A Pebble Smoothed by Tradition: Lines 607-61 of Beowulf as a Formulaic Set-piece

Abstract

In this essay Drout and Smith use new “lexomic” methods of computer-assisted statistical analysis to identify a concentration of unusual lexical, metrical, grammatical, and formulaic features in lines 607-61 of Beowulf, a scene in which Queen Wealhtheow passes the cup of friendship to the assembled warriors. Although the passage contains a number of proper names, the authors demonstrate that it is highly formulaic and adaptable, and conclude that the Beowulf-poet had an unwritten, highly traditional source for these lines.

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Fig. 1. Dendrogram of the A-Scribe Portion of Beowulf when the poem is divided into segments.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 2. Dendrogram of the A-Scribe Portion of Beowulf when the poem is divided into segments.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 3. Frequency of conjunctive siþþan in Beowulf in a rolling window of 20 lines.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 4. Frequency of Kaluza’s Law verses in a rolling window of 25 lines.

Image: by the authors

Fig. 5. Frequency of Ss/Sx verse types in Beowulf in a rolling-window of 50 lines.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 6. Average frequency of alliterating non-displaced finite verbs in Beowulf in a rolling-window of 50 half-lines. Horizontal scale is in half-lines.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 7. Frequency of repeated formulas in Beowulf in a rolling window of 20 lines.

Image: by the authors.

Fig. 8. Ratio of þ to ð in a rolling window of 25 lines.

Image: by the authors.

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