Beowulf in the Sky: Introduction
This is a different approach to the Beowulf poem.
Much of the current comment on this poem has concerned itself with the
historical matter, the mention of particular families, battles, the
poems-within-the-poem. Little has to do with discovering the original
poem. This essay describes a means of revealing the original poem, and
from the original poem discovering why it was written, and a bit about
the poet, his religion and the area in which he was educated. This essay
concerns itself with what seems the original poem, the first nineteen
hundred or so lines.
The original poem is revealed by applying an
elementary principle of poesy; A good poem does not include extraneous
material. When the extraneous material of the Beowulf is set aside the
remainder constitutes a simple poem with a clear beginning, middle and
end. Why would there have been extraneous material? This poem was
circulated orally. Certainly chanters would have recited it in the great
wooden houses of the chiefs, and would, if they were ambitious, have
interpolated material from the chief's family to associate the chief
with the great hero, Beowulf. But more frequently the traveling monks
would have recited it in the taverns, the ale houses of the period
because the poet who composed the original poem made it, as well as a
common calendar, also a vehicle for his religion.
An examination of
the poem after the extraneous material has been removed reveals that,
though it was not a part of the criterion for removal, all of the
monotheistic religious elements of the poem have remained with the poem.
Thus the poet was a monk, or one versed in the monotheistic religion. He
is Arian, a follower of Ulfilas, or Wulfilas, of Moecia, who believed in
the divinity of Jesus, but not the equality with God; Ulfilas followed
Arias, a church leader from Egypt who led the opposition at the council
of Nicea.
Also with the extraneous material set aside the story of
Beowulf is seen to be close to the Greek story of Perseus. Their
stories have eight or nine elements in common, too many to be
coincidental. Beowulf is associated with the constellation Perseus, and
his coming and going in the sky corresponds to the coming or going of the
constellation. The other active characters are associated with planets,
except Grendel and his mother who are associated with constellations.
The constellations that come up with the sun, particularly the spring
sun, make up the calendar for the people. The exposure of a particular
constellation on the horizon as the sun comes up tells the viewer what
month he is in, and the particular stars within that constellation
indicate when within the month. This understanding allows the viewer to
know not only when it is, but to anticipate with certainty how long he
has before he must do a specific task.
When the author has worked
through the yearly calendar, both summer and winter, his hero is
suitably rewarded and goes home. Thus ends the first part of the Beowulf
poem.
If you want to find him, look up. Beowulf is in the
sky.