Widukind’s Understanding of Warfare in Deeds of the Saxons Widukind was a monk at the monastery of Corvey in the mid-tenth century. His trilogy, Deeds of the Saxons, is an account of the Saxons under the rulers of Henry I and his son Otto I. This essay will evaluate Widukind’s understanding and depiction of the nature of warfare during the first two generations of the Ottonian Dynasty. In the three books of Deeds of the Saxons, Widukind made the Saxons look superior by providing a biased impression of what warfare was like under the rule of Henry I and Otto I and examining their battles solely through the lens of the Saxon people. Throughout the three books, Widukind’s pride of the Saxon people and their kings was demonstrated in his descriptions …show more content…
of wars and battles. Widukind was of Saxon decent and it is assumed that he came from a noble and important family. Corvey was a privileged monastery in Germany and it is likely that in order for Widukind to gain entry into this monastery he must have come from a powerful and influential family (Widukind, xiii). Widukind dedicates all three of his books to Lady Mathilda, the daughter of Otto I. He seemed to have been very close to the royal family so it could be assumed that his loyalties lied with the king. Although Widukind strived for accuracy in his trilogy, his loyalty shined a biased light on the facts about the king. He never spoke poorly of king Otto I or king Henry I. Throughout the three books he only described the kings as powerful and glorious. In the preface of book one, he describes the deeds of Henry I and Otto I as the most glorious and the best. Widukind idolized the kings in his books, making them seem perfect and almighty. The history behind the Saxons in this trilogy has been fairly accurate, however, there are many examples where the Saxons and their kings have been portrayed as unrealistically perfect. In Widukind’s first book, he describes the Saxons as a stronghold that could defeat any enemy that comes their way.
Widukind outlines the early history of the Saxons in the beginning of his first book. Here he describes how the Saxons defeated the Thuringians and took over their land. According to Widukind, the success of the Saxons had made them famous in neighboring regions. The Saxons were considered so courageous and militant that the Britons begged for their help in defeating the Romans (Widukind, 10). Widukind describes the Romans’ defense in this battle as so large that they stretched from sea to sea. He was probably referring to the Antonine Wall, which was many miles long. He tells the readers that the Saxons quickly defeated the Romans. Earlier in the book, Widukind says that the Saxons only used large knives for fighting of enemies, which is how they received their name. It is hard to believe that these large knives defeated the Roman army, who stretched from sea to sea, in such a short period of time. It is also unlikely that the battle against the Romans did not have at least had devastating effects on the size of the Saxon …show more content…
forces. In the second book, Widukind repeatedly emphasizes how forgiving and kind king Otto I was to his inferiors. He describes the king’s readiness to forgive as a strength rather than a flaw. An example of the king’s never ending compassion is when he showed mercy to his brother for plotting against him. Henry, Otto I’s younger brother, had formed a pact with Duke Eberhard of Franconia as an attempt to gain power of the crown (Widukind, 74). When Henry returned, the king openly welcomed him with love. Widukind attempts to justify Henry’s actions by saying he was young and thirsty for power. While Henry was obsessed with having power he was not young. In the footnotes, it is clarified that Henry was actually between seventeen and nineteen years old and during this time men of his age should already have years of military experience. Duke Eberhard also went to the king begging for Otto I to show him compassion. King Otto I temporarily exiled Eberhard and later returned Eberhard was even given his previous title back. Widukind describes what Duke Eberhard did to the king as an evil deed and implies that it deserved more of a punishment than Eberhard received. In fear of painting a poor picture of the king, Widukind embellishes king Otto I’s actions. The battle against the Hungarians in 955 is discussed in chapter 46 of the third book. In this chapter, Widukind accurately informs the reader that the battle is going against the Saxons and emphasizes how afraid king Otto I was that the battle would end in favor of their enemy. King Otto I told his soldiers that their enemy’s, the Hungarians, only protection against the Saxons was their daring confidence. According to Widukind, king Otto I was subtly preparing his army and himself for an honorable defeat. Then when the Saxons turned to fight their enemy, the Hungarians immediately fled (Widukind 127). How much of the battle could have truly been in the Hungarians’ favor if the Saxons defeated them so easily? Widukind goes from describing how terrifyingly close the Saxons were to losing the battle, to glorifying their victory all in one chapter. If Widukind did not display such loss of hope at the beginning of the chapter, then the battle would not have been considered as big of a victory as is was. He was able to display the Saxons as warriors in this battle because it was first thought that the Hungarians were going to demolish king Otto I’s forces. Widukind described the battle as if the Saxon’s won a fight that was firmly in the Hungarians hands. He illustrated the battle this way so that seems as though the Saxon's triumphantly overcame adversity, which allowed them to seem even more invincible then they truly were. In the preface of the second book, the first passage gives another reason to why Widukind may have felt the need to display the Saxons and the kings as superior to all. The passage describes how Widukind finished book one and submitted it to the royal court for approval. If Widukind had spoken poorly of his people or provided unfavorable information about king Henry I or king Otto I then the royal court may not have approved his work. Widukind also states in the preface of his first book that he leaves out information about king Henry I and king Otto I in his trilogy. Widukind informs the reader that he is aware that information is missing from his books but that this omission was intentional. This could be because he did not wish to include information that may have shed a poor light on the kings. Another explanation for any biased history in Widukind’s book is shown in the second chapter of the first book. Here Widukind describes that his work is derived from tradition rather than history. Due to the great deal of time that has passed since the events that he describes in his work, he cannot provide this information with certainty. Writing based off of tradition allows room for different opinions and interpretations. Any bias found in Widukind’s writing could have been from the stories that he was told. These stories were Widukind’s truth of what happened at the beginning of Saxon history. Whether Widukind’s favoritism was intentional or not, it was present in his account of Saxon history in his trilogy Deeds of the Saxons.
