"Elisabetta I and "The Golden Age"

Elisabetta I:

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 in the Greenwich Palace - 24 March 1603) was queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. She was twenty-five and had a strong personality,a lively intelligence and a passionate character. She had received an excellent education and could speak French,Latin and Italian with ease, but above all she was a political genius of the first order.

She was called the "Virgin Queen", "Gloriana" or "Good queen bess". Elizabeth I was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty.She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anna Boleyn who was executed for betrayal two years after Elizabeth's birth. Elizabeth was declared illegitimate.

During Mary's reign, Elizabeth was imprisoned for nearly a year in the Tower of London on suspicion of supporting protestant rebels,but  she fervenly protested her innocence.

One of her first actions as queen was the establishment of an English protestant Church. She became the Supreme Governor.

In 1588, the defeat of the Spanish Armada associated her with one of the greatest military victories in English history.

Marriage question are not clear. Historians have speculated that Thomas Seymor had put her off sexsual relationship. She was in love with her childhood friend Robert Dudley. The Queen was extremely jealous of his affections. She died in 1603.

"The Golden Age"

Elizabeth's reign is know as the "Golden Age" (1558-1625). The period is famous for the flourishing of English Drama with William Shakespeare and his poems like Romeo and Giulietta or Hamlet. Literature and theater are very important for the queen. She loved culture.In fact she build theaters outside the city not to interfere in politics.
Her successor will be James I

"Catherine Of Aragon: Henry VIII first wife"

Catherine of Aragon:

 

Catherine of Aragon (Catalina: 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536).

Was Queen of England from 1509 until 1533 as the first wife of King Henry VII.

She was previously Princess of Wales as the wife of Prince Arthur.The daughter of Queen Isabella I of Catile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed (promessa in sposa) to Prince Arthur, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, and Arthur died five months later.She held the position of ambassador for the Spanish Court in England, becoming the first female ambassador in European history.Catherine subsequently married Arthur's younger brother, the recently succeeded Henry VIII.

By 1525, Henry VIII was infatuated with his mistress,Anna Boleyn, and dissatisfied (insoddisfatto) that his marriage to Catherine had produced no surviving sons, leaving their daughter, the future Mary I of England, as heiress presumptive at a time when there was no established precedent for a woman on the throne. He sought (cercato) to have their marriage annulled, setting in motion a chain (catena) of events that led (portato) to England's schism with the Catholic Church. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry defied him by assuming supremacy over religious matters.

In 1533 their marriage was declared invalid and Henry married Anne Boleyn on the judgement (giudizio) of clergy in England, without reference to the Pope. Catherine refused to accept Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England  and considered herself the King's rightful wife and queen, attracting much popular sympathy.Despite this, she was acknowledged only as Dowager Princess of Wales by Henry.(Stato riconosciuta solamente come vedova del re). After being banished from court, she lived out the remainder of her life at Kimbolton Castle, and died there on 7 January 1536. Catherine's English subjects held her in high esteem, and her death set off tremendous mourning among the English people. (I sudditi avevano grande cosiderazione di lei e quando morì fu un grande lutto per gli Inglesi).

"Meet the Tudors/ Henry VIII":

Meet the Tudors:

Tudors' Family

Henry VIII:

Henry VIII (1491-1547) was Henry VII's second son. From his birth in 1491 until the death of his elder brother Arthur in 1502, he was brought up in an almost exclusively female household,(portato in una famiglia di sole donne) with his sisters, nurses and his mother,Elisabeth of York. From an early age he was a know figure at court, and his youth he was a natural sportsman, which made him popular both (sia) with the English elite and with the English public. He was called the "Golden Prince" both for his natural good looks and his chivalry (cavalleria) and education.In 1521 he was granted (concesso) the title of " Defender of the Faith" ( Difensore della fede) by the pope in recognition of his Latin treatise (trattato) defending the sacraments. This title has been maintained by English monarchs ever since and is on English coins still today.After Arthur's death, Henry married his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, by special dispensation. In twenty years of marriage Catherine only produced a daughter, Mary, and Henry desperately wanted a male heir to keep the country united and strong.( Voleva disperatamente un erede maschio per mantenere il paese unito e forte.) He began (iniziato) to consider marriage to his pregnant mistress (amante incinta) Anne Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting, and asked the pope for a divorce in order to marry her. When it was clear that the pope would not declare his first marriage invalid, Henry broke with Rome and declared himself "Supreme Head on Earth of the Curch of England' by means of the Act of Supremacy (1534). This meant (significato) that he had the right to appoint (nominare) bishop,decide on articles of faith and impose his will (volontà) on the monasteries

