Beowulf: Between Folktale and Epic with Whiteblade

No need to book - simply come along!

In the epic poem Beowulf a warrior hero comes to grips with water monsters, ogres and a dragon. Philip Shaw explores the interconnections between Beowulf and the Old Norse saga Hrólfs kraka, especially their battles with monsters. Dwelling on folkloric material alongside heroic legend, the lecture brings together the monsters under the bed with the guilty pleasures of churchmen. 

Whiteblade is Hazelsong Theatre Company’s dramatic retelling of the story of Oswald, King of 7^th-century Northumbria, in a time of war and wonders, when holy men and heroes and mythic beasts walked the earth. It features music, song, masks and a dragon! 

Speaker: Dr Philip A. Shaw is a specialist in early Germanic languages and literatures. His research includes work on the history of animal names, the medieval Brut Tradition of narratives about the legendary origins of Britain, and the origins of the Roman alphabet writing system for English. His latest book, Names and Naming in Beowulf, re-assesses the origins of the epic in the light of its personal names. 

Performers: Hazelsong Theatre Company are Andrew Bates, Linda Richardson, James Gillespie and Sam Gillespie. Their work is rooted in the songs, stories, myth and folklore of the North and the Borderlands and the many cultures that have made the North their home.