In his books Widukind concentrations on showing the formation and organization of armies rather than the battle themselves. It was the great organization of king Henry I and king Otto I’s armies that allowed them to be so successful in warfare (Widukind, xxv). Widukind of Corvey was of the Saxon decent and showed clear loyalty to his people and his kings in his work. It is important to note that he was proud of what his fellow Saxons had accomplished in the past and wanted to demonstrate their superiority as best as he could. He spoke of the kings and the Saxon people in only kind terms. He also made sure that the Saxon victories were highly celebrated while their failures were simply mentioned. Widukind did his best to provide as accurate details as possible while also allowing the Saxons and their kings to be portrayed as powerful and
glorious.
Kapelle, W.E. ‘The Norman conquest of the North:The region and its transformation 1000-1135’ (Croom Helm 1979)
- - - The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History. London, England, Penguin Books, no publication
David Howarth, 1066: The Year of the Conquest (New York: 1977),pp.170-1 The two armies clashed on that day and history tells us the outcome. But what forces go into creating an army of these sizes? The three main Anglo-Saxon troop types will be defined and the forces that created them will be examined below.
Many people may have heard of the story of Beowulf, but not know who the Anglo-Saxons were. According to an article on BBC History, the term Anglo-Saxon refers to settlers from the German regions of Angeln and Saxony. The Anglo-Saxons made their way over to Britain after the fall of the Roman Empire around AD 410 and the period lasted for 600 years. During this period there where many rises and falls of bishops and kings, as well as many important battles. The Anglo-Saxon warriors had a variety of weapons and armor to defend them. This includes spears, scramaseaxes, swords, shields, helmets, and body armor.
with the intent of widespread entertainment, elements of comedy and other aspects of entertaining film can, at times, cloud the message and content of the documentary. An anti-war advocate, Terry Jones’ presentation of matter so closely related to strong personal sentiments can also introduce a degree of bias in the presentation and approach taken to analyzing the events detailed in the series. However, the documentary incorporates the input and analysis of several highly-regarded medieval historians, including Jonathan Riley-Smith, Suheil Zakkar, Fikret Isiltan, David Lazenby, and Christopher Tyerman. This group of historians, all highly esteemed individuals in the field, are able to offer a balanced and likely unbiased account of what they believe to be true about the
"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...
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Trans. Brian Stone. The Middle Ages, Volume 1A. Eds. Christopher Baswell and Anne Howland Schotter. The Longman Anthology of British Literature. Fourth ed. Gen.eds David Damrosch, and Kevin J. H. Dettmar. New York: Pearson-Longman, 2010. 222-77. Print.
This recognition that Beowulf receives proves his place as the quintessential hero in Anglo-Saxon society. The unknown author recognizes Beowulf as a warrior who “behaved with honor and took no advantage” (149). This quality is important to Beowulf’s image as a hero. The author also days that Beowulf “bore himself with valor” and names Beowulf “Heroic Beowulf” when describing the hero (135, 149). The author’s recognition of Beowulf as having these qualities and as being heroic shows that Beowulf was regarded as a hero during the authors’ own time. This is also confirmed by the several times people in the epic recognize Beowulf’s heroic qualities. Wiglaf, who was with Beowulf during the final battle, is one of the people to recognize Beowulf’s glory-seeking heroics, saying that Beowulf is “a man unequalled in the quest for glory” (179). This statement speaks much of Beowulf’s willingness to search for and his success in finding glory. Beowulf is also recognized by a thane of Hrothgar’s court during his earlier days. This thane recognizes Beowulf’s heroics and begins “rehearsing Beowulf’s triumphs and feats” by comparing him to Sigmund, an old Anglo-Saxon hero (59). The recognition Beowulf receives from the characters in the epic shows that Beowulf was impressive and heroic to Anglo-Saxons who told his
“Anyone with gumption/ and a sharp mind will take the measure/ of two things,” states one of the Danish warriors in Beowulf: “what’s said and what’s done” (287-289). Beowulf is, above all, a poem about language, about storytelling: the stories told of the great ones, and the stories the great ones hope will be told about themselves. It is a poem about the importance of boasting and vows, the power of the word made flesh, and the crucial link between worda ond worca, “what’s said and what’s done.” The bulk of the poem's content does not concentrate on what is happening in the present action of the tale, but on the telling what has happened and what will happen. Through language, the Danes and the Geats state their intentions and define themselves as a people; they recall the past exploits that shape the present, and "a battle-scarred veteran, bowed with age,/ would begin to remember the martial deeds/ of his youth and prime and be overcome/ as the past welled up in his wintry heart" (2112-2115). Stories of times gone by and boasts of past accomplishments link the characters to their past; vows of deeds to come and the promise of glory after their deaths help to carry them into the future. As parallels between the past and the present are constantly drawn, the heroes use the example of earlier warriors in hopes of accomplishing the great deeds that will win them similar renown.