The king soon dissolved the monasteries,talking their wealth (ricchezza), and social charities (Enti di beneficenza)-such as schools and hospitals for the poor (povero)- mostly disappeared ( per lo più scomparsi). Another consequence of Henry's policy was that Ireland remained a Catholic country and this marked the beginning of the Irish question. Henry married Anne Boleyn in 1533, and she gave him a second daughter, Elizabeth.She fell out of favour (caduta in disgrazia),however (tuttavia), and was tried and executed for treason in 1536,leaving the king free to remarry. Henry went on to have four more wives in quick succession and one son, Edward,from Jane Seymoure.

He had six wives:

1- Catherine of Aragon.

2- Anna Boleyn.

3- Jane Seymoure.

4- Anna  of Cleves.

5- Kathryn Howard.

6- Katherine Parr.

"BrainStorming"

"BrainStorming":

(Henry VIII)

Mental Map:

"Queen Elizabeth I"

Film:(Elizabeth I):

Elizabeth:

Directed by Shekhar Kapur;

USA 1998.

With Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth);

Joseph Fiennes ( Robert Dudley).

When Elizabeth I ascends the throne,she is only twenty-five. After succeeding Mary I,she has to face serious religious conflicts as well as the pressing problems of her succession and the birth of an heir. She is in love with a young nobleman, Rober Dudley,but he cannot marry her because he is already married. Supported by the discrete but decisive advice of her minister, Francis Walsingham,the queen takes on the responsibility of her enemies,she symbolically cuts her beautiful hair and declares she has married England.From now on she will be the "Virgin Queen".

What about accuracy? ( Che dire di precisione?):

-The film takes many liberties with history. Francis Walsingham was in his mid-twenties when Elizabeth was crowned,not a middle-aged man. When Elizabeth is being questioned by her accusers at the beginning of the film, the bishop suggests that the debate between Catholicism and Protestantism is what killed her mother, Anna Boleyn. This is not all the case,for it was accusations of witchcraft and treason that sent ( mandano) Anne Boleyn to her death.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age:

Directed by Shekhar Kapur;

USA 2007.

With Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth);

Clive Owen ( Walter Raleigh).

It's 1585. Elizabeth has been on the throne for twenty-seven years. England is still ( ancora) divided between Protestants and Catholics. Mary, Queen of Scots, a potential rival to the throne,is imprisoned. King Philip II of Spain is looking for a reason to destroy the heretic queen and builds the Invincible Armada. The Armada begins its approach up the English Channel and Elizabeth asks Sir Walter Raleigh yo join Sir Francis Drake in the battle. The queen gives a splendid speech to the troops seated on a warhorse. The Spanish ships outnumber ( più numerose) England's,but at the last moment, a great storm blows the Armada towards the beaches.( verso la costa). Elizabeth,back at her coastal headquarters ( sede centrale), walks out onto(su) the cliffs (scogliera) and watches the Spanish Armada sink in flames.

What about accuracy?

- There are some historical inaccuracies. Sir Walter Raleigh's role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada was relatively minor. The role of Sir Francis Drake, one of the key figures in the victory,is downplayed (sottovalutato). The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots,is portrayed as having happened very quickly after her arrest,while she was still a young woman, whereas the real Mary was held in custody in different castles in England for nineteen years before being executed in 1587.

"The Wars of the Roses"

The Wars of the Roses:

By the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453, England had lost all its French possessions except the port of Calais. Very soon after this conflict came the so-called " Wars of the Roses".

• What was the second half of the 15(th) century characterised by?

-  The period between 1450 and 1500 was characterised by instability due (dovuta) to a civil war fought by the two rival families of York and Lancaster.

• What do the "Roses" refer to?

- The " Roses" refer to  the white rose, the House of York's emblem,and the red rose, the House of Lancaster's symbol.

• How did the Wars of the Roses develop?

- The Wars of the Roses were in fact three separate conflicts, or lightning campaigns ( guerre lampo), that were resolved quickly on the battlefield.( Campo di battaglia).The three main battles were Ludford Bridge, Towton and Bosworth.

• Were there many sieges? (assedi)

- No, there were very few sieges: London was threatened (minacciata) three times and the Tower of London taken twice. For long periods most of the kingdom was at peace.

