Beowulf

Programming / to stage

Beowulf, in a sense, has the same stature as the Iliad and the Odyssey.
It is a monument – but it is less talked about.
An Iliad hidden from classical eyes.

Am I exaggerating if I say that the whole fantasy of Heroic Fantasy comes directly from Beowulf?
No, I am not exaggerating at all.
Beowulf is he Scandinavian hero. The legendary Viking – the pagan beliefs told by a Christian – the monumental and terrifying life of the hero against the terrible monsters of the Northern lands.

Who has read Beowulf? Seriously ?

It seems that only Americans read this book – you’ll tell me that’s already a lot – it’s true. I definitely like Americans more and more. What’s a pity is that they don’t speak French.
Okay – this book is not entirely lost – but don’t forget that I write from France, and so back home, Beowulf, strictly nobody knows that.

You will tell me to go read Tolkien? – I won’t even answer. I loved the movies, I never got around to reading – but that’s not the universe of Beowulf. It’s like a sequel as incredible and heroic as its ancestor – remember that?

You’ll tell me to go play Skyrim? I did.
I went up to High-Hrothgar.
And since I’ve read Beowulf, I know where this High – Hrothgar comes from – Hrothgar is the name of the King who managed to bring so much prosperity that he aroused the envy and jealousy of a frightful ogre: Grendel, who attacked when the King got too old.
It will be the young Beowulf who will fight the ogre, with equal weapons: with his bare hands.

But killing an ogre can only arouse the anger of his mother – more terrible than her son, more violent, full of hatred and anger, she will be the voice of revenge.
The battle will be chilling – the ogress lives under the water, and to defeat her, you must descend into the abyss.
There, there is no more honor, no more equal weapons, she is so much stronger than him.
It is at the moment of being put to death that he manages to beat her, with a sword that he steals from her.

Now a legendary hero, Beowulf can reign and believe himself safe.
But isn’t it when you think you are safe that the worst happens?
His last enemy, when he has become an old man, will be a dragon. He was guarding a treasure and someone stole a golden cup.
Who thought it was smart to wake up a dragon?

Beowulf learns this – he forces the thief to guide him to the dragon’s lair – has an armor built that can withstand the monster’s fire jets. And goes alone to face the legendary beast.
He has less strength than before.
The dragon wounds him.
The dragon makes him fall
He could only hit him twice – and the second assault wounded him with a poisonous wound – the poison spreads, Beowulf feels death running through his veins.
He can no longer defeat alone
He calls for help – and in the third attack – he dies.

He dies, but the dragon dies too.
His funeral is ordered, he will join the heroes by fire.

Isn’t this story enough?
It must be transformed?
Adapt it?
Take pieces of it? – Of course it has to be done and it has been done, especially in the United States.

But don’t you hear this story, told in the dark, with music by Jeremy Soule?

– of course Jeremy Soule, he is the music of Skyrim – and I love Skyrim a lot.

Can you imagine the emotional charge of this story, told on a stage?
A few images – almost nothing – the dark
Voices for the text
The music

But I swear you don’t need anything else.
I said it before – I’ll say it again – with great voices of great actors, with great music, a text is enough
And this one has everything to make us bristle with terror, enthusiasm and that real pity at the end that takes us because the hero dies and it ends in the crackling flames of his pyre.

Home Page

Featured Image : Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – DLC : The Beowulf Legend – Ubisoft