Oral-Formulaic Theory in Anglo-Saxon Poetry
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While Anglo-Saxon (Old English) epic poetry may bear some resemblance to Ancient Greek epics such as the Iliad and Odyssey, the question of how and if Anglo-Saxon poetry was passed down through an oral tradition is still open to interpretation.[citation needed]
Anglo-Saxon poetry has been examined under the theory of Oral tradition; many themes have been discovered that stretch among the various works of Anglo-Saxon literature that are known to the modern audience. However, by and large much of it seems to have been composed word-by-word.[citation needed] In other words, Old English literature can be thought of as being composed of formulae and themes that extend between separate works as well as literary passages composed in a more modern sense.[citation needed] Larry Benson introduced the concept of "written-formulaic" to describe the status of some Anglo-Saxon poetry which, while demonstrably written, contains evidence of oral influences, including heavy reliance on formulas and themes[1] Frequent oral-formulaic themes in Old English poetry include "Beasts of Battle"[2] and the "Cliff of Death".[3] The former, for example, is characterized by the mention of ravens, eagles, and wolves preceding particularly violent depictions of battle However, some hypothesized oral-formulas, such as that of "The Hero on the Beach," have been disproven.[citation needed] Scholar D.K. Crowne first proposed this theme, defined by four characteristics:
1. A Hero on the Beach.
2. Accompanying "Retainers."
3. A Flashing Light.
4. The Completion or Initiation of a Journey.
In attempting to prove the existence of such a theme, Crowne drew on examples of its appearance at twelve differences in Anglo-Saxon literature, including one in Beowulf. Those trying to support or refute Crowne's hypothesis found the "Hero on the Beach" formula in myriad different pieces of Old English literature. It was also discovered in other works of Germanic origin, Middle English poetry, and even an Icelandic prose saga. J.A. Dane, in an article[4] characterized as "polemics without rigor"[5] claimed that the appearance of the theme in Ancient Greek poetry, a tradition without known connection to the Germanic, invalidated the notion of "an autonomous theme in the baggage of an oral poet."
The prevalence of the theme in literature, however, served to refute Crowne's hypothesis rather than support it.[citation needed] The "Hero on the Beach" pattern could apply to virtually all characters at some point, and therefore could not be regarded as an Anglo-Saxon oral-formula.[6]
