Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur facts for kids
Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur (born September 18, 1888 – died September 9, 1971) was a smart professor. He taught about old English, German, and Norse stories at the University of California, Berkeley. He is best known for his studies on the famous poem Beowulf. He also translated Prose Edda by Snorri Sturluson for The American-Scandinavian Foundation. Besides his academic work, he wrote exciting adventure stories for magazines. He was also known for his political ideas, which aimed to make society better.
Early Life and Education
Brodeur was born in Franklin, Massachusetts. His father, Clarence Arthur Brodeur, was a teacher and school leader. Arthur went to Harvard University and earned three degrees there. He got his Bachelor's in 1909, his Master's in 1911, and his PhD in 1916. For his PhD, he wrote about a common story idea in old books: the grateful lion.
Career and Writings
While he was still a student, Brodeur taught German and history. He also worked as a guest teacher at the University of Oregon. Most of his career was spent at the University of California in Berkeley. He started there in 1916. He taught English and Germanic languages. By 1930, he became a full professor. He stayed at Berkeley until he retired in 1955. After retiring, he went back to teach at the University of Oregon.
In 1959, he published a very important book called The Art of Beowulf. Many people say it is a must-read for anyone studying the Beowulf poem.
Brodeur helped create the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of California. He was its first leader from 1946 to 1951. He had already started translating Old Norse stories before he finished his PhD. His translation of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda came out in the same year he got his doctorate. In 1944, he was honored for his work in Scandinavian studies. He was made a Knight 1st Class of the Royal Order of Vasa. This is a special award from Sweden.
He was also very interested in old songs and stories. Because of this, he was active in studying folklore. Folklore is about the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community.
Early in his career, Brodeur wrote adventure stories. He wrote for popular magazines like Argosy and Adventure. Many of his stories were about old Northern history and legends. For example, he wrote about Harald Hardrada's time as a guard. This was in his serialized novel He Rules Who Can (1928). He also wrote a novella called "Vengeance" (1925), which was based on the Völsunga saga. Brodeur also created a series about two knights, Faidit and Cercamon. Their adventures took place in France in the 1100s. With Farnham Bishop, Brodeur wrote about Lady Fulvia. She was a warrior woman from Sicily. They also wrote the novel The Altar of the Legion (1926).
Brodeur was known for his progressive politics. This means he believed in social and political changes. He wanted to improve society and protect ordinary people. He was part of a group that helped raise money for a professor who was fired. Brodeur was also one of the University of California professors who at first refused to sign a loyalty oath in 1949. This oath was a promise of loyalty to the state. He eventually signed it, deciding to keep fighting for his beliefs from within the system.
Selected Works
- Sturlusson, Snorri (1916).
The Prose Edda. Scandinavian Classics 5. The American-Scandinavian Foundation. Wikisource. OCLC 974934. - The Altar of the Legion (with Farnham Bishop). Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1926.
- Arthur, Dux Bellorum. University of California publications in English, volume 3, no. 7. Berkeley: University of California, 1939.
- The Art of Beowulf. Berkeley: University of California, 1959.
- In the Grip of the Minotaur (with Farnham Bishop). Normal, IL, Black Dog Books, 2010.
- The Adventures of Faidit and Cercamon. Boston, MA, Altus Press, 2014.
- He Rules Who Can. Boston, MA, Steeger Books, 2021.
