What effect(s) do the numerous historical digressions (into genealogy and feuds between the Swedes and Geats, for example) have on the feel of the narrative? What do they tell you about the culture being portrayed? Can you, in fact, make judgments about the culture being depicted with no reliable authorial intent in evidence?

What does the poetic utilization of kenning in Beowulf do for the music or meaning of the story?