• How did the wars start?

-  The original clash was between Henry VI and his rival for the throne, Richard, Duke of York, who died at the first battle in 1460. His allies declared Henry unfit (inadatto)to rule and in 1461 they replaced him with the Duke of York's son, Edward IV, and confined Henry to the Tower.

• How did Edward rule?

- At first Edward ruled through (attraverso)  his elder cousin and then through a series of favourites. In 1469 he was deposed and Henry returned to the throne, but Edward managed to recover (riuscito a recuperare) his crown in 1471 after destroying his enemies (nemici) at Tewkesbury; he ruled for twelve years.

• Who governed Wales and the north of England?

- Edward sent his eldest son,Edward,Prince of Wales,to Ludlow Castle to govern Wales, while his brother,Richard,Duke of Gloucester,became Lord of the North.

• When was this period of peace interrupted?

- This period of peace came to an end on Edward's death in 1483. The king's son and successor, Edward V, was deposed and consigned to the Tower by the Duke of Gloucester,who crowned himself as Richard III

but was to meet a violent death two years later.

•  What did Richard do in a symbolic act of reconciliation with the Lancastrian line?

- Richard transferred Henry VI's body to St. George's Chapel in a symbolic act of reconciliation with the Lancastrian line. However (tuttavia) that wasn't enough to stop the bloodshed. In 1485, at the Battle of Bosworth, Richard was killed and Henry VII ( nephew of Henry VI) became the first Tudor king.

• Was this the end of the Wars of the Roses?

- By marrying Elizabeth of York, the daughter of Edward IV, Henry VII sealed (sigillato) the peace between the two contending houses and founded the new Tudor dynasty.

" The Norman invasion"

The Norman invasion:

We are now to doing to explore the places associated with the Norman invasion of 1066 and its aftermath.

(conseguenze).  Edward the Confessor,who had restored the Royal House of Wessex to the English throne in 1042, died childless in January 1066, leaving his successor to be decided by the sword. Edward's brother-in-law, Harold Godwineson, wasted no time asserting his right to the throne and had himself crowned on the day of Edward's burial.( Non perse tempo ha richiedere il suo diritto al trono e fu incoronato il giorno della sepoltura di Edward).

William invades:

Although William,Duke of Normandy, was more distantly related to Edward than Harold,he asserted that he had earlier been promised the throne by Edward. He gathered together his supporters and prepared to invade. William finally crossed the English Channel and landed in Pervensey on 28th September. The Normans laid waste to some of the locality but avoid moving far inland,waiting instead for a reaction from the English. In a confident mood, Harold marched his army quickly down to the south,hoping to destroy the Normans in one decisive clash.

The battle of Hastings:

The meeting of the two armies at Hastings on 14th October is one of the most famous moments in British history. William used archers and mounted warriors,whereas Harold's men were mostly foot soldiers,who relied on their shield wall to protect them from enemy assaults. The battle raged for hours before the more mobile Normans eventually managed to make inroads against the English shield wall. A crucial moment came when Harold was killed. After this, the English were overcome and the death of Harold's two brothers turned the defeat into a catastrophe, leaving the country without a strong leader to oppose William.

Norman rule:

For the next few years William was regularly engaged in putting down rebellions in various parts of the land. Gradually he was able to impose his own authority and conclude the only successful invasion of England in the past 1.000 years. The Norman Conquest brought sweeping changes. The Anglo-Saxon aristocracy was replaced by William's followers, who cemented their positions with castle-building. Another visible sign of Norman rule was churches that adorned the towns and villages of the land. On a cultural level, England turned away from Scandinavia and established closer ties with western Europe and, on a linguistic level. there was an injection of romance languages into the vernacular (volgare),pushing the Old English language into retreat.( Inghilterra si allontanò dalla Scandinavia stabilendo dei legami più stretti con l'Europa.

I Normanni:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HctoccHGAzw

"The Viking attacks"

The Viking attacks:

Introduction:

A savage raid (incursione selvaggia) on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne in 793 marked the beginning of England's Viking era. Lindisfarne was the first of a wave of similar attacks on monasteries in northern Britain.

• Why such hatred? (Perchè così tanto odio?).
• And why 793?.

History:

We need to examine the political situation in northern Europe at the time. The main ( principale) political powers in the world were: Byzantium in the east; the Muslims,whose expansion had driven them eastward ( verso est) as far as Turkistan and Asia Minor; and the Franks,who had become the dominant tribe among (tra) the successor states after the fall of the Roman Empire in the west.(Ovest).

