Beasts of Time: Apocalyptic BeowulfOver time the reputation of Beowulf as a poem continues to rise. Extant in only one manuscript, yet perhaps the most studied of English poems, it represents a remarkable text and artifact: the first European vernacular epic. And like much of the work of its age, Beowulf exhibits a strong native strain of apocalypticism, a pervasive awareness of the imminence of end-times. The chief source of its apocalyptic power, the poem's beasts, haunts the reader; one cannot depart the poem without a sense that the monsters and heroes continue their battle into the present and beyond. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Apocalyptic Backgrounds | 15 |
Beowulfs Tripartite Apocalypticism | 83 |
Copyright | |
3 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
allegorical allusions Anglo-Saxon apocalyptic apocalypticism appearance argues attack audience battle beasts becomes Bede beginning Beowulf Beowulf poet bring calls century Chapter Christ Christian comes concerns continual courage critics cross culture Danes death deeds destruction discussion doom dragon early earth earthly elements epic eschatology example fall fate fight finally fire follows future Geats Germanic glory Grendel Grendel's mother Hell Heorot hero heroic Hroðgar's human images influence interpretation judgment killed king lines literature live lord means medieval metaphor monsters myth narrative nature Norse notes offers Old English one's pagan passes past perhaps poem poet poet's poetry praise prepare present probably prophecy prophetic provides Ragnarök reader reading reference remains represents Revelation Scyld seek seems sense signs social society soul suggests symbol theme tradition treasure violent vision Völuspá
References to this book
An Annotated Bibliography of North American Doctoral Dissertations on Old ... Kirsten Wolf No preview available - 1998 |