Names and naming in Beowulf : studies in heroic narrative tradition / Philip A. Shaw.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Shaw, Philip A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Beowulf.

Names, Personal, in literature.

Epic poetry, English (Old)--History and criticism.

Epic poetry, English (Old).

Onomastics in literature.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 219 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

First edition.

Distribution:

[London, England] : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020

Place of Publication:

London [England] : Bloomsbury Academic, 2020.

Summary:

"'Beowulf', one of the earliest poems in the English language, recounts a tale of heroism played out against the backdrop of Scandinavia in the 5th to 6th centuries AD. And yet, this Old English verse narrative set in Scandinavia is - a little surprisingly, perhaps - populated with names of German descent. This insight into the personal names of 'Beowulf' acts the starting point for Philip A. Shaw's innovative and nuanced study. As Shaw reveals, the origins of these personal names provide important evidence for the origins of Beowulf as it enables us to situate the poem fully in its continental contexts. As such, this book is not only a much-needed reassessment of 'Beowulf''s beginnings, but also sheds new light on the links between 'Beowulf' and other continental narrative traditions, such as the Scandinavian sagas and Continental German heroics. In doing so, Names and Naming in 'Beowulf' takes readers beyond the continuing debate over the dating of the poem and provides a compelling new model for the poem's origins"-- Provided by publisher.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.

ISBN:

9781350211674

1350211672

9781350145795

1350145793

9781350145771

1350145777

OCLC:

1156428584