Geats

It doesn't rhyme like a lot of other poems, but it has a kind of alliteration, but where they link up the first letters of words doesn't really matter.

It's set in Scandinavia, particularly in Denmark, the land of the Danes, and Gietland, which is southern Sweden, which is the land of the Geats.

So it's strange because it's an English poem about Scandinavian heroes.

And it's one of the most important works of all English literature, arguably the earliest major poem in the English language.

But if you can suspend your disbelief, the actual peoples being mentioned are historical.

The Gaets or the Geats or the Yats, if you prefer, are known to us today as the Goths.

So you've heard of them before.

Really, Beowulf is the king of the Goths.

Again, again.

Yeah, this is, I was thinking about it.

And I think, you know, you said today about how these were real tribes, you know, we've got the Geats, we've got the Jutes.

And there's this really interesting interweaving of real historical fact with Grendel and with Grendel's mom and with dragons, but at the same time with them just swimming in full armor.

Calling in on the hospitality of the local governor of Messina, Leonato, played by Richard Briers, who is only too happy to receive Don Pedro and his men for their stay.

A large amount of women connected through family or work with Leonato are, much like when Beowulf and his Geats arrive in Heorot, the mead hall of King Hrothgar, very much interested in these bold, fighting men, some spying potential husbands, others at least an exciting roll in the hay.

Among those women is Hero, played by a brand new Kate Beckinsale, a sweet, sincere, virginal creature who barely says anything in this play and deserves much more than she gets.

She has heard tell of Don Pedro's friend and confidant, the young, dashing Count Claudio, played by Robert Sean Leonard.

Hrothgar's people suffered, and no counsel, no offering, no courage of the Scyldings could end the terror.

Word of that misery crossed the sea to the land of the Geats.

Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow and nephew of King Hygelac, heard it.

He was a man whose strength was spoken of as the strength of thirty, who had already won fame in swimming and in war.

The coastwarden of the Danes met them on the shore, challenged them, and seeing their bearing, led them to Heorot.

Hrothgar received Beowulf with honor.

He remembered that he had once sheltered Ecgtheow when that man was an exile for blood guilt, and he accepted the Geats' offer.

In the hall, there was a feast.

So these are not the Spear Danes.

We learn about the Gaits, right? The Gaits or the Gaits.

When he heard about Grendel, Hygelax Thane was on home ground over in Geatland.

There was no one else like him alive.

With these preliminary remarks, it will not be amiss to give an outline of the story of the poem.

The Story Hrothgar, king of the Danes, or Shildings, builds a great mead hall or palace in which he hopes to feast his liegemen and to give them presents the joy of king and retainers is however of short duration grendel the monster is seized with hateful jealousy he cannot brook the sounds of joyance that reach him down in his fen dwelling near the hall often anon he goes to the joyous building bent on direful mischief thane after thane is ruthlessly carried off and devoured while no one is found strong enough and bold enough to cope with the monster for twelve years he persecutes hrothgar and his vassals oversea a day's voyage off beowulf of the geats nephew of Healak, king of the Geats, hears of Grendel's doings and of Hrothgar's misery.

He resolves to crush the fell monster and relieve the aged king.

With fourteen chosen companions, he sets sail for Daneland.

Beowulf, while written later, also touches on Jutish warriors and their famed steel.

We see a king of the Geats who fights men wielding the sword that is in the body.

The poem's alliteration and rhythm underscore how weapons were more than tools.

They carried identity and social status for the early settlers.

Around this time, the 530s, 500s, Sweden is inhabited by 13 nations, more properly tribes.

The two most important are the Sphere and the Geats.

The Goths are the ones who migrate.

The geats are the ones who stayed behind, but fundamentally they're still basically the same people.

The circled portion is where the sphere live.

Then you have to their southwest and west, you have Geatland and West Geatland.

That's where the Geats live.

The Geats have more territory, but there are fewer of them.

having nothing but a shield to defend their head while their comrades throw spears and sticks at them, and if they survive, then they're sort of accepted into this pack.

Then you have the Varangians, which these were people who, they were Scandinavian, and the members mostly came from the Gauten or the Sverd tribes, which is now Sweden, and the Varangians were these warriors and traders from Scandinavia, and there's indications that possibly even women contributed to their ranks.

There's also the Jomsvikinga saga, which says that no man should be admitted here who is older than 50 and no younger than 18.

Everyone should be in between.