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"BEOWULF"
One of the old English words you will meet in English literature is "folk" which means "people". Folk-dances, folk-songs and folklore are the dances, songs and tales that people made up when at work or at war, or for amusement. There were also professional singers called "bards". They composed songs about events they wanted to be remembered. They sang of wonderful battles and of the exploits of brave warriors. These songs were handed down to children and grandchildren and finally reached the times when certain people, " who had learned to write, decided to put them down. Such people were called "scribes". The word "scribe" comes from the Latin "scri-bere" – "to write".
The beautiful Anglo-Saxon poem "Beowulf' may be called the foundation-stone of all British poetry. It tells of times long before the Angles and Saxons came to Britain. There is no mention of England in it The poem was composed by an unknown author. Many parts were added later. The whole poem was written down in the 10th century by an unknown scribe. The manuscript is in the British Museum, in London. It is impossible for a non-specialist to read it in the original, so the parts from "Beowulf printed in this book are taken from a twentieth-century translation.
The scene is set among the Geats [gi:tsl, or Jutes, who lived on the southern coast of the Scandinavian peninsula at the time, and the Danes, their neighbours across the strait.
The people were divided into two classes: free peasants and warriors. The peasants tilled the soil and served the fighting-men who defended them from hostile tribes. The kings were often chosen by the people, for they had to be wise men and skilled warriors. These chieftains were often called "folk-kings".
The safety of the people depended on the warriors. There were several ranks of warriors; the folk-king, or liege-lord, was at the head of the community; he was helped by warriors who were his liegemen. If they were given lands for their services, they were called "earls". These, in turn, were served by a lower rank of warriors called "knights". Their conquered enemies were "laid under tribute" which means they had to pay money, or something in place of it, to the conqueror.
The Danes and the Jutes were great sailors. Their ships had broad painted sails and tall prows which were often made into the figure of a dragon wolf or some other fierce animal. If the wind blew against them, the ship was moved by means of long rows of oars on either side. In these ships the warriors sailed to far-off lands.
The poem shows us these warriors in battle and at peace, it shows their feasts and amusements, their love for the sea and for adventure.
Beowulf is a young knight of the Geats. His adventures form the two parts of this heroic epic, Beowulf fights not for his own glory, but for the benefit of his people. He is ready to sacrifice his life for them. His unselfish way in protecting people makes him worthy to be folk-king.