A close fitt: reading Beowulf fitt II with the Andreas-poet

<p>Connections between&nbsp;<span class="italic">Andreas</span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<span class="italic">Beowulf</span>&nbsp;have been the subject of much scholarly discussion. This article contributes to this discussion by arguing that the...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Thomas, D
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022
Description
Summary:<p>Connections between&nbsp;<span class="italic">Andreas</span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<span class="italic">Beowulf</span>&nbsp;have been the subject of much scholarly discussion. This article contributes to this discussion by arguing that the account of the Mermedonians&rsquo; discovery of and response to the loss of their prisoners in&nbsp;<span class="italic">Andreas</span>&nbsp;fitt X, which corresponds to chapters 22&ndash;3 of the poet&rsquo;s putative Latin source, has been deliberately recast in ways intended to recall the account in fitt II of&nbsp;<span class="italic">Beowulf</span>&nbsp;of Grendel&rsquo;s first attack on Heorot and the reactions of the Danish community. The connection argued for here is based not on verbal correspondences, but on embedded structural and thematic parallels. The&nbsp;<span class="italic">Andreas</span>-poet emerges as a careful and sophisticated reader, notable for their specifically literate and textual engagement with&nbsp;<span class="italic">Beowulf.</span>&nbsp;This observation has implications not only for our appreciation of the&nbsp;<span class="italic">Andreas</span>-poet&rsquo;s art, but also for the transmission of&nbsp;<span class="italic">Beowulf</span>&nbsp;and for our understanding of Old English poetic practices more generally.</p>