proves Mythic Hero #7. Mythic Hero #8 Is shown by how Harry changes while he is about to die. He has a positive attitude which is what eventually saves him. In Harry Potter, Harry dies during the fight with voldemort, and even though he comes back to life this demonstrates #9. Last but not least #10 is demonstrated in the "life after hogwarts section" of the book. Overall I think that J.K. Rowling purposely followed this format. By doing this she guaranteed the success of her books. If you think about it all the examples we talked about in class were some of the greatest movies ever made. It must be for a reason. -Chris C.
One of my favorite Movies is Called Equilibrium and it follows the archetype very well actually. It starts out by being a futuristic distopian society that takes a drug called prozium to surpress feelings so that there are no wars and riots and murders and crimes, but there are people called sense offenders who do not take the drug and hold themselves up in the outer regions of society where they have contraband such as art and anything that evokes feeling. In order to deal with these "sense offenders" there are people named Clerics who are trained to go out and basically brutally murder these criminals, so in this movie the main cleric starts off as being the best of them all, killing anyone he is told too and he even kills his own partner and lets them kill his own wife!! well eventually he stops taking his medication and he joins this underground group of criminals but doesn't let anyone know he stopped taking it so he helps destroy this society from the inside and in the end he comes to confront the evils within himself which were basically his emotions telling him how wrong this society really is. Very good movie, very violent however, and PROBABLY not school appropriate! But thats my thoughts on what I can relate our class discussions too.
-Doug Z
Hey Ryan, I complete agree with you on the topic of 300 as being a perfect "mthic hero" archetype. The only part of your comment I question is #6. I believe there might be two other anwsers for this one. I think possibly Leonidas' father could have been his guide, seeing as there is a scene in which Leonidas is teaching his own son how to fight and I believe his father did the same, unless there's a part I'm missing where they explain he grew up without a father. Another possible guide could not be a person at all, but a long standing tradition. Spartans believed in honor and pride so greatly that it was probably what guided him in his actions (for example, when he's asking his wife how he should go about the persians, and she said, "ask yourself 'what would a free man do?'"). She didn't say, "what would your dad have done?" or "what would the old king do?" but rather told him to follow the same way of life that had been occuring in Sparta for centuries.
i definitly agree with everything Greg said about Harry Potter. During class the whole time i was thinking how closely related Harry Potter is to the mythic hero archetype. Everything J.K.Rowling wrote went right with each step of the mythic hero archetype. I wonder if she knew about the archetype beforehand or if it just worked out that way? Greg, i think you're right that even though Harry dies and then is revived again, it counts for number 9 because he does suffer emotional wounds, but he also is physically weaker than he was before he dies. He doesnt have that same adreneline as he did when he was walking into the forest to meet Voldemort. When he is lieing on the ground, he has to regroup himself because he is out of it when he comes back to life. So, i do think that #9 is dead on, even though it might not be as obvious.-R. Fink
Thanks, I definitly agree with you as well. It was difficult trying to remember everything that happened. I think J.K. Rowling did know about the archetype because her novels followed it so closely. Who knows though, maybe she just had good instincts
I just have to say that the virtual connections felt by classmates is phenomenal. Who would have thought that a Disney film would contain an archetype hero? Well as I finished watching Hanna Montanna on the Disney channel, an ad for the movie "Mulan appeared on the screnn and i recalled the heroic traits she displayed. #1 Mulan was rejected by society because she didn't fit the description of a dainty housewife, and she couldn't find a husband. #2 Her weaknesses are being young, naïve, and inexperienced. #3 Her journey was never clear but her goal was to prevent her father from joining the army and eventually to save China from the Huns. #4 The journey is obviously dangerous because she is in war and feels loneliness because she cannot relate to the male soldiers. #5 She is accompanied by her dragon friend Mushu, her horse, and she is always with the soldiers. #6 Her father can be seen as a guide because of his wisdom and skill. Also the ancient spirits (Musho being one of them) guide Mulan spiritually. #7 Mulan descends into darkness when she is discovered to be a female, the army releases her. She is then filled with great isolation and rensentment. #8 When Mulan saves the emperor and defeats the Huns, fireworks (light) are set off in celebration. #9 Mulan is physically wounded (she got shanked). #10 Literally the entire community witnesses Mulan and her comrades defeat the Huns and every person changes their perspective of women.
Well i hope you toss and turn at night trying to comprehend what was just written.
p.s. Hanna Montanna really wasn't on tonight, I was at practice while it was showing.
If anyone has read the pages assigned for tonight then you know what i'm talking about! When the alliteration line's containments are explained, my mind just goes blank. The description throws me off!!! Why must they make it so detailed! its seems more detailed than Modern English! i'll be back on later for amswers! - k fahey
alright this old and middle english prosody has me confused from the beginning. Can someone please explain in the first paragraph what it means by "The Old English alliterative line contains, on the average, four principal stresses and is divided into two half-lines of two stresses each by a strong medial caesura, or pause." I don't really understand what the rest of it means but if someone could help me with that I think i can figure the rest out. thanks!..R Fink
Here's my outline hopefully it helps some of you with your reading.
Old English Prosody
I. Single Line Verse - Old English
A. rhyme does not link lines
B. Alliteration(begins with same
sound)
1. 4 Principal Stresses
a.divided into 2 half lines
of 2 stresses each
i. separated by a strong
medial caesura(pause)
ii. lined by alliteration
ab. at least one of the
two stressed words
in the first half
line or both begin
with the same
sound.
