In Anglo-Saxon literature, fighting is most often left to the heroic male characters. However, in both the Old English Judith and Beowulf there are female characters who participate in killing and...Show moreIn Anglo-Saxon literature, fighting is most often left to the heroic male characters. However, in both the Old English Judith and Beowulf there are female characters who participate in killing and battling. Judith decapitates the enemy of her people, the army leader Holofernes. In Beowulf Grendel’s mother attacks Heorot, carries away a retainer and battles Beowulf in single combat. Considering that the stereotypical role for women in Old English heroic poetry is that of the geómoru ides, the so-called “mournful woman”, it seems peculiar that these characters would act in such a way. This thesis will examine the roles fo Grendel's Mother and Judith in relation to conventional poetic roles for women. The thesis will show that an Anglo-Saxon audience would have perceived Judith in more positive terms than Grendel's Mother.Show less
Modern Beowulf scholarship found its origin in 1815 with the publication of the Latin translation of Beowulf by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelín. Although not the first to...Show moreModern Beowulf scholarship found its origin in 1815 with the publication of the Latin translation of Beowulf by the Icelandic-Danish scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelín. Although not the first to tackle the Old English Beowulf, as Sharon Turner had in fact translated a selection of the poem to Modern English as early as 1805, Thorkelín was the first to provide a complete translation of Beowulf in any language. As such, he was the first to introduce its cast of characters to the critics and other translators. Since then, Beowulf has received sustained critical attention. The fact that Beowulf has been available for critical review for such a long period of time makes it impossible for a single person to read, discuss, or even just be aware of all the critical works published on Beowulf. Consequently, the current study cannot cover all that has been written on Grendel’s mother and her representation; it does, however, attempt to paint a picture of the evolving scholarly reception of Grendel’s mother by discussing some of its major developments.Show less
