So in my English class we're reading Beowulf. I was reading the beginning of the section, where it's like telling about what's going on in the time period and why the story is written. So I'm reading about the rulers of Britain and then the heroes of the people who ruled. Beowulf is about the Anglo Saxons, but starts off talking about the Celts for some reason? It said word for word in the text book, "Unlike the make-dominated Anglo-Saxon stories, the Celtic legends are full of strong women, like the tall and fierce and very beautiful Queen Maeve of Connacht in Ireland. Maeve once led her troops in an epic battle over the ownership of a fabulous white bull whose back was so broad fifty children could play upon it. Celtic stories, unlike the later, brooding Anglo-Saxon stories, leap into sunlight (no matter how much blood is spilled). Full of fantastic animals, passionate love affairs, and incredible adventures, the Celtic myths take you to enchanted lands where magic and the imagination rule."
It really confuses me, the rest of the selection I was distracted, why would they put this in an intro of a high school, senior at that, text book, we don't want to be reading this in the first place. :) It starts by telling me, get ready for some nasty, gory story. Then it says all about these great things, "enchanted lands where magic and the imagination rules" In one sentence they could have just said, "These stories are much better and pleasant, but we're going to give you this instead." Why even tease me with an example of Queen Maeve, which seems to be a good story?
But on the other hand, although we haven't gotten to a battle yet, Beowulf seems to be the beginning of a good story. Apparently, it's halfway decent because I've found people in the past who like it and when I went to look for a picture all I could find was pictures from the apparent movie? And to top it off, it's not in some crazy wording that you have to have a translator to understand it! :)
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