Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

Francis P. Magoun, Jr. "Béowulf B: A Folk-Poem on Beowulf's Death." In Early English and Norse Studies Presented to Hugh Smith in Honor of His Sixtieth Birthday. Ed. Arthur Brown and Peter Foote. London: Methuen. pp. 127-40.

Departing from Magoun 1958b, he argues for multiple authorship of Beowulf (song A = 1-2009a, A' = 2009b-2176, B = 2200-3182). As evidence he notes that cyclic poems are unusual in oral traditions, that certain narrative details differentiate the work of the two hypothetical singers A and B, and that Beowulf's consistency of character and Hrothgar's prophecy are traditional ideas and thus no proof against multiple authorship.
Area: OE, SC, FN, CP