What Is The Reflection Of Beowulf

Beowulf, an epic poem set in the 5th century Scandinavia, was composed during 9th century Britain. The tale was told orally in mead halls by the scop of the town and was a celebration of the heroism. The mead hall is a very important place in this era; it is a place to feast and celebrate, and rejoice in the tales that are told by the scop. The version that we have today was most likely recorded by a clerical scribe much later than its original inception. The poem was influenced by Germanic tribes, and is more violent than other epic poems. The poem goes into detail about the gruesome injuries sustained by Grendel, as well as the beheading of both him and his mother. Beowulf is also a reflection of the values of 5th century Scandinavia. These tribes valued physical strength, skill with weaponry, and the transmitting of valuable traits through bloodlines. It was believed that a warrior …show more content…
I had never heard a Beowulf excerpt done in any language other than English, so it was great to start the video with an authentic reading. It was also a treat to hear Seamus Heaney’s reading; he is one of my favorite poets. One of the things that I found interesting was the strong clash between pagan and Christian values, and how the scribe attempts to bridge the gap between them. The value of treasure plays such a large role in the story, but contrasts with the Christian value of not being greedy and tied to possessions. The scribe rectifies this by adding in a speech by Hrothgar saying “ O flower of warriors, beware of that trap. Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part, eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride” (1758-1760). Pride is considered one of the seven deadly sins, and is discouraged by scripture. Here, the scribe is trying to portray the value of treasure as symbolic of an eternal reward, which would be adding to his legacy, rather than the inherent value of the item itself, which would lead to greed and