Beowulf and the Dragon: Parallels and AnaloguesBoydell & Brewer, 2000 - 230 pages The vivid depiction of a dragon-fight in the Old English poem 'Beowulf' and its relationship with other literary encounters between heroes and dragons has been the subject of much scholarly debate; yet this is the first comprehensive study of the dragon-fight in secular and hagiographical literature. In a series of five detailed studies the author discusses the analogues and possible sources of Beowulf's famous last battle, drawing on hagiographical, historical, liturgical, heroic and other narrative material to explore the prominence of these episodes within the literary milieu of the 'Beowulf' -poet and his audience. She assembles an extensive corpus of fights between saints and dragons, and demonstrates their striking resemblance to Beowulf's actions. A comparison with Scandinavian material is followed by case studies which examine the dragon-fights of St Samson and the archangel St Michael. The analogues discussed are presented with facing translations and detailed bibliographies. Dr CHRISTINE RAUER teaches in the Department of English at the University of St Andrews. |
Common terms and phrases
Aldhelm Anglo-Saxon England Appendix BCLL Beowulf analogues Beowulf-manuscript Beowulf-poet Blickling Homily Boðvarr breath Bretagne Breton Brittany Cambridge cave Celtic century Christian cited context continental corpus date of composition Dating of Beowulf described destructive discussed Drachen im Beowulf draco dragon episode dragon imagery dragon-fight Dumville early medieval episode in Beowulf evidence examples fight flatu Frotho further Germanic Gesta Danorum Goldsmith hagiographical hagiographical dragon-fights hagiographical tradition hagiography of St hero Homiliary Homiliary of Saint-Père Hottr Hrólfs saga kraka influence killed king Klaeber Lapidge Latin literary literature manuscript Mémento Metrical Calendar Milton Abbey miracles monster monster-fights motifs narrative Nowell Codex Old English Origins of Beowulf Oxford parallels passage Pental poem present Pride and Prodigies Ruggerini Saint Samson Sanctus Saxo Grammaticus Scandinavian secular seems serpens Siward Sources and Analogues St Michael St Samson svá tenth-century texts trans vie ancienne Vita vols Volsung Volsung legend Wessex William of Malmesbury Þórr