Icelandic sagas are an entertaining and insightful way to learn about Viking culture. While many sagas may seem similar due to overlapping legends or tales, the individual works maintain their own character described as being “somewhat ‘mixed’ in style” (xxi). One prominent feature mentioned in Icelandic sagas is the amount of gifts that are given and received. The main stories told in “Egil's Saga,” “The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue,” and “Gisli Sursson's Saga” tell of different Viking men with occasional overlap, but all three feature gifts either received or given by the main character. While the act of giving gifts in each saga is similar, the reasons for giving the gifts may vary. In “Egil's Saga,” “The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue,” and “Gisli Sursson's Saga,” characters exchange gifts to demonstrate wealth of individuals, to show loyalty, friendship, or thanks from the giver to the recipient, and to serve as reminders of the giver to the recipient. One obvious reason gifts …show more content…
In “Egil’s Saga,” the axe Skallagrim receives from King Eirik is a reminder of King Eirik and his wealth (60). The king hopes that his gaudy gift will remind Skallagrim of all that could be gained if he allied with him. In “The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-Tongue,” Gunnlaug gives the cloak he received from King Ethelred to Helga as a token by which to remember him (584). During Helga’s unhappy marriages, she often sent for the cloak so she could think of Gunnlaug, her true love. Her greatest pleasure is to look upon the cloak, and it is the last thing she sees before she dies from illness (594). The tapestries in “Gisli Sursson’s Saga” remind Aud of her brother, Vestein, who gave them as gifts, and this is why she is reluctant to relinquish them to Thorkel (520). Through all of the sagas, one could argue that gifts given for remembrance are more meaningful and have the greatest impact on individual
Literature has always been an immensely helpful resource when discerning cultural values in societies past and present. Through the study of noteworthy historic fictional and factual, texts we are able to distinguish parallel characteristics present through many different cultures and time periods. These distinguishing characteristics are one of the main things that help us to determine when and how a society, or world culture as a whole changes as time moves forward. When similarities are identified throughout many cultures in the same time period academics are able attach general titles to that specific time expanse. The “Heroic Age” is an example of a labeled span of time that generally maintains societal sameness throughout the period. The epic texts of Beowulf and The Odyssey are examples of culture revealing novels created during the heroic age. The texts help to prove the idea that societies maintain a basic status quo for many years because there is a 1500 year separation in the creation of the books. Despite this time difference in authorship, similar cultural ideals can be recognized throughout each novel. Both Greek and Germanic cultures emphasized the power and importance of receiving and giving gifts as a means of displaying and achieving power. Beowulf and The Odyssey share the general theme of giving, and when comparing the two, it is easy to conclude that giving and receiving is an integral part of both the Germanic and Grecian cultures of that time.
What values are reflected in this culture’s lore and why are they important to the bedrock the culture itself? This is your thesis statement. You will be proving the importance of values in all aspects of Folklore throughout this research paper.
“Beowulf drank to those presents, not ashamed to be praised, richly rewarded in front of them all. No ring-giver has given four such gifts, passed such treasures through his hands, with the grace and warmth that Hrothgar showed.” This quote highlights one of the many themes in the book, Beowulf, that theme being wealth. Beowulf makes such an interesting topic to discuss because it covers the normalities in Anglo-Saxon culture, the ethics of gift-giving and how these customs have carried over into today’s world.
“Resolving the 'Double Curse' of the Pagan Hoard in Beowulf.” Explicator, Spring 2008, Vol. 66 Issue
In the Old English poem Beowulf we see the mention of runes, which were used with connotations of magic or charms. Examining evidence from historic times, we find that early Englishmen were fully conversant with the Germanic runic alphabet and that runes did have special connotations.
The paper will begin with a look at the life of Tolkien. This will serve the purpose of providing some context for the novel. Looking into the life of Tolkien will also serve to give the reader some insight into the mind that gave birth to such a rich land and why the novel may have some importance for sufferers of mental illness. Next will likely be a short summation of the
In his translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: the Norse Epic of Sigurd the Dragon Slayer, Jesse L. Byock compiles many versions of this famous Norse epic and creates a very important scholarly work. Of special importance is the introduction, which provides a central working background to base readings upon. There are several themes echoed throughout the translation that reflect accurately on this portion of history. Byock does a superb job of illustrating these important aspects in his work. While the tale Byock tells is a fairy-tale handed down by generations of families, within the reader can find tell-tale signs of important aspects of Norse culture. For instance, important aspects of family life and the role of men and women surface. Likewise, the importance of wealth and material possessions on the power and prestige of a king is also evident.
...n” is a great example of an old myth or tale reconstructed and adapted for a modern audience in a new medium. It is a progression on one hand in its use of modern language, setting, and style but it is also the product of the old myths in that it is essentially the same on the thematic level. In addition, the level of self-awareness on the part of the narrator and, by extension, the author marks it out as an illustration of the very notion of evolutionary changes of myths and fairy tales. Adaptation is the solution to the fairy tale, and fairy tales have been endlessly changing themselves throughout history and, by some strange transforming or enchanting power endlessly staying the same.”
This book is a very important primary source for historians because it contains the only primary source concerning the Vikings before they converted to Islam, and many other accounts of important information including Viking raids. The book shows how the Eastern Vikings lived and how the Muslim world interacted with them. It also gives insight into the state of Islam in the tenth through twelfth century. Almost all of the information is this book is relevant to historians and the eye witness accounts are very useful concerning the people and places in this time period.
Gift giving is a concept that not only occurs in the three disciplines but also in our everyday life. The gift economy works when a person gives a gift and then expects the other person to reciprocate the gift giving and do something nice for them. This is significant because the concepts of gift giving and reciprocation is an endless cycle. This cycle of gift giving is seen in the disciplines we study (literature, art, and music). Literal gift giving is the actual giving of a gift in hoping that the receiver will reciprocate the gift. Literal gifts are often seen in in the literature novels, such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf. Metaphoric gifts show the significance and symbolic ways of gift giving. Metaphoric gifts are often seen in art and music
Foster, Mary H., and Mabel H. Cummings. Asgard Stories: Tales from Norse Mythology. New York: Silver, Burdett and Company, 1901. Kindle file.
"So,” begins poem. “The Spear-Danes in days gone by/ and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness./ We have heard of those princes’ heroic campaigns” (1-3). What follows is a brief history lesson, the story of “Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes,/ a ...
Many of the characters and episodes and material artifacts mentioned poetically in Beowulf are likewise presented to us from archaeological sources and from various written sources, especially Scandinavian records, thus adding credibility to the historicity of the poem. But it is obvious that Beowulf, Grendel and the Dragon clearly belong to the classification of “myth.”
In his article, “On Fairy Stories” written in 1947, author J.R.R. Tolkien informs his readers that fairy-stories are not only for children, but they are also for adults to read and to enjoy. He believes that these stories should be a genre for all ages, but mostly for adults because they are able to legitimize the literary value of fairy-stories unlike children. To illustrate his argument, he poses inquiry questions and at the same time, he answers them to clarify the purpose of fairy-stories. He brings forth three types of questions: “What is a fairy story?” “What are the origins of fairy-stories?” and “What are the use of fairy-stories?” Thus, he asserts his viewpoints on how only adults can give judgement on the literary value of fairy-stories.
Bottigheimer Ruth B. Fairytales Folk Narrative Research and History “Social History” JSTOR 14, 3 (1989). 343-357, Taylor & Francis, Ltd.