Beowulf has been handed down orally since the early centuries. In the eighth century, Beowulf was officially written down for the first time. As an epic poem, Beowulf tells the story of a legendary hero who has supernatural courage and strength which have helped him become the hero he is after fighting in numerous battles, all coming out on top. Beowulf was summoned to a land to help eliminate a beast of a man, once and for all. The cultural elements represented in Beowulf are shown in spiritual beliefs, the mannerisms of the warriors, and the burial ceremony.
In late 400 A.D, also known as the Anglo-Saxon Age, Animism, a strong paganistic belief was exposed in various way. This belief also includes, “spirits / . . . fiends, goblins, monsters,[and]
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giants” (26-27) Along with the previous superstitions, the celts saw spirits in rivers, trees, stones, ponds fires and thunder. The Christian God was known to be a strongly worshiped idol during the Anglo-Saxon Age as well, but again, in Beowulf, the scops display their paganistic beliefs, after Grendel attacks, where they say; And sometimes they [the warriors] sacrificed to the old stone gods Made heathen rows, hoping for Hell’s Support, the Devil’s guidance driving Their affliction [suffering] off.
(90-93)
Sometimes the warriors looked to the devil for help, which tells the reader Christianity was not the only religion practiced in the early centuries.
One of the praised mannerisms in the Anglo-Saxon Age was loyalty. Warriors are supposed to be loyal, but when Grendel attacks, “the only survivors were those who fled him”(37-38). The soldiers were awfully timorous of Grendel, that they fled the attack cite and turned the battle into every man for himself.
Beowulf’s warriors are the most loyal, as they should be. They will not leave him in a time of need: “the Danes gave up, left / The lake and went home, Hrothgar with them. / The Geats (Beowulf's tribe) stayed, sat sadly watching” (57-59). The Geats are patiently waiting Beowulf to emerge from the water, even after Hrothgar and his men have given up, and gone home.
Passing down a hero's armor is a grand tradition in the Anglo-Saxon Age. As Beowulf speaks on his deathbed, “I’d leave my armor to my son, now if God had given me an heir” (742-43). Being an offspring to a legendary hero is a great honor. The heir receives said hero's armor from battle with the yearning to become just as grand a hero if not more. With his dying breath, Beowulf's explains his want for his burial in hope everyone with remember his name:“Here at the water’s edge, high / On this spit of land, so sailors can see / This tower and know my name, and call it / Beowulf's tower. Beowulf hopes that his name will forever be remember, especially after all the selfless deeds he has accomplished in his
life.
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the late tenth-century, at the kingdom of the West Saxons. The two main characters are Beowulf, a young man; and Grendel, a furious dragon. Beowulf's world is a very violent society with wars as a dominant part of daily life. Dragons and monsters are a constant threat to the Danes and the Geats. Warriors are a necessity to this war-like society. Beowulf is a hero as well as a great, and honorable, warrior.
Loyalty is a key part of any story, but most crucial to medieval tales of knights and mythical creatures. Beowulf’s men were/are loyal to him until they were reminded of their mortality. His men abandon him in his
Beowulf is an epic poem that explores many themes and motifs within the Anglo-Saxon society. The Author, who remains anonymous, composed the epic around 1000 A.D. The literature focuses mainly on a Scandinavian warrior named Beowulf, who comes to the aid of Herot, a small town ran by King Hrothgar. Beowulf arises to rid the town of evil forces, such as the demon monster Grendel, and his savage mother who seeks revenge for the death of her son. As he ages, Beowulf presumes his title as king of Geatland, still eager to protect his loyal followers from danger.
"The Anglo Saxons appear as a race of fierce, cruel, and barbaric pagans, delighting in the seas, in slaughter, and in drink "(Allen, 17). The character of the ancient Saxons displayed the qualities of fearless, active, and successful. The Anglo-Saxons are mostly a barbaric race, not savage and rude but mostly military and...
In the middle ages we believe that gold and other physical possessions determine one’s value. Currently we understand that there is more to offer someone than just material objects. The king can be discerned from all of the garish clothing and embellishments he wears. King Hrothgar in the epic is all about having the most elaborate of items. He bequeaths armor and gold to the defeaters of Grendel, Beowulf and his mighty thanes. This materialism displays that only the noblest have the high quality belongings. Another sense of materialism in the epic was when Beowulf kept Grendel’s claw after their fight. This action infers that Beowulf would not have gotten the credit if he did not show some sort of proof to the Danes. Beowulf is very fond of his sword. Later in the epic he duels the dragon and relies on his sword to help defeat the creatures like always. The sword was a big part of his life. It was always there to help Beowulf when he needed it and once it did not work on the dragon, Beowulf was in complete
The most desirable traits were: loyalty, strength, bravery, wisdom, and fame. Beowulf himself was easily the most admirable character based on the standards of the time. In addition to Beowulf, Wiglaf, who made an appearance in the final episode, was an incredibly honourable warrior. During Beowulf’s battle against Grendel’s mother, there was a contrast between the Geats and the Danes, “The Danes gave up, left the lake and went home, Hrothgar with them. The Geats stayed, sat sadly, watching,” (Beowulf 574-576). In this portion of the story, the warriors of Beowulf remained for their prince, and while they did not believe he survived, they stayed and waited for him nonetheless. The Danes, however, left as soon as they thought that Beowulf had perished. The writer represented the Geats as very loyal men, which reflected positively on Beowulf, while representing the Danes and Hrothgar as disloyal men. The Anglo-Saxons would have definitely preferred the Geats after this particular development. Another trait that Beowulf had represented was strength. The first mention of Beowulf was, “Follower and strongest of the Geats – greater And stronger than anyone anywhere in this world” (Beowulf 110-111), to Anglo-Saxons, the idea that one was the strongest out of everyone was one that every warrior strived towards, because they believed that strength was representative of the character. In
Beowulf is among the earliest surviving works of literature. It was written in Old English and dates back sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem is set in Scandinavia, and tells the story of the heroic warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect hero. He fought for his people and defeated evil with his ability to bring on justice. Three of Beowulf’s traits that serve as evidence of this were his remarkable physical strength, his ability to put the well-being of others before his own well-being, and his courage.
