Heorot (Old English pronunciation: [ˈhɛo̯rɔt]; Modern: /ˈheɪ.ɒroʊt/ HAY-orr-oht[citation needed]) is a mead hall described in the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf as "the foremost of halls under heaven." It served as a palace for King Hroðgar, a legendary Danish king of the sixth century. Heorot means "Hall of the Hart" (male deer).[1] The Geatish (Swedish) hero Beowulf defends the royal hall and its residents from the demonic Grendel.
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Description and symbolism
The anonymous author of Beowulf praises Heorot as follows:
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- Then, as I have heard, the work of constructing a building
- Was proclaimed to many a tribe throughout this middle earth.
- In time – quickly, as such things happen among men –
- It was all ready, the biggest of halls.
- He whose word was law
- Far and wide gave it the name ‘Heorot’.[2]
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- The men did not dally; they strode inland in a group
- Until they were able to discern the timbered hall,
- Splendid and ornamented with gold.
- The building in which that powerful man held court
- Was the foremost of halls under heaven;
- Its radiance shone over many lands.[3]
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The hall was large enough to allow Hroðgar to present Beowulf with a gift of eight horses, each with gold-plate headgear.[4] It functions both as a seat of government and as a residence for the king's thanes (warriors). Heorot symbolizes human civilization and culture, as well as the might of the Danish kings—essentially, all the good things in the world of Beowulf.[5] Its brightness, warmth, and joy contrasts with the darkness of the swamp waters inhabited by Grendel.[1][6]
Location of Heorot
The medieval chroniclers Saxo Grammaticus and Sven Aggesen wrote that the village of Lejre, near Roskilde was the chief residence of Hroðgar's Skjöldung clan (called "Scylding" in the poem).[6] The remains of a Viking hall complex was uncovered southwest of Lejre in 1986-88 by Tom Christensen of the Roskilde Museum.[6] Wood from the foundation was radiocarbon-dated to about 880.[6] It was later found that this hall was built over an older hall which has been dated to 680.[6] In 2004-05, Christensen excavated a third hall located just north of the other two.[6] This hall was built in the mid-6th century, exactly the time period of Beowulf.[6] All three halls were about 50 meters long.[6]
In Scandinavian sources, Heorot corresponds to Hleiðargarðr, King Hroðulf's (Hrólfr Kraki) hall mentioned in Hrólf Kraki's saga, and located in Lejre.
In popular culture
- The 2007 film Beowulf, directed by Robert Zemeckis, depicts Heorot as a hall of hedonistic debauchery and suggests that this is the source of Grendel's anger, which is contrary to most interpretations of the epic poem.
- In the novel Grendel (1971) by John Gardner, Heorot is referred to as "Hart" (male deer).
- Heorot is the name of a Dresden Files short story by Jim Butcher, included in the My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon anthology.[7]
- Dartmouth's former Chi Phi chapter dissociated itself with the fraternity after a series of disagreements. The fraternity stayed on to eventually become known as Chi Heorot.
Science fiction series
The Heorot series by Steven Barnes, Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven is named after the hall. It contains the following books:
- The Legacy of Heorot (1987)
- Beowulf's Children (1995). Published as The Dragons of Heorot (1995) in the United Kingdom
Larry Niven's Destiny's Road is also set in the same universe, but mentions the events in Legacy of Heorot only in passing.
References
- ^ a b Baldwin, Stanley P., and Elaine Strong Skill. "Heorot", CliffsNotes on Beowulf. Cliffnotes, 2006.
"Kent place names - H", BBC Homepage. See under "Hartlip". - ^ Beowulf, lines 74-79.
- ^ Beowulf, lines 306-11.
- ^ Beowulf, lines 1035-37
- ^ Halverson, John. “The World of Beowulf” ELH, Vol. 36, No. 4. (Dec., 1969), pp. 593-608. JSTOR. Online Database. 6 Dec. 2006.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Niles, John D., "Beowulf’s Great Hall", History Today, October 2006, 56 (10), pp. 40-44
- ^ Jim-Butcher.Com: Jim-Butcher.Com News: Far and wide gave it the name
External links
- Baldwin, Stanley P., and Elaine Strong Skill. CliffsNotes on Beowulf. Cliffnotes, 2006.
- Kiernan, Kevin, Guide to Electronic Beowulf, 2003.
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