CharleMagne,the ruler of the Franks,expended a huge amount ( quantità enorme) of energy on the subjugation  (sottomissione)of the heathen ( pagani)  Scots on his northeast border.(confini nord-est).

He has been crowned (incoronato) emperor in Rome by Pope Leo III ( Papa Leone III) in 800- emperor of the abstract conception of Christendom (cristianità) as a single community.

The cultural subjugation of the Saxons followed:

1. Death was the penality for following heathen rites or rejecting baptism.

• How should the heathen Scandinavians react to the threat? ( Come dovevano reagire alla minaccia?).
• Should the Vikings wait for Charlemagne's armies to arrive and convert them or should they fight to defend their culture?.

The Christian monasteries in northern Europe were symbolically important and, in the words used by modern terrorism, 'soft targets' (obiettivo facile). The Christian annalists who documented Viking violence viewed (hanno visto) the conflict as a battle between religious cultures.

In 865 ' the Great Heathen Army'  ( grande armata pagana) arrived, a force which after 15 years had gamed control (guadagnare il controllo) of England from York down to East Anglia.( Verso il basso della costa anglicana).

By 927 much of the lost territory had been regained (riaquistato) by the Wessex Kings Alfred The Great, Edward and Athelstan.

Large-scale Viking violence returned to England in the 990s. The policy of the Danegeld-protection money paid in return for being left alone (essere lasciato solo) -was practised regularly.

In 1012 the Archbisshop( argivescovo) of Cantebury was captured and murdered, and within two years a Danish king, Sven Forkbeard,was on the throne.

By 1028 his son, Cnut,was the ruler of a North Sea empire that included Denmark,Norway and all England. Danish rule during less than thirty years. Its memories were wiped (cancellato) out by William of Normandy's conquest in 1066.

Storia dei Vichinghi:

Beowulf: " Comparing and Contrasting"

"Beowulf VS Modern Society":

 

 VS

In Beowulf we can find the themes of:

• Love
• War
• Suicide
• Honour
• Infidelty
• Friendship/Loyalty

1- Love:

We can find the theme of Love. At the time of Beowulf's people fell in love but didn't have a permanent love.
Today it is common treason, even though the love of most people is unique and important.

2- War:

We can find the theme of War. At the time of Beowulf there were many struggles for power and territory. People died for his people, and the winner received a prize, the glory.
Today, the theme of war is present.The soldiers are daily engaged in peace-keeping missions in the East.There are many deaths and the pain is great.

3-Suicide:

At the time of Beowulf people were dying because he felt wounded pride.Today, things haven' t changed. people kill for betrayal, disappointment, or wounded pride.

4-Honour and Infiedelty:

We can find these themes also in today's society. At the time of Beowulf  the people were very proud and wanted power, they had a lot of women.Nowadays, things haven' t  changed.
People want to be higher and want to have fun. In most cases you get to the betrayal and the many consequences.


5- Friendship and Loyalty:

This is the most important theme in Beowulf, in my opinion.
At the time of Beowulf the people were faithful to each other and helped each other.
 Even today, despite the prevalence of self. people help and there is loyalty and 'friendship between people.

   

"Roman Britain"

History: Roman Britain:

Introduction:

In 55 BC Julius Caesar( ca 100-44 BC) invaded Britain,but the real conquest of the country took place in the years 43-47 AD under Emperor Claudius ( 10 BC-54 AD).

One of the first things the Romans did was involve the conquered tribes in the administration of the province.The Romans encouraged the growth of towns near their army bases and established special towns as settlements for retired soldiers.

They persuaded the ruling (dominate) class of Celtic aristocrats to build town dwellings,and they turned the towns into centres of vibrant commercial activity.

Roman towns and roads:

Town boundaries ( confini) contained a regular network of streets. Most towns were surrounded bu stone walls. The centre of a Roman town was the forum,or civic centre, which gave access to the basilica,or town all ( palazzo comunale). It was here that courts of justice were held, though it could also be used for merchants'assemblies. Every town ha public baths. They were open to both sexes ( entrambi i sessi), though at different times of day,and served as a healing spa (luogo di guarigione) and meeting place.

