1989/01/01 by R. D. FULK, R. D. Fulk · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · #Historical and Archaeological Studies #Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies #Linguistics and language evolution
paper · doi:10.1093/res/xl.159.313
NINETEENTH-CENTURY research in the mythological background of Beowulf is characterized by a habit of discerning shamanistic cult figures behind nearly every character in the poem. Thus, for example, in the famous view of Karl Miillenhoff, Grendel comes to stand for the North Sea, flooding the Germanic coast in spring, so that humans must be saved by divine intervention; and the dragon represents the return of harsh weather in the autumn, when the god's power is failing.1 Fortunately, such fanciful constructions enjoy little favour now. On the other hand, no one would deny that there are mythological underpinnings to the poem, and perhaps the best example is the story of the arrival of Scyld Scefing in Denmark. The poem itself actually tells us little: he weard feasceaft funden (lines 6-7), and when he died and his people launched his burial ship,