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In this series, we’ll read Beowulf together from start to finish, guided by your host, linguist and lover of Old English Colin Gorrie.
Do you want to experience a world caught in transition from heroic values to Christian ones? Do you want to understand the sources Tolkien drew on for Lord of the Rings? Do you want to explore the roots of the English language? Do you want to hear a really good story about heroes and monsters?
A yes to any of these questions is a yes to Beowulf.
This series meets four times over two months. Each time we’ll discuss approximately one quarter of the poem, along with selected historical and linguistic themes. We’ll pay especially close attention to different choices in translation and how they compare to the original Old English in certain key passages.
So grab some mead, bring your favourite translation (or get a free one!), and get ready to travel back in time…
This series has 4 episodes, running four times over two months
Dates: March 17, March 31, April 14, April 28 / 6-8pm EST
Depending on availability, the host might release tickets for each individual salon, too.
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| # | Date | Episode |
| 1 | March 17 | Beowulf and Grendel + How to Read an Old English Epic We’ll discuss the first major section of Beowulf: Beowulf’s battle with Grendel. We’ll also introduce ourselves to the Old English epic. What was the language like? How do we read it? How does understanding the poetic form help us read and appreciate the poem? |
| 2 | March 31 | Grendel’s Mother + Translating Beowulf In this session, we’ll talk about Beowulf’s battle with Grendel’s mother. We’ll also examine the different choices translators have made in translating Beowulf: verse or prose? archaic or modern? strange or familiar? |
| 3 | April 14 | The Rise of Beowulf + The Heroic Ethos This session will cover the rise of Beowulf to power as a king in his own right. We’ll also discuss the heroic age that Beowulf purports to describe. What was it like? And how did it change with the coming of Christianity? |
| 4 | April 28 | Beowulf and the Dragon + Beowulf and Tolkien In this session, we’ll end our journey with Beowulf in discussing his final battle with the dragon. We’ll also examine the enormous influence Beowulf had on Tolkien – who was probably the world’s foremost Beowulf scholar in his day. |
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