Beowulf: Historical Context, Treasure, and Oral Tradition

The Dragon's Hoard: Treasure in Beowulf

There by a seat the brave young man saw many precious jewels, shining gold on the ground, and works of art on the walls. There in the dragon's den Wiglaf saw the cups of ancient men, ornaments fallen. There were helmets, old and rusty, and many arm-rings twisted with skill. (Treasure, gold in the ground, may be easily seized by any man, hide it who will.)

Wiglaf saw a standard all golden, high over the treasure, the greatest of hand-wonders, woven with the skill of hands. From it a light shone, lighting all the ground so he could look over all the treasures. Then, I have heard, he rifled the hoard and into his bosom loaded the ancient work of giants — goblets and dishes, whatever he chose, even the golden standard (Beowulf, Sec. 12).

Archaeological Evidence and the Sutton Hoo Discovery

In 1939, an important archaeological discovery uncovered the remains of a ship burial at Sutton Hoo, an estate on the estuary of the Deben River in Suffolk, England. Some of the objects in the grave included a sword, shield, and helmet, a harp, and Frankish coins dating approximately to 650–670 A.D. — the presumed date of the action of Beowulf (Napierkowski 6).

Origins, Manuscript, and Composition

Beowulf may have been written at any time between circa 675 A.D. and circa 1000 A.D. The single manuscript containing the epic poem was discovered in the sixteenth century, having fallen into the hands of a man named Laurence Nowell. It has long been regarded simply as an example of early Germanic language and culture, rather than as the great poem it truly is.

The Story of Beowulf: Plot and Characters

The poem tells the story of a king, Beowulf, from his youth to old age, as he saves a neighboring people from a monster named Grendel. He eventually becomes a king himself and dies when a dragon bites him during a battle in which he is defending his people. He is buried as a hero, with treasures that a young warrior has plundered for him — gold items, goblets, dishes, and a golden standard.

Oral Tradition and the Role of the Bard

Copied down by monks, the poem is probably an originally mythological treatment of a real person who lived during an age when most people could not write. Back then, stories were passed along by word of mouth rather than through any written record. Storytellers — called scops or bards — roamed the seas and countryside, and in exchange for a hot meal and a bed, would entertain townspeople with songs and tales of what had happened in neighboring kingdoms. The story of Beowulf itself includes a professional bard who accompanies himself on a harp and sings or chants traditional lays, even improvising a song about Beowulf's victory.

Perhaps the bard embellished the real story a little to flatter the great man. The king may not have been fighting a dragon at all — it may have been a bear that had been killing people in his kingdom. When Beowulf kills Grendel in the beginning of the tale, the monster's mother takes revenge on the warriors by sneaking into the hall at night and killing one of the king's advisors. Beowulf pursues her, hunts her down at the bottom of a swamp, and kills her with a sword. He finds the corpse of Grendel there and brings back a hunter's trophy: the head of the monster.

Works Cited

Napierkowski, Marie Rose, Ed. "Beowulf: Introduction." Epics for Students. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1998.