The Nibelungenlied, Njal’s Saga and Beowulf: The Changing Definition of Masculinity

The medieval Germanic cultures described in The Nibelungenlied, Njal’s Saga and Beowulf, place a great deal of importance on using courage and prowess in battle to determine masculinity. In many ways, modern society still values the idea of expressing masculinity through physical activity. The current stereotype of a masculine man is an athlete, a man who competes in often violent sports to establish his status relative to other men. However, sports are situational activities, scheduled deviations from normal living. So, in a society that strives to be free of violence, how does the modern man establish his masculinity? It would seem that he channels his violent tendencies into socially acceptable areas or develops other indicators of masculinity.

The modern judicial system emasculates men much in the same way Skarp-Hedin was humiliated in chapter 119 of Njal’s Saga. Skarp-Hedin endured insults to his appearance, character and status, responding only with words, rather than violence, because he was aware of his status as the subordinate party in that situation. He was unable to respond in his desired manner (violence) because he needed allegiance from the chieftains who were humiliating him. He recognized their ability to choose whether to support his case as a power they held over his life. Thus, he also recognized his inability, given the situation, to react with physical force. The modern judicial system holds a similar, but greater power than this over the modern man. Such strict penalties have been established for murder and other violent crimes that modern men have realized that they are incapable of acting violently without essentially forfeiting their lives. Similar to Skarp-Hedin’s experience with the...

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...ns to masculinity have changed a great deal, but the end is the same regardless of time or place.

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