Scops and Bards In The Time of Beowulf by Jessica Longstreth

During the times of Beowulf, an epic students are currently reading, legends were not recorded in picture books for future generations. Instead, the northern Germanic tribes of Beowulf relied on scops and bards to tell embellished tales of lionhearted heroes throughout the years until, eventually, someone decided to write the story down.These poets were master improvisers, and provided entertainment for the tribesmen who gathered in mead-halls by chanting and singing about legends of the past. Tribal warriors held a great deal of respect for these scops, as it was the scops who would immortalize the warriors for their heroic deeds.

An illustration of a scop, likely singing an epic

The origins of Beowulf himself likely comes from scops throughout the years until an unknown poet published the epic in the eighteenth century. However, it is a mystery as to whether Beowulf actually existed. Of course, each storyteller told the tale differently, and certain details would have changed with time. For example, during Beowulf's time, northern Germanic tribes had not yet been introduced to Christianity, yet today's published version has some underlying Christian ideals. This is likely due to the influence of the anonymous poet who published the piece. Regardless, it is evident that bards and scops are to thank for some of today's classic epics.

Some classic epics:

• The Odyssey
• The Iliad
• The Divine Comedy
• The Epic of Gilgamesh