Beowulf Assignment Essay

1) Leslie Webster: Archaeology and Beowulf 2) There are many difficulties incorporated throughout Beowulf which challenge the modern day reader but which are also significant factors in the overall literary experience of the text. One of the main challenges that presents itself, according to 1925 Watt and Chambers, is the translation of Beowulf, the oldest English epic, from archaic Anglo-Saxon English into modern day English, applied with the reader’s already established, own contemporary knowledge and conceptions of the language. Leslie Webster declares it is also possible to be led into a manifold of misinterpretations when combining the important elements of poetic description, complex historical features and archaeological accounts along with our own current preconceptions. For example, it could be seen as an advantage for the reader to have an academic knowledge of early medieval north-western Europe prior to reading Beowulf. However, Webster argues that this may very well act as a disadvantage, since this could influence and shape the reader’s comprehension of the poem as they try to apply and relate their own knowledge to the text. This will cause difficulties for the reader in understanding when the poetic description does not correspond with their knowledge of hard archaeological facts. Webster claims that archaeology is a ‘fragile and incomplete witness’ and can therefore not to be entirely accepted as truth. The reality is there is no firm evidence therefore only conjectures can be made about what really occurred in the past. Furthermore, over centuries various archaeologists and editors have interpreted Beowulf differently and this indicates that the accuracy of the translation and its criticisms are questionable, consequently adding difficulty to our understanding of the text. The most apparent complication of Beowulf however, is understanding the significance of material possessions in the warrior culture during its time. They collected their spears in a seafarers’ stook, a stand of grayish tampering ash. And the troops themselves were as good as their weapons. (323-331) Physical objects such as weapons and armour are explicitly referred to continuously and consistently throughout the text and are obviously one of its most prominent features. This is difficult and unusual for the reader because in today’s society a person’s worth is not usually marked by their weaponry. 2 3) Leslie Webster’s essay helps the reader grasp the concepts of Beowulf by expressing it as ‘a poem, not an archaeological textbook.’ The carefully constructed poetic descriptions should therefore not always be taken literally word for word, but be looked upon as a symbolic story or moral for the respective audience of its time. Webster articulates in order to understand this text it is vital to put our own leaning preconceptions aside and study the differing forms of evidence with consideration. We must realise Beowulf is set in the past for this is important in perceiving that Anglo-Saxons’ history played a huge role in their lives and governed the way in which they lived. This is demonstrated in the text by repeated references to ancestors, heirlooms and legends. My lord, the conquering king of the Danes, bids me announce that he knows your ancestry; also that he welcomes you here to Heorot and salutes your arrival from across the sea. (391-394) During Anglo-Saxon times, the nature of a person’s ancestry judged their character and how they were treated in society. Beowulf was son of Ecgtheow, the later King of the Geats and was consequently a well respected, trusted and admired individual. The endless kennings can be confusing but one of its benefits is helping the reader remember the character’s ancestry and hence, their value in society. To a modern day reader monsters and legends are considered to be allegories or fables but Webster distinguishes that they are not uncommon to the Anglo-Saxons and were a normal part of life. We must accept this if we want the poem’s real meaning to be revealed. Beowulf is from an entirely different cultural context and we distinguish between the two realms of fiction and nonfiction by our innate ability to decouple. Although Heaney has brought in modern day equivalents in translating Anglo-Saxon English into Ulster English for the modern day reader to interpret and relate to, it is still not strictly precise and inevitably some of the previous, intentional meaning is lost. Webster’s distinct descriptions of weaponry also aid the reader into understanding the status of a character and this is not uncommon in archaeological contexts. Only a character of the highest status could manage to own the best defence weapons for the great time, effort and money involved in making them. However, Webster is undecided whether the difference between the highest/lowest characters is a fictional, poetic convention or if it resembles genuine, Anglo-Saxon rank divisions. 3 4) I have decided that Leslie Webster’s essay does solve the problem of difficulties involved throughout the text however, I believe these difficulties are also an important factor in achieving its literary effects. It could be said that the reader’s most eminent obstacle is attempting to connect with the old fashioned language and unfamiliarity of Anglo-Saxon attitudes and ways of life. In Heaney’s translation the reader is given the opportunity to get a real insight into what the Anglo-Saxons were like because of the language he uses. In addition to this, once this concept is understood, the language used becomes an authentic literal exercise for which understanding the text becomes all the more pleasurable and appreciated. If the carefully constructed, poetic descriptions were easy and effortless for us to comprehend then this would cause the whole meaning, purpose and originality of the poem to be lost. The various difficulties immersed in Beowulf have the subtle effect of drawing the reader in closer to the text, maintaining their concentration and once it is understood, a real sense of achievement is gained. I believe the explicit descriptions of weaponry are also a significant component in Beowulf and should not be considered lightly when looking at the way in which the text achieves its literary effects. The manner in which Heaney uses literary techniques when interpreting weaponry not only describes what they are made of, but also how they were skilfully and intricately formed and even how they sound when they move. Their mail-shirts glinted, hard and hand-linked; the high-gloss iron of their armor rang. (321-323) When Heaney’s descriptions are combined with Webster’s explanations, it becomes clear cut that the literal effect is intriguing and fascinating the reader and at the same time showing the importance and relevance of weaponry. Webster concludes by remarking that Heaney’s clever approach in adapting archaeological evidence in Beowulf united together with the merging of past and present, has the literal effect of capturing the poem’s extreme depth, attribute and quality. This is a unique poem which its layers and characteristics make it a difficult but interesting and different read.