Beowulf and Metonymy
The story of Beowulf is set in pagan Scandinavia during the 6th century, and Beowulf — the main character — is the hero of the Geats. This poem serves as a heroic poem and has earned the highest achievement of Old English literature and one of the earliest of the European vernacular epic. What began as an unnamed story, was later named Beowulf, who was said to be a Scandinavian hero. There have been over 600 translations of Beowulf, and to this day continues to be an Old English literature classic that is taught and read in schools. In fact, the first time I read it was my freshman year in high school! Even though there is no historical evidence of Beowulf himself, characters and events have been historically verified. Many people throughout ancient times have tried to uncover the mystery of how it came about, but it remains unsolved.
A large theme in Beowulf is the articulation and illustration of the Germanic heroic code — which values strength, courage, loyalty, generosity, and many others. This theme is often referred to as chivalry, and Beowulf pledges to stick to these norms, as he begins to combat the Danes. This heroic code stayed in place until his death. Another major theme is Good vs. Evil, which is shown a lot throughout this story and many others in Old English literature. The example of good is demonstrated through Beowulf and Hrothgar, and the evil is shown through the three antagonists — Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. The idea of good traits relates to the idea of bravery, honesty, and heroic feats. While evil is shown through Grendel’s mother and her actions of killing the Danes.
After reading the poem, again — my first time being in high school — I realized how much I did not pick up on certain lines or understand the meaning at the time. In Beowulf, many types of figurative languages are used. Imagery and irony are depicted quite a few times, but metonymy continues to be one I noticed the most. Metonymy is a figure of speech, usually in which a concept is referred to by something with close meaning associated with it. A real-life example is when someone says, “the crown” but is referring to “the king.”
Beowulf has many examples of metonymy, but some are found more easily than others. An example would be, “The keen, inlaid, worm-looped-patterned steel was hurled to the ground: he would have to rely on the might of his arm” (lines 1532–1534). This shows an example by the “steel” referring to a sword to be used during battle. This shows metonymy because the word being used has multiple meanings attached to it. Throughout Beowulf, metonymy is seen numerous times and might be one of my favorite figurative languages. It helps me to understand how words can share meaning different meanings but still be related back to one central topic or term. The metonymies used in Beowulf help to relay a deeper meaning of our inclinations and help us identify an ancient story more easily — comprehension becomes easier as well.
Being able to identify literary devices in reading is a great way to help with comprehension and become a better scholar. For me, understanding the “why’s and how’s” of something lead me to become more intrigued and invested, especially when learning something new.
