Beowulf is an epic poem written sometime between the 8th and the early 11th century. (I believe that is more than fifteen hundred years ago.) The poet's identity has been lost.
I have a special affection for Beowulf because I once wrote a paper on one aspect of the poem. I was able to do hours upon hours worth of research, and the research is the fun part.
I'm currently dipping into several books that address what I would call self-actualization, and they are written from a Jungian point of view. I'm not a psychologist so my interpretation of their interpretations is subjective. (aren't words fun?)
Here is a very brief summary of the Beowulf poem/story:
Beowulf, a Geat, arrives to help the king of the Danes, Hrothgar. The king's village is being attacked viciously by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf kills the monster, then Grendel's angry mother attacks. Beowulf has to dive into a lake to fight her in her lair. She is also killed. Beowulf returns home and becomes a king himself. Fifty years later, he fights a dragon, is wounded and dies. It's a short poem.
One of the books I'm reading suggests that when Beowulf dives into the lake, he is also descending into the waters of the unconscious, where he battles and is then restored. I'm pretty sure the 8th century poet wasn't thinking about mythological archetypes when he was committing his poem to memory, but maybe archetypes are part of the genetic memory humans are born with.
The poem says when Beowulf kills Grendel, he becomes Grendel. And when he kills the mother, he becomes the mother. Heavy stuff but, in a psychological mindset, it makes sense to me. But there is one thing in particular one Jungian author wrote that resonated with me. The story teaches that it's not what you fear that you must conquer. You must defeat the mother of your fear; she who lives in a secret place. That would be a great theme for a novel.
If you're interested in reading the poem, I recommend the translation by Seamus Heaney. (Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner) The book is in most libraries, but can easily be found in used bookstores. The history around the poem, with all of its implications for source and veracity, is fascinating.
I have a special affection for Beowulf because I once wrote a paper on one aspect of the poem. I was able to do hours upon hours worth of research, and the research is the fun part.
I'm currently dipping into several books that address what I would call self-actualization, and they are written from a Jungian point of view. I'm not a psychologist so my interpretation of their interpretations is subjective. (aren't words fun?)
Here is a very brief summary of the Beowulf poem/story:
Beowulf, a Geat, arrives to help the king of the Danes, Hrothgar. The king's village is being attacked viciously by a monster named Grendel. Beowulf kills the monster, then Grendel's angry mother attacks. Beowulf has to dive into a lake to fight her in her lair. She is also killed. Beowulf returns home and becomes a king himself. Fifty years later, he fights a dragon, is wounded and dies. It's a short poem.
One of the books I'm reading suggests that when Beowulf dives into the lake, he is also descending into the waters of the unconscious, where he battles and is then restored. I'm pretty sure the 8th century poet wasn't thinking about mythological archetypes when he was committing his poem to memory, but maybe archetypes are part of the genetic memory humans are born with.
The poem says when Beowulf kills Grendel, he becomes Grendel. And when he kills the mother, he becomes the mother. Heavy stuff but, in a psychological mindset, it makes sense to me. But there is one thing in particular one Jungian author wrote that resonated with me. The story teaches that it's not what you fear that you must conquer. You must defeat the mother of your fear; she who lives in a secret place. That would be a great theme for a novel.
If you're interested in reading the poem, I recommend the translation by Seamus Heaney. (Irish poet and Nobel Prize winner) The book is in most libraries, but can easily be found in used bookstores. The history around the poem, with all of its implications for source and veracity, is fascinating.
I watched the movie that came out a couple years ago; the poem's better!
ReplyDeleteAKA Jude
The movie isn't even close. The Thirteenth Warrior movie is also supposed to be based on Beowulf. (very loosely)
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