As the Pagans of the Anglo-Saxon culture do not believe in the afterlife, they rely on their actual life they live to tell their story. They live to the fullest, while building to a high level of honor and pride among each other. In the poem, the burial of Beowulf is the only real party where we can see these traditions. With his last, dying breaths, Beowulf describes to Wiglaf the manner in which he wishes to be remembered, requesting to, “Have the brave Geats build me a tomb, when the funeral flames have burned me, and build it here, at the water’s edge, high on this spit of land, so sailors can see this tower, and call it Beowulf’s tower…” (812). Tying in again with reputation, Beowulf wishes to be remembered as a guiding light to the Geat people that he became a symbol to, and buried in a way in which he will be remember forever. As he had wished, the loyal soldiers of Beowulf had indeed built the tower, “... working for ten long days they built his monument, sealed his ashes in walls as straight and high as wise and willing hands could raise them” (874). Respecting his wish, a tower was brought up in his honor, to remember as a great warrior, following the long held tradition of mourning the dead that the Anglo-Saxons have long
Within the poem, swords, at one level, are used as a symbol of reward and gratitude. After Beowulf heroically kills Grendel, Hrothgar repays him with a sword, described as, “a victory gift … that was both precious object and a token of honor” (pg. 62 1020-1023). This sword represents Beowulf’s brave battle with Grendel, in which he chose to fight without a weapon, in order to avoid an unfair advantage. Beowulf is portrayed as inhuman because of his phenomenal strength, murdering a monstrous beast with his bare hands, and rewarded with an object he has no use for. Further, a noble king is thought to be someone who rewards his brave citizens and is generous. During this time, kings were among the few people to own weapons of such great value, which expresses the great honour it was to receive one. In addition to the generous gifts from Hrothgar, Beowulf receives a “gem-studded sword” from King Hygelac to celebrate his numerous accomplishments (2193). Further, King Hygelac presents Beowulf with “land as well, seven thousand hides; and a hall and a throne” (2195-2196). By gifting Beowulf with land, his social standings would have risen immensely. However, a single sword, not to mention multiple weapons of such value, would have done this as well. Beowulf became an incredibly respected person after his battle against Grendel. He went from a lower class
Beowulf is an interesting story in that it has a meaning that is firmly rooted in fantasy creatures based in mythical origins while providing insight into religious ideals and practices of the time. It also speaks of tradition and the struggle of man against things perceived as evil. In this tradition especially, Beowulf is an incredible allegory regarding the struggle of good and evil in the Christian tradition.
...tory over Satan to play a central part in the spread of Christianity among the Vikings, whom looked to Odin and Thor for such attributes.
Loyalty is the act of being faithful to one’s obligations and commitments. Such a characteristic may not be very obvious in today’s world; however, it certainly is prominent in the Anglo-Saxon society. The pattern of loyal dependency is basic to Anglo-Saxon life. It grows out of a need to protect individuals from the horrors of enemy-infested wilderness. Loyalty, an extremely valued ideal in the Anglo-Saxon community, can be seen in many works written from that time period.
Honor is a quality the Anglo-Saxons practiced heavily. Anyone successful in battle, or going into battle at all, was teeming with honor from those around them. Leaders were showered with respect and honor because it’s associated with battle and success within that. Beowulf demonstrates honor as an importance of Anglo-Saxon culture in that Beowulf himself was well respected and honored greatly for his actions and intentions. This came from not only Beowulf’s own men, but Hrothgar and his men as well. Beowulf earned his honor by being a great leader amongst his own people and displaying courage and bravery when stepping up to fight
Ancient epics, the stories of heroes and villains, battles of good against evil, creation myths and morality tales, fascinate and intrigue us as a curious species. Passed down orally for millennia before first being recorded on any stone, papyrus, or parchment, these ballads of ancient oral tradition take us away from our ordinary lives and delve us into worlds of legendary figures. Beowulf, the saga of one such hero, most likely finds its origin around the 7th century, and the only known text of the epic was first written down in the 11th century by Christian scribes. Adherent to the Germanic heroic code - a draconian set of principles medieval Norse warriors lived by to secure the honor of their lineage - the poem celebrates the virtues of
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.