Roads joined the towns together. The Romans built over 9.600 kilometres of roads in Britain. They weren't always straight, but they were amazingly well built and made troop movement,and later the movement of commercial goods,much easier.(Ben costruite facevano muovere le truppe dell'esercito...Più tardi il movimento dei beni commerciali divenne più facile).

Possibly the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain was Hadrian's Wall, constructed as a defensive fortification and customs barrier ( dogana) from the east coast ( costa orientale) to the west coast ( costa occidentale) between England and Scotland.

The origins of London:

The beginnings of London can be dated to the invasion of the Romans in 43 AD. A bridge was built across the River Thames. This first " London Bridge" proved a convenient central point for the new network of roads which soon spread out like a fan from the crossing place.(dimostrò un conveniente punto centrale per la rete di strade che ben presto si diffuse a ventaglio dal luogo di attraversamento).

The Romans settlements on the north side of the bridge,called "Londinium",quickly (rapidamente) became important as a trading centre ( centro commerciale) for goods ( beni) brought up the river boat and unloaded at wooden docks by the bridge.( scaricate in bacini di legno nel ponte).

"Meet the Celts"

CELTS:

During the Iron Age( ca 600 BC-50 AD), a Celtic culture established itself throughout the British Isles.

WHO WERE THE CELTS?

• The Celts were tribes of warrior who shared a similar language,religion and culture.The Romans,who fought against them,reported about their culture but presented them as barbarians.

WHEN DID THEY COME TO BRITAIN?

• It is not correct to say that they invaded Britain. They gradually settled in the country between about 500 and 100 BC.

WHAT DID THEY BRING TO THE BRITISH ISLES?

• They bought ironworking to the Britain Isles, which had amazing effects. It affected trade and helped develop local indipendence because iron was quit cheap and easily available.

DID THE CELTS BUILD HILL FORTS?

• We don't know if the hill forts were built by the Celts as they moved into hostile territory or by the native Britons to defend themselves.Hill forts consisted of a small ditch (fosso) and bank surrounding a hilltop.(sopra una collina).

WHAT WAS THE BASIC UNIT OF CELTS LIFE?

•  It was the clan,which was like today's extended family.

WERE CLANS BOUND TOGETHER?

• Yes, clans joined together with other clans to form tribes,each with its own social structure and customs.

WHERE DID THE CELTS LIVE?

•  They lived in huts made of timber with thatched roofs.(Capanne in legno con tetti di paglia)

WERE THEY FARMERS?(agricoltori)

• The Celts practised agriculture when they were not fighting in wars. They introduced the iron plough, (aratro) which made the cultivation of the soil easier. In the countryside in Britain it is still possible to see the long and narrow pattern of the Celtic field.(stretti modelli di campo celtico).

 WHAT WAS THE ROLE OF WOMEN?

•  They were almost equal to men. They could choose the man they wanted to marry and retained their own property. They could also lead other warriors in war,like Boadicea- a warrior queen of the early Britons who fought against the Romans.

DID THE CELTS WRITE LITERATURE?

•  They relied on the oral transmission of culture,especially through bards. Much of what we know of their traditions comes to us today through the old tales( racconti) and poems that were handed down (tramandati) for generations before being written down.

WHAT DID THEY WORSHIP?

• They worshipped ( adoravano) the natural elements,like the sun, the moon and water. They held          (praticavano) their religious rites in the woods and near the sacred water of wells and springs.

Approfondimenti:

THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN:

October 31(st) is Halloween. This festivity has Celtic origins: in the 5(th) century BC, the Celts believed taht summer ended on October 31(st). The holiday was called Samhain and celebrated the start of winter and of the new year. The Celts believed that ghosts and witches returned on that night and that evil spirits entered the body of a person or animal. This is why they used to wear frightening costumes ( costumi spaventosi) and make big fires to send the spirits away. Later, Christian practices replaced pagan ones; the Roman Catholic Church decided to call November 1(st) all Hallows Day' or ' All Saints Day' and the evening of October 31(st) became ' All Hollows Eve'(vigilia)- that is Halloween.

Nowadays at Halloween children and teenagers wear skeleton,which,ghost and monster costumes for parties and 'trick or treating'(dolcetto o scherzetto). They visit they neighbours house and when the door opens , they say' Trick or treat'? and people usually give then sweets or money. This costum originated in the 9(th) century in Ireland, where on November 2(nd)- All souls Day- Christians used to walk from village to village begging for 'soul cakes', made of bread with currants.(ribes)

The more 'soul cakes' the beggars ( mendicanti) received, the more prayers they promised to say for dead relatives.(promettevano preghiere per i parenti defunti).

