In the timeless epic of Beowulf, the
eloquence of the language used reinforces the hero's
accomplishments.
The grandeur of the words used by this
anonymous author create a mood of strength and heroism, making Beowulf and his actions
larger than life. In listening to the descriptions of battles before, the history of the
Geats and Danes, Beowulf's accomplishments, his honor to his feudal lord, and even his
refusal to take up a sword against the monster—when the monster chooses to come
unarmed—provide a theatrical presentation of the story.
It
is also important to remember that this story for many years was handed down in the oral
tradition: this means it was not written down for many years, but passed by
word-of-mouth. It would have been told countless times by bards (storytellers) who would
have had no vehicle in providing an appreciation of the story other than the words used:
there were no movies, DVD's, graphic novels or even books. The magic woven around
Beowulf's great feats rested upon the dramatic expression of the storyteller. (It also
had a great deal to do with how the bard was rewarded for the telling of his
story.)
The story is an epic (very long) poem, told by
using href="http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/changlang/writtenword/beowulfhome/beowulf.html">kennings.
A kenning is an Anglo-Saxon metaphor, and was created for an older language that had its
limitations—descriptions were not as rich as they are today. A kenning was a
"metaphorical description." For example, instead of staying "ocean" repeatedly, "whale's
home" would be used and mean the same thing, but be much more poetic. The word "ship"
might become "sea bark." The sounds of the words used, as well as the
manner in which they were presented, would have added to the
richness of this very old tale, and made it a favorite tale told in mead halls and
around fires for countless years.
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