To start off, Beowulf, identified as the greatest Anglo- Saxon, pursues glory and fame. He brags about himself and his accomplishments. When it was time to battle Grendal, Beowulf states “my youth have been filled with glory”. (143-144). He boasts about what the people have witnessed. Beowulf says to his men, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping my enemies’ blood. I drove five great giants into chains, chased all of the race from the earth” (151-155). In addition to Beowulf bragging about himself and his accomplishments, Beowulf embodies that fame and glory mean more than anything else. When Beowulf helmet failed him, he jumped back in battle because
The title characters in both Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were both considered paragons of excellence by their peoples. Yet, upon close inspection of the specific actions of these characters, stark differences emerge. While Gawain is virtuous and exemplifies selflessness, Beowulf's heroism is marred by his pursuit of fame and wealth, which seems to dominate his every action. The discrepancy can be explained by a contextual analysis of both heroes. Gawain's code of chivalry emphasizes perfection and thus he is flawless.
One of the first literary work studied by our class was “Beowulf,” the longest and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The poem is packed full of Christian and Pagan elements that are constantly fighting for the dominant position. In order to understand these thematic elements portrayed throughout “Beowulf,” we must first discover
The Anglo-Saxon culture ran on the outline of the heroic code. The warrior pledged allegiance to his lord in exchange for protection (“Beowulf” 38). Through acts of strength and bravery in battle, the warrior rose in levels of nobility and received rewards from his lord for his bravery (“Beowulf” 38). Hrothgar, king of the Danes and lord of the Scyldings, builds a mead hall, Heorot, to honor his warriors and give gifts to them (Beowulf 67-73). A savage demon named Grendel attacks the great hall and kills thirty of Hrothgar’s men (Beowulf 122). Beowulf, a young Geat warrior, leaves his homeland to aid King Hrothgar in purging the Danes of Grendel. Beowulf’s act of allegiance extends past the kingdom of his homeland by ‘rescuing’ the Danish people. His actions not only illustrate courage but the principle of allegiance to his family and himself. Upon arriving on the Danish shore, Beowulf states, “We belong by birth to the Geat people / and owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac. / I come to proffer / my wholehearted help and counsel” (Beowulf 260-1, 277-8). Beowulf declares his allegiance to his lord and is willing to come to the Danes’ aid. Hrothgar knows that Beowulf is only in Denmark to “follow up a...
Before the period of the middle ages, the British Isles mostly lay dormant in local disputes and settlements of small tribes. Up until the late 900’s, the Anglos and the Saxons laid their claim to the land of Britain. However, this all soon changed. An ambitions individual with hero-like characteristics set foot and conquered the Anglo-Saxons and started Britain on its journey to modernism. Thus, the tide was set in motion for a new government and a civilized race. A monarchy was established, and the Middle ages began in roughly 975 AD (Vinogradoff, p 18).
The Angles were a Germanic tribe that occupied the region which is now Scleswig-Holstein, Germany. With their fellow ethnic groups, they formed the people who came to be known as the English. The Saxons were a Germanic people who first appeared in the beginning of the Christian era. The Saxons were said to have lived in the south Jutland Peninsula in the north of what is now Germany, but the fact has not been proven. They attacked and raided areas in the North Sea throughout the third and fourth centuries. By the end of the sixth century, the Saxons had taken all of the Roman territory within north-west Germany, as far as the Elbe River. The Angles joined the Saxons in the invasion of Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries. British resistance to the 'Anglo Saxon' invaders in the second half of the fifth century ended with the Anglo Saxon’s victory at the battle of Mount Badon. After the British were defeated, though, the Angles and the Saxons continued to fight over their religion for many years (Irvin, Vacca, Probst, Beers, p.46).