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<p>The present article reconsiders the interpretation of <i>lofgeornost</i>, the last word of <i>Beowulf</i>. Scholars have conventionally understood the word to characterize Beowulf as “most eager for fame,” but Dennis Cronan argues that the word actually means “most eager to practice praiseworthy giving,” hence “most generous.” The probable correctness of Cronan’s interpretation is elevated herein through the comparison of Beowulf’s eulogy with three eulogistic passages preserved in <i>Þiðreks saga af Bern</i>, a thirteenth-century prose compilation that preserves earlier legendary material. A tendency for these eulogies to characterize the greatest heroes of the migration period as “most generous” increases the likelihood that the eulogy of Beowulf would likewise conclude with an adjective referring to his exceptional generosity.</p>

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Lofgeornost Reconsidered: Eulogies in Beowulf and Þiðreks saga

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月25日

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  • Leonard Neidorf

摘要

The present article reconsiders the interpretation of lofgeornost, the last word of Beowulf. Scholars have conventionally understood the word to characterize Beowulf as “most eager for fame,” but Dennis Cronan argues that the word actually means “most eager to practice praiseworthy giving,” hence “most generous.” The probable correctness of Cronan’s interpretation is elevated herein through the comparison of Beowulf’s eulogy with three eulogistic passages preserved in Þiðreks saga af Bern, a thirteenth-century prose compilation that preserves earlier legendary material. A tendency for these eulogies to characterize the greatest heroes of the migration period as “most generous” increases the likelihood that the eulogy of Beowulf would likewise conclude with an adjective referring to his exceptional generosity.