New Beowulf course for autumn-winter 2013

IN SEARCH OF BEOWULF

 A 20 week course looking at the meaning, origin and background of England's oldest heroic poem - including the archaeological, historical and mythological traditions that underlie this fantastic tale.

PART I: OLD ENGLAND

1: Where Now the Horse and Rider? The Lost Literature of Old England

2: The Keenest for Fame – the plot and language of the poem

3: The Bear’s Son – what is Beowulf about?: The main theories.

4: Clans of the Sea Coasts – who were the English?

5: Former Days – the Prehistory of Scandza

6: On the Altars of their Idols – Scandinavian paganism

7: In Dread Waters – Vanir religion and sacrifice – first clues to the identity of the monsters.

PART II: GODS AND MONSTERS

8: Scyld Scefing and the Barley God

9: Freyr and Ing: The Wagon Ran After – pagan Gods in Old English Literature

10: Elves and Evil Shades – the anatomy of Beowulf’s monsters

11: Choosers of the Slain – the dark side of the Vanir gods

PART III: TO KILL A KING

12: Who’s who in Beowulf – the Scylding family tree

13: Royal Obligations – a sacrificial Kingship?

14: The Hall turned to Ashes – Hrolf’s Saga in depth

15: The Wandering Inguz – The Celtic connection

16: A Midwinter Game – Grendel and the Green Knight

PART IV: BARLEY WOLF

17: The Demon’s Head – The Indo-European myth behind the poem

18: The Brimwylf – Odin, werewolves and wargs

19: The arrival and the conversions of the Anglo-Saxons

20: People of the Wolf – The Sutton Hoo connection

Starts 7th November, at the University of Kent Campus in Canterbury 7-9pm
Price: £190  UKC Students £150

Please contact me on grigsby_john@hotmail.com to book or for more information