Posts Tagged ‘Nowell Codex’

Beowulf movie – Movie made following plot of First Ancient English (Anglo-Saxon) epic poem Beowulf from 6th century

Thursday, January 31st, 2013

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Beowulf (pron.: /ˈbeɪ.ɵwʊlf/; in Old English [ˈbeːo̯wʊlf] or [ˈbeːəwʊlf]) is the conventional title[note 1] of an Old English heroic epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative long lines, set in Scandinavia, commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature. It survives in a single manuscript known as the Nowell Codex. Its composition by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet is dated between the 8th and the early 11th century. In 1731, the manuscript was badly damaged by a fire that swept through a building housing a collection of Medieval manuscripts assembled by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton. The poem fell into obscurity for decades, and its existence did not become widely known again until it was printed in 1815 in an edition prepared by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin. In the poem, Beowulf, a hero of the Geats in Scandinavia, comes to the help of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall (in Heorot) has been under attack by a monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf slays him, Grendel's mother attacks the hall and is then also defeated. Victorious, Beowulf goes home to Geatland in Sweden and later becomes king of the Geats. After a period of fifty years has passed, Beowulf defeats a dragon, but is fatally wounded in the battle. After his death, his attendants bury him in a tumulus, a burial mound, in Geatland.


 

Beowulf – First Epic English poem screened – Part 1 (FULL MOVIE)


 

Beowulf – First Epic English poem screened – Part 1 (FULL MOVIE)

I couldn't suppress my impression of Beowulf being naked, fighting the monster. Actually on many occasions he is either naked or half dressed its mostly ridiculos 🙂

Readable English translation of Beowulf can be downloaded and read from here
I try reading the poem, but  it is really difficult and it was too darky for me so I couldn't complete it all. Hopefully for those who are ancient English freaks it will surely be of great interest.

Besides above  movie, there is a newer movie retelling Beowulf epic story from 1999. I found it in youtube. I include it here for those who want to get a better visiolization of the movie.


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 1


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 2


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 3


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 4


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 5


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 6


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 7


 

1999 Beowulf epic poem movie Part 8