The custom of buying a big pumpkin and making a lantern comes from Irish folklore.(Acquistare una zucca e posizionarci una lanterna).
Irish people put lit, hollowed-out turnips in front of their windows and in their garden to frighten evil spirits away.

Origini di Halloween:( video):

Beowulf:The Film

                                 Beowulf:

                                              (The film)

Direct by Robert Zemeckis;

USA 2007.

With Ray Winstone (Beowulf);

Anthony Hopkins (Hrothgar)

Robin Wright Penn ( Hrothgar's wife)

Angelina Jolie (Grendel's mother)

The film deals whit Beowulf's battles with three demonic creatures,but it takes some liberties in the telling of those stories.

It begins in Denmark,in the 6(th) century,where King Hrothgar and his much younger queen are celebrating with they warriors in Heorot. As the party gets on,the horrible monster Grendel kills several soldiers.

Beowulf, a brave warrior from Geatland, arrives with his men and succeeds in defeating Grendel.

Everyone believes that peace has been restored,until Beowulf realises that he must confront Grendel's mighty mother. After a fight with her, the film jumps into the future,where we see an ageing Beowulf,now King, as he prepares to battle with what appears to be a new offspring of Grendel's Mother. Beowulf stabs the dragon in the chest but he is mortally wounded. The hero is then given a Norse funeral.

Traduzione del poema (Beowulf):

-(TRAMA):

Anthony Burgess osserva che Beowulf è, essenzialmente, una storia di guerrieri. Più precisamente, rappresenta l'unico esempio di poema epico completamente basato sull'archetipo dello scontro fra l'eroe e il mostro (San Giorgio e il drago).

                                           

Mappa dei territori e delle tribù del poema

Il poema si apre con la costruzione di un'immensa dimora per ordine del re danese Hrothgar a Heorot, il "Cervo". La splendida reggia attira l'attenzione di Grendel, un mostro gigantesco e sanguinario il cui aspetto viene descritto sempre indirettamente e a tratti, probabilmente un troll della mitologia nordica. Dopo aver studiato la vita nella reggia dall'esterno per qualche tempo, Grendel prende a far visita al Cervo ogni notte, mietendo molte vite a ogni suo passaggio.
In soccorso al disperato re danese arriva Beowulf, nipote del re dei Geati (i Goti che abitavano, probabilmente, la Svezia meridionale). Anche dell'aspetto di Beowulf non si sa molto; certamente si tratta di un uomo molto giovane, fisicamente "eccessivo" (dotato di una statura e di una forza sovraumane, che lo fanno spesso apparire simile a quei giganti che la mitologia nordica ritrae sempre come ostili e pericolosi). Beowulf decide di affrontare Grendel a mani nude, e in un terribile combattimento riesce a strappare un braccio all'Orco e causarne la morte.
I festeggiamenti al Cervo sono appena iniziati quando, la notte successiva, il palazzo viene visitato da una creatura altrettanto sanguinaria, la madre di Grendel; rappresentata come una donna mostruosa e gigantesca, che abita in una dimora subacquea nascosta. Beowulf offrirà ancora il suo sostegno al re e si recherà, in una sorta di simbolica discesa agli inferi, a incontrare l'Orchessa, riuscendone ancora vittorioso. Tuttavia, è da evidenziare una escalation drammatica nel fatto che, per affrontare l'Orchessa, Beowulf, diversamente da quanto accaduto con Grendel, non rinuncia ad armi ed armature, anzi si affida esplicitamente alla cotta e alla sua spada (che peraltro si rivelerà insufficiente), ed alla fine riesce ad avere la meglio solo in virtù di una spada eccezionale e prodigiosa, trovata in una circostanza fortuita nell'antro del mostro durante la lotta, senza la quale sarebbe certamente perito nello scontro.
In una subitanea accelerazione della narrazione, Beowulf, tornato in patria, diventa re dei Geati e regna pacificamente per 50 anni. Il suo regno viene però aggredito da un nuovo mostro, questa volta un drago (quest'ultimo noto con vari nomi quali il serpente di fuoco, il verme di fuoco o semplicemente il verme). La figura del drago di Beowulf rappresenta un esempio canonico a cui si è certamente ispirata molta letteratura successiva, anche contemporanea (si pensi ai draghi di Tolkien): il drago di Beowulf è una serpe alata e volante; sputa fiamme e custodisce un antico tesoro. Già anziano, Beowulf affronta il drago per proteggere il proprio regno; pur riuscendo a ucciderlo, morirà anch'egli nello scontro (come Thor è destinato a morire uccidendo il gigantesco serpente d'acqua).

