Comparative Study Of Space Deixis In Two Modern English Versions Of Beowulf

As the most widely disseminated piece of Anglo-Saxon poetry, Beowulf contains profound connotations of English traditional cultures. Since1786, it has been transcribed and translated into Modern English and other languages into many versions. The original Old English version in the thesis is taken from Frederick Klaeber’s Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg done during the early20th century that became the ’central source used by graduate students for the study of the poem and by scholars and teachers’. His edition included the poem in Old English, an extensive glossary of Old English terms, and general background information. The first modern version is taken from Francis Gummere’s full translation of Beowulf that is the very first full translation in Modern English. Gummere’s translation retains the alliterative rhythm, caesura and pacing of the original, abounding in archaism and poetic diction. The second modern version is taken from Seamus Heaney’s1999translation of the poem, known as Heaneywulf, ensures’a dominant position of Beowulf in the college classroom’. Heaney’s translation is intended to be understandable by the common reader while not editing or revising too many parts of the poem that distinctly link it to its Anglo-Saxon heritage. He also stresses the importance of maintaining the feel of the original poem.First of all, the author discusses about the space deixis in the poem Beowulf in detail, and explores the its linguistic, mythological and religious connotations, as well as compares space deixis that are interpreted differently by Gummere and Heaney’s versions, regarding the original Old English version. The etymology of space deixs is traced back ultimately to the Proto-Indo-European parent language, with the supplement of comparative mythological and religious methods. After an elaborate analysis, the following conclusions can be drawn:(1) In terms of Comparative Linguistics, Gummere lays particular stress on words of Germanic roots, while Heaney lays particular stress on words of Hellenic, Italic and Romance roots.(2) In terms of Comparative Mythology, Gummere focuses words of Scandinavian mythology, while Heaney focuses words of Graeco-Roman mythology.(3) In terms of Comparative Religion, Gummere places extra emphasis on Norse paganism, while Heaney places extra emphasis on Christianity. In the end, the integration of comparative linguistic, mythological and religious analyses leads to the conclusion that Gummere’s translation is closer to the original Old English version than Heaney’s translation.Through the exploration and comparison of the different Modern English versions by Gummere and Heaney, this thesis intends to benefit the study and research of Beowulf and the translation of space deixis in the poem as well as comparative linguistics.