'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.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Could it be true that narrative elements of Beowulf originated on the continent and were transmitted to early England in both written and oral form? These are the exciting conclusions of Philip A. Shaw, who analyzes the poem's personal names and ethnonyms as evidence of layered composition. Shaw's virtuosic book has given Beowulf a compelling ancestry. * Scott Gwara, Professor of English, University of South Carolina, USA * Philip A. Shaw's erudite, painstaking and ingenious survey of the names of all the human figures in Beowulf is one of the most significant contributions for years to scholarship on this famous poem. All those interested in the origins and transmission of Beowulf's story world will want to read it. * Richard Dance, Reader in Early English, University of Cambridge, UK. *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Zielgruppe
Für höhere Schule und Studium
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 234 mm
Breite: 156 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-1-350-14576-4 (9781350145764)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Philip Shaw is Lecturer in English Language and Old English at University of Leicester, UK.
Autor*in
University of Leicester, UK
List of Figures
List of Maps
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Introduction
1. The Geats, Brondings and Wylfings
2. The Scyldings, Heathobards and Helmings
3. The Scilfings
4. The Finnsburh Episode and the non-Scylding Danes
5. Weland and the Waelsings
6. The Continental Characters
7. A Glove in Hood's Clothing: Hondscio and the Narrative Tradition of Beowulf
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