Beowulf (Movie clip):

/Slaying the dragon

Trailer: Film:

Grendel's Story

      
                                 
                                   GRENDEL:

             

Introduction:

- During the poem several monsters appear.The first one is Grendel.

- His physical appearance is left to the reader's imagination,the only clues are that he is a descendant of Cain, the first murderer of the Old Testament of the Bible,and 'fiend of hell'.

- He is described as a being ' of the night':wherever he moves he is surrounded by darkness.

Action:

- He is bloodthirsty and keeps the Danish kingdom of King Hrothgar under siege for twelve years,killing both warrior and civilians.Grendel's mother,who has no name of her own,looks a bit like a woman.

- She lives with her son in a supernatural lake filled with sea-dragons,and the poison in her blood dissolves any sword used against her.

Beowulf and Grendel: The fight

( Modern translation by Seamus Heaney: 2001)


TESTO E TRADUZIONE:

- In off the moors, down through the mist-bands

God-cursed Grendel came greedily loping.

The bane of the race of men roamed forth,

hunting for a prey in the high hall.

Under the cloud-murk he moved towards it

until it shone above him, a sheer keep

of fortified gold.Nor was that the first time He had scouted the grounds of Hrothgar's dwelling-[...]

-A largo delle brughiere,giù nelle terre nebbiose Grendel,il Dio maledetto,giungeva a grandi passi.

A caccia di una preda nell'alta stanza,il flagello per la razza umana si aggirava.

Sotto la nube tenebrosa si muoveva fino a quando non brillava più sopra di lui una fortezza a picco fortificata d'oro.Non era la prima volta che aveva perlustrato i terreni dell'abitazione di Hrothgar.[...]

Nor did the creature keep him waiting

but struck suddenly and started in;

he grabbed and mauled a man on his bench,

bit into his bone-lappings, bolted down his blood

and gorged on him in lumps, leaving the body

utterly lifeless, eaten up

hand and foot. Venturing closer,

his talon was raised to attack Beowulf where he lay on the bed, he was bearing in

with open claw when the alert hero's

comeback and armlock forestalled him utterly.

The captain of evil discovered himself

in a handgrip harder than anything

he had ever encountered in any man

on the face of the earth. Every bone in his body

quailed and recoiled, but he could not escape.[...]

-La creatura non lo fece attendere,

ma attaccò e colpì all'improvviso. Afferrò un uomo dalla panca e lo straziò,

dilaniò le giunture delle ossa, trangugiò il suo sangue,si ingozzò della sua carne a pezzi, lasciando il corpo senza più vita, le mani e i piedi. Avvicinandosi,sollevò una zampa per assalire Beawulf

sul letto dove era disteso. Stava calando gli artigli aperti quando la pronta reazione

e la presa dell’eroe accorto lo anticiparono totalmente. Il capitano del male si trovò così bloccato

da una presa più forte di quante ne avesse mai incontrate in nessuno sulla faccia della terra. Ogni osso nel suo corpo tremò ed indietreggiò, ma non riuscì a liberarsi.[...]

Time and again,

Beowulf’s warriors worked to defend

their lord's life, laying about them

as best they could with their ancestral blades.

Stalwart in action, they kept striking out

on every side, seeking to cut

straight to the soul. When they joined the struggle

there was something they could not have known at the time,

that no blade on earth, no blacksmith's art

could ever damage their demon opponent.

He had conjured the harm from the cutting edge

of every weapon.[...]

-Di volta in volta, i guerrieri di Beowulf lavoravano per difendere la

vita del proprio signore, menando colpi all'impazzata come meglio potevano con le spade ancestrali.

Forti nell'azione, continuavano a colpire da da ogni parte, cercando di tagliare dritto all'anima. Quando si unirono alla lotta c'era qualcosa che non potevano sapere, al momento;

nessuna lama a terra, né l'arte di nessun fabbro avrebbe mai potuto danneggiare l'avversario demone.

Egli aveva privato tutte le lame dalla loro stretta.[...]

