Proseminar: Old English Heroic Poetry
Fr. 11.00-13.00
Geb. 23.21 Raum U1.83 Beginn: 15.04.2005
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The concept of heroic poetry has been at the centre of many scholars' interest in the interpretation of Old English literature, especially with regard to "Secular Heroic Poetry", "The Christian Saint as Hero" and even "Christ as Poetic Hero" (Greenfield).
According to this concept Anglo-Saxon literature was mainly concerned with the presentation of a certain heroic spirit and code of conduct:
"This heroic spirit manifested itself most strongly in the desire for fame and glory ... the code of conduct stressed the reciprocal obligations of lord and thanes ... a mutuality that was the core of the comitatus relationship described as early as A.D. 98 by the Latin historian Tacitus in his Germania and demonstrated as late as the 10th century in the historic English poem The Battle of Maldon." (Greenfield, p.80).
Thus the 'received interpretation' of Old English literature regards Beowulf and Maldon as "the only Old English poems in which the heroic attitude is fully realized and described". (Stanley, p.23).
In opposition to this, some modern literary historians believe that these preconceptions bar the view for other ways of interpretation, which might help to understand the poems' authentic meaning against their contemporary background. This does in fact imply a notion of heroism which should be to a large extent detached from its traditional conceptions as presented in the 'received interpretation'. This also implies the idea that Maldon and Beowulf voice a purpose of immediate interest for their contemporary audiences or even a prospective intention.
In this seminar we will read and discuss The Battle of Maldon, The Battle of Brunanburh and extracts from Beowulf in the context of tenth-century Anglo-Saxon history and culture. We will reflect upon various critical approaches to Old English literature and discuss the concept of heroism and the related genre of heroic poetry in general terms.
The texts and other materials will be available on the university's BSCW-Server. In order to get invited to the Heroic Poetry folders, you should send me your name and email address. (mail to: holteir@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de)
Recommended reading:
Editions:
The Battle of Maldon, in: Old and Middle English: An Anthology, ed. by Elaine Treharne. Oxford 2000:141-155.
The Battle of Brunanburh, in: Old and Middle English: An Anthology,
ed. by Elaine Treharne. Oxford 2000:28-33.
Beowulf, ed. by C. L. Wrenn, fully rev. by W. F. Bolton. London 1973.
or any other edition of these poems and various websites on these poems
Literary History:
S. B. Greenfield and D. G. Calder. A New Critical History of Old English Literature. New York/London 1986.
Historical situation and general information:
J. Campbell, E. John and P. Wormald. The Anglo-Saxons. Oxford 1982.
The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature, ed. by Malcolm Godden and Michael Lapidge. Cambridge 1991.
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Voraussetzungen: Teilnahme an Introduction to English Medieval Studies -
Part I: General and Part II: Old English
Leistungsnachweis: Abschlußprüfung (mündl. oder schriftl.)
Referat oder Hausarbeit
Veranstaltungstyp: Wahlpflicht M.A./Prom.
Der Inhalt der Lehrveranstaltung ist geeignet für die Zwischenprüfung
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© Rainer Holtei
last updated
20.09.2009
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