What’s Your Fairytale?
Most children grow up with fantasies in their heads. They dream of obstacles and achieving that happily ever after. They also remember the ghost stories told to them around the campfire. However, what folklore they hear depends on the era and the child’s geological surroundings. For instance, in Japan many of the tales are based on the tradition of spirits in nature, both good and evil. I grew up on Disney’s versions of the Grimm Brothers Germanic fairytales, which have been changed quite a bit from the original. Another couple of classics are Lanval and Beowulf. Various legends share similarities with others; some differ completely. The folklore elements present in the lines 1510-1650 of Beowulf and in the lines …show more content…
He is the warrior hero. He can breathe underwater for an unaccountable amount of time. His feats will make him immortal to his people. This amazing behavior is not attributed to magic. It is just seen as the hero’s personal strength. In today’s society and in the terms of folklore though, this would be attributed to some other outer power. People cannot naturally breathe for large amounts of time under water.
Besides Beowulf’s strength and the dark description of Grendel’s mother and the other fiends in the lake, there are other magical elements in this passage. The best examples are the weapons. They seem to have personalities all of their own. The sword that Beowulf uses at the beginning of his fight with Grendel’s mother, “spare[s] her and fail[s] the man in his need” (1424+1425). It chooses who to bless and who to curse.
Thankfully for Beowulf he finds another magic sword tracing back to the days of the giants. This one seems to like him, and they work together. Like all legends the warrior has to have strengths and some sort of ally to make ends meet. Even the way this weapon vanishes is mystical. The text says “the sword began to wilt into gory icicles to slather and thaw. It was a wonderful thing” …show more content…
At the end of the day, she has the upper hand. However, she does not seem to be a benevolent being. She seems very kind, and proves to be at the end of the work. The fairy promises that she will love Lanval and give him anything he asks for as long as he does not tell anyone about her. Just like in the Grimm fairytales, there is a certain protocol. What you want always comes with a condition. That condition is sometimes overcome, sometimes not.
In Beowulf though, what is good is clear cut. Alliances are formed, but not with conditions. Kin fights with kin; it is that simple. Good—even though there are regrets and instances of sadness along the way—wins. Evil and all creatures aligned with the force dies. This is because good is more powerful than the evil.
Similarly, in Lanval good is represented in the form of true love. True love wins in this tale. Lanval, while being meek and not the warrior figure represented in Beowulf, proves to be faithful and love the lady. Good
Most children grow up with fantasies in their heads. They dream of obstacles and achieving that happily ever after. They also remember the ghost stories told to them around the campfire. However, what folklore they hear depends on the era and the child’s geological surroundings. For instance, in Japan many of the tales are based on the tradition of spirits in nature, both good and evil. I grew up on Disney’s versions of the Grimm Brothers Germanic fairytales, which have been changed quite a bit from the original. Another couple of classics are Lanval and Beowulf. Various legends share similarities with others; some differ completely. The folklore elements present in the lines 1510-1650 of Beowulf and in the lines …show more content…
He is the warrior hero. He can breathe underwater for an unaccountable amount of time. His feats will make him immortal to his people. This amazing behavior is not attributed to magic. It is just seen as the hero’s personal strength. In today’s society and in the terms of folklore though, this would be attributed to some other outer power. People cannot naturally breathe for large amounts of time under water.
Besides Beowulf’s strength and the dark description of Grendel’s mother and the other fiends in the lake, there are other magical elements in this passage. The best examples are the weapons. They seem to have personalities all of their own. The sword that Beowulf uses at the beginning of his fight with Grendel’s mother, “spare[s] her and fail[s] the man in his need” (1424+1425). It chooses who to bless and who to curse.
Thankfully for Beowulf he finds another magic sword tracing back to the days of the giants. This one seems to like him, and they work together. Like all legends the warrior has to have strengths and some sort of ally to make ends meet. Even the way this weapon vanishes is mystical. The text says “the sword began to wilt into gory icicles to slather and thaw. It was a wonderful thing” …show more