The monster's whole

body was in pain: a tremendous wound

appeared on his shoulder. Sinews split

and the bone-lappings burst. Beowulf was granted

the glory of winning; Grendel was driven

under the fen-banks, fatally hurt,

to his desolate lair. His days were numbered,

the end of his life was coming over him,

he knew it for certain; and one bloody clash

had fulfilled the dearest wishes of the Danes.

- L’intero corpo del mostro era nel dolore: una tremenda ferita

apparve sulla sua spalla. I tendini si strapparono e l'osso bruciò. A Beowulf fu concessa

la gloria di vincere; Grendel fu portato sotto le rive della palude, fatalmente ferito,

nella sua tana solitaria. I suoi giorni erano contati, la fine della sua vita stava venendo su di lui,

lui lo sapeva per certo, e uno scontro sanguinoso aveva realizzato i desideri più cari dei Danesi.

Beowulf vs Grendel :The Fight (Trailer):

Beowulf 's Funeral (Testo):

                                              Beowulf's Funeral:

Anonymous:

BEOWULF: ( ca 11(th) century):

According to Beowulf's wishes,his people burn his body on a huge funeral pyre and then bury him with a great treasure in a barrow overlooking the sea.

-Secondo i desideri di Beowulf, la sua gente brucia il suo corpo su un enorme pira funebre e poi lo seppelliscono con un grande tesoro in un tumulo a picco sul mare.

The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf,

stacked and decked it until it stood foursquare,

hung with helmets,heavy war-shields

 and shining armour,just as he ordered.

Then his warriors laid him in the middle of it,

Mourning a lord far-famed and beloved.

On a height they kindled the hugest of all

 funeral fires: fumes of woodsmoke 

billowed darkly up,the blaze roared

 and drowned out their weeping,wind died down

 and flames wrought havoc in the hot bone-house,

burning it to the core. They were disconsolate

 and wailed aloud for thei lord's decease.

 A Geat woman too sang out in grief;

 with hair bound up,she unburdened herself 

of her worst fears,a wild litany 

of nightmare and lament: her nation invaded,

enemies on the rampage,bodies in piles,

slavery and abasement. Heaven swallowed the smoke.

Then the Geat people began to construct

 a mound on a headland, high and imposing,

 a marker that sailors could see from far away,

and in ten days they had done the work.

It was their hero's momorial;what remained from the fire

 they housed inside it,behind a wall 

as worthy of him as thei workmanship could make it.

And they buried torques in the barrow,and jewels

 and a trove of such things as trepassing men

 had once dared to drag from the hoard.

They let the ground keep that ancestral treasure,

gold under gravel,gone to earth,

as useless to men now as it ever was.

Then twelve warriors rode around the tomb,

Chieftains sons, champions in battle, 

all of them distraught, chanting in dirges 

Mourning his loss as a man and a king.

Traduzione:

- E poi gli costruirono,al principe dei Geati,su quella terra,

un rogo e vi ammassarono gli elmi,gli scudi e le armature scintillanti

come lui aveva ordinato.

Nel mezzo ci distesero il loro re famoso e i soldati piansero il loro signore.

Su un altura accesero il fuoco funebre più enorme di tutti: esalazioni di fumo

di legna fluttuavano in grandi volute cupe,la fiamma ruggì e soffocò il loro pianto,

il vento cessò e le fiamme generarono devastazione nel corpo,bruciando nelle viscere.

Piansero sconsolatamente per la caduta del loro re. Una ragazza geata coi capelli legati

cantò un canto di lutto,angosciata e dolente. Ripeté che aveva paura di un attacco militare,

di uno stormo di stragi, del terrore delle truppe,degli oltraggi e dell'umiliazione delle catene.

Il cielo ingoiò il fumo.

Poi la gente costui' un tumulo in un promontorio alto e vistoso in lungo e in largo dai viaggiatori del mare.

Lo fabbricarono in dieci giorni quel monumento al re famoso in battaglia.

Intorno ai resti del rogo costruirono un muro e vi misero anelli,collane e sigilli che una volta

i trasgressori avevano tolto dal tesoro.

Hanno lasciato al terreno quel tesoro ancestrale,l'oro alla sabbia,andata a terra come era sempre stato perché inutile agli uomini.

Poi dodici guerrieri,figli di capitribù,campioni di battaglia si erano riuniti intorno al rogo  sconvolti dal dolore intonavano canti funebri in lutto per il loro perduto re e uomo.

Trailer: Beowulf 's Funeral: