Feuds in Anglo-Saxon culture can be compared to the dragon in Beowulf, for “everywhere the havoc he wrought was in evidence / Far and near,…/ bore the brunt of his brutal assaults / and virulent hate…” (2316-2319) For such conflicts are vile, fierce, and easily triggered, consequently bringing fiery vengeance like a dragon. These grudges result in the inevitability of a feud to continue or reoccur. The elaborate epic of Beowulf focuses on the journey of nations who struggle with the ongoing devastation caused by old and new quarrels. The kingdoms prove how feuds and wergilds can be destructive physically and morally for individuals and nations.
Violence is a great part of life for those living in the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture of Beowulf. Inevitably this “warrior culture” tends to be the root of long quarrels, for the people tend to turn to violence for solutions to their problems. Beowulf proves this by referencing more than a dozen feuds throughout the epic (Hyans 4). The feuds eventually turn into hate overtime, thus making it hard for them to remember the peace that they once had. Paul Hyans discusses the process of a feud to be when the people identify a wrong, and cast themselves victim to such wrong, in which they believe they must respond (3). In the beginning of Beowulf, the Danes went through a period without a leader, resulting in a state of constant turmoil and fear of the enemies they had around. Then one of their greatest kings came to rise known as Beow, their former king Shield Sheafson’s son, who was known as a great warrior. The Danes proclaimed God gave …show more content…
How, following this ethic, will one bring a feud to an end other than through the destruction of one of the two feuding parties? Beowulf believes that it is the duty of the hero to use his strength selflessly in the service of others involved in feuds. And so, it is; but we are permitted to ask, is this enough (Kahrl
Violence is a great part of life for those living in the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture of Beowulf. Inevitably this “warrior culture” tends to be the root of long quarrels, for the people tend to turn to violence for solutions to their problems. Beowulf proves this by referencing more than a dozen feuds throughout the epic (Hyans 4). The feuds eventually turn into hate overtime, thus making it hard for them to remember the peace that they once had. Paul Hyans discusses the process of a feud to be when the people identify a wrong, and cast themselves victim to such wrong, in which they believe they must respond (3). In the beginning of Beowulf, the Danes went through a period without a leader, resulting in a state of constant turmoil and fear of the enemies they had around. Then one of their greatest kings came to rise known as Beow, their former king Shield Sheafson’s son, who was known as a great warrior. The Danes proclaimed God gave …show more content…
How, following this ethic, will one bring a feud to an end other than through the destruction of one of the two feuding parties? Beowulf believes that it is the duty of the hero to use his strength selflessly in the service of others involved in feuds. And so, it is; but we are permitted to ask, is this enough (Kahrl