'Beowulf', one of the earliest poems in the English language, recounts
a tale of heroism played out against the backdrop of Scandinavia in
the 5th to 6th centuries AD. And yet, this Old English verse narrative
set in Scandinavia is – a little surprisingly, perhaps – populated
with names of German descent. This insight into the personal names of
'Beowulf' acts the starting point for Philip A. Shaw's innovative and
nuanced study. As Shaw reveals, the origins of these personal names
provide important evidence for the origins of Beowulf as it enables us
to situate the poem fully in its continental contexts. As such, this
book is not only a much-needed reassessment of 'Beowulf''s beginnings,
but also sheds new light on the links between 'Beowulf' and other
continental narrative traditions, such as the Scandinavian sagas and
Continental German heroics. In doing so, Names and Naming in 'Beowulf'
takes readers beyond the continuing debate over the dating of the poem
and provides a compelling new model for the poem's origins.
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Studies in Heroic Narrative Tradition
Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781350145771
Publisert
2020
Utgave
1. utgave
Utgiver
Vendor
Bloomsbury Academic
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter