Monday, September 27, 2010

Mailbag 9-28-10

Professor Awesome answers the question: "Is Beowulf

Click here to download:
Mailbag092810_0001.wmv (64960 KB)
a Christian Poem?"

Posted by at

3 comments:

  1. Dr. Richard Scott Nokes8:51 PM

    Eh. Not funny, but it's a first effort.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous12:06 AM

    I enjoyed listening to this. I'd like to see you post more lectures concerning Old English texts and the questions that surround them. I'll throw one at you for fun, related to the question just dealt with: is Beowulf saved or condemned by the poet? We read that "Heaven swallowed the smoke" and that his soul departed to seek "the judgment of the righteous" and yet some scholars think the Beowulf poet is critical of his hero (who is, after all, 'lofgeornost,' and perhaps this is a negative trait). How would you handle this problem?

    [I think the answer is clear: Beowulf is depicted in a wholly positive light and the poet suggests with some ambiguity that he is saved. But I think this topic could make for a good little lecture, one that would interest a general audience]

    P.S. Nitpick time: it's Frederick Klaeber, not Francis Klaeber!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dr. Richard Scott Nokes2:55 PM

    I agree with your take on Beowulf's soul -- and if I had a dollar for every time I'd said "Francis Klaeber" and "Frederick Magoun" in a lecture, well, I wouldn't be rich, but I could treat myself to a nice dinner.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)