Anglo-Saxon, once called Old English, was a language spoke under King Alfred and continued to be a common language of England. Some of the most common literary works of Old English include genres such as epic poetry, sermons, bible translations, and others. Beowulf was one of the most famous works from this period. Beowulf illuminated many different Anglo-Saxon beliefs. First and foremost, to be a hero, he or she must possess the characteristics their society holds up as most important and honorable. Therefore, one can look at Beowulf as a prominent example of Anglo-Saxon beliefs, because Beowulf possessed the values of bravery, loyalty and honor, and spoke in an elevated language. Beowulf possessed a value of bravery shown in the killing
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Loyalty, in fact, was a recurring theme in the story. He first showed loyalty by doing his best to protect his men by fighting Grendel alone. Beowulf also showed loyalty by asking King Hrothgar to send his profits to his King if he should die in battle. Later in the story, Beowulf, now King Beowulf, showed loyalty to his people when he decided to fight the dragon, even though he is well over 50 years old. He tells his followers to wait outside of the monsters lair as he was unsure of the outcome. After the fight with the dragon, Beowulf noticed his health was deteriorating fast, so he showed loyalty by giving his weaponry to Wiglaf, a trusted follower of his. To show his honor and concern for others, Beowulf’s last request is that the treasure of the dragon’s battle be given to his people and that a monument be built so other sailors will see it and remember the great name, Beowulf. Just like many other Anglo-Saxon works, Beowulf seems to be spoken with grave, calm, even stiff formality. We see this in the characters as well as in the narrator; even Beowulf himself broadcasts his own name through an elaborate speech about his deeds. Furthermore, Beowulf does employ digressions, long speeches, journeys and quests, various trials or tests of the hero, and even divine intervention, as do classic epics. We might call Beowulf a folk epic, although some scholars prefer an emphasis on its mythological
Loyalty, in fact, was a recurring theme in the story. He first showed loyalty by doing his best to protect his men by fighting Grendel alone. Beowulf also showed loyalty by asking King Hrothgar to send his profits to his King if he should die in battle. Later in the story, Beowulf, now King Beowulf, showed loyalty to his people when he decided to fight the dragon, even though he is well over 50 years old. He tells his followers to wait outside of the monsters lair as he was unsure of the outcome. After the fight with the dragon, Beowulf noticed his health was deteriorating fast, so he showed loyalty by giving his weaponry to Wiglaf, a trusted follower of his. To show his honor and concern for others, Beowulf’s last request is that the treasure of the dragon’s battle be given to his people and that a monument be built so other sailors will see it and remember the great name, Beowulf. Just like many other Anglo-Saxon works, Beowulf seems to be spoken with grave, calm, even stiff formality. We see this in the characters as well as in the narrator; even Beowulf himself broadcasts his own name through an elaborate speech about his deeds. Furthermore, Beowulf does employ digressions, long speeches, journeys and quests, various trials or tests of the hero, and even divine intervention, as do classic epics. We might call Beowulf a folk epic, although some scholars prefer an emphasis on its mythological