Beowulf: How Did The Anglo-Saxon Society View Fate?

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Fate. It is “the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power,” as defined by Google. In short, fate is seen as a predetermined future. In the Greek religion, they believed that the God of the Sky, Zeus controlled the fate of humans. In the Gnostic religion, fate is viewed as something that’s destined to happen, and something that cannot be altered. Many other religions have their own interpretation of fate, which leads me to the essential question: How did the Anglo-Saxon society view fate?
The Anglo-Saxons were loyal warriors who lived by a code of honor and took oaths and pledges to obey their tribe. They had so much loyalty for their people, that when a warrior’s leader was killed, it was the warrior’s obligation to avenge his leader’s death. When they were not engaged in battle, the Anglo-Saxons often spent …show more content…

In Beowulf: “The Death of Beowulf”, Beowulf says that he’ll battle the wicked dragon until fate decides which one of them wins. Fate is mentioned once again after Beowulf’s intense battle with the Dragon. As Beowulf sat against the wall, with blood coming out of his neck, he told Wiglaf (Wexstans’s son) that fate had swept their race away. Beowulf then signified that fate had a certain path for warriors like him, saying that fate has “taken warriors in their strength and led them to the death that was waiting. And now I follow them.”
Aside from heroic verses that were told in Beowulf, fate was also mentioned in The Exeter Book, which focused more on the uncertainties of the Anglo-Saxon life. One of the notable mentions of fate appeared in “The Seafarer” – page 63, line 43: “Wondering what fate has willed and will do.” Along with that, fate received a few more intriguing mentions in “The Wanderer”:
• “Fate has opened a single port:

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