C. "sc" = "sh" sound
D. "'p" = "th" sound
E. ***Any vowel alliterates with
any other vowel***
F. Length of unstressed syllables
+ pattern governed by complex
rules
1. meant to be sung whilst
a harp was strumming
II. Middle English
A. alternately stressed rhyming
verse (adopted from French after conquest)
B. alliterative verse from Old
English
1. deviations often occurred
i. may contain 4,5,6,7 or
more stressed words,
all or minimum req may
alliterate
2. no rule determining the
number of unstressed
syllables
3. any vowel may alliterate
with any other vowel
a. "h" is silent, begin
with next vowel if at
beginning of word
4. two general types of
stresses
a. stressed/unstressed
alternating(xXxXx)
b. two stressed intervening
(xxXxxX)
c. or a combination of
said patterns(or reverse)
d. predetermined # of
stressed syllables but
irregular # of
unstressed syllables
(e.g play- Everyman)
Post anything that I am missing. Sorry for the formatting.
The assigned reading was extremely dense and hard to understand.I read it over several times and still cannot make sense of the descriptions of the poetry format. Stressed and unstressed syllables...half-lines?hmmm. Brittany M.
The reading was definately difficult and I think the only way I will be able to understand completely is when part of Beowulf is read outloud. That way I can hear the alliteration and the way the syllables run together. I glanced at the beginning of Beowulf and I tried to read a bit out loud to myself but I am not completely sure on how the words are supposed to be together. I also wonder if the rules that the reading described doesn't carry over to Modern English well. It might be that Beowulf flows very well in its original Old English. Am I wrong? ~Heather C
Thanks for that outline Ryan. It helped to clear some things up. However, I'm still having trouble understanding the formatting of the alliterations and where they fall into place...
Thanks for the outline ryan. I understood most of the assigned reading but it was difficult to decipher nonetheless. I am most likely going to have a difficult time reading Beowulf because of the Old English language, however Beowulf has to be a decent story if hollywood decided to make it into a movie.
A story that I could relate the heroic archetype is the novel Eragon. I read this book back in freshman year and I saw it on my book shelf yesterday and decided that it fit the heroic archetype perfectly! The story is about dragons, magic, and of course an evil king that wants to defeat all of the rebellious population. Eragon, a boy about the age of 16, is a farm boy living with his uncle because his parents were killed. (almost like harry potter...) Then he meets his guide, and of course the guide dies trying to protect him from evil. Then he meets a new guide that teaches him other powers so he can defeat the evil dictator king. I beleive most if not all heroic stories follow the same archetype.
So i just finished re-reading pg. 29-32, and i just want to make sure i am understanding it right.
Basically all it is talking about it the family fued, the war, and somewhat recaping what the poem we are about to read is about. It also throws in the meaning of some of the names as well as how to pronounce some of the more awkward names. Any thoughts on the passage?
-Matt R
The introduction of Beowulf was interesting. It is unfortunate that the fire in 1731 destroyed most of the manuscripts and damaged the manuscript Beowulf. It was also noted that the unknown poet of Beowulf was Christian and his poem reflects well-established Christian tradition. He was also trying to revive the heroic language, style, and pagan world of ancient Germanic oral poetry. The passage also talked about the most important human relationship at the time was between lord and thane. Also the names frequently identified the family relationships as "son of ..." or "kinsmen of ...". Any other key points in the passage? ~Heather C
Summary of the introduction of Beowulf.
Shield Sheafson,founder of the Danes, was a ruthless leader whose powers began to grow. He then conquered all of the clans across the ocean, who then had to obey the Danes and pay them tribute. God then granted Shield a son, Beow, who became very well known and was admired by many.
Later, Shield died while he was still in his prime while enforcing the law among the Danes. They then sent his corpse out to sea with weapons and treasure, a kings burial.
Beow then ruled the Danes after his fathers death and soon his heir, the great Halfdane, lead the Danes. The Halfdane had two daughters and two sons: Halga, Onela, Herorgar, and Hrothgar.
Fortunes favored Hrothgar whose kinsman grew to the size of a mighty army. He then planned to build a great hall, later named Heorot, which he meant to become a wonder of the world. Law would be created it Heorot and Hrothgar would give goods to the young and old here.
The introduction ends with an allusion to the future destruction of Heorot by fire in a raid by the Heatho-Bards.
Thanks for the summary Ryan. That definately sums up the introduction of Beowulf. This translation is relatively easy to read. And note to anyone who bought the book, I would also look in the packet because the packet has great notes on the bottom of each page. These notes also make the text easier to understand. ~Heather C
Ryan, you're awesome for making summaries for all of the readings. They are really helpfull. So, thanks! In the part that we're supposed to read, Heorot is attacked, what is Cain's relationship to Grendel? Did he kinda create him?
As far as i know, Cain did not create Grendel nor did he spawn him in any way. I think Grendel is merely a descendant of Cain's blood line.
anyway
Heres what i got out of the reading assigned for sept 26
There is much turmoil in Herot, but King Hygelac, of the Geats, is having no such problems. he prepares a boat to help defend Herot from the monstosity Grendel. Beowulf is not identified right away but i think is assumed to be the boats captain.
The 15 shipmembers easily sailed to Herot, greeted by watchmen. the watchmen challenege the new arrivals and the Geats do not stand down. Beeowulf appears to let off an aura of nobility (the watchmen are in awe of his splender). Beowuld identifys himself as the son of Ecgtheow and as a geat that serves Lord Hygelac.
The group is excorted to Herot. Beowuld revelas his name to Hrothgar's herald/officer. The herald announces beowulfs arrival and request for an audiance to Hrothgar, who approves. Hrothgar recognizes Beowulfs name, and knows his father (he knew Beowulf as a boy). Beowulf then talks about how hes so awesome and about all of the deeds he has done, ending with his intention to battle Grendel. He nobly decides to fight without a sword and shield (hand to hand combat). He explains that it is a battle of fate in a matter of words. Then Hrothgar accepts Beowulfs request and explains a prior fued with Beowulf's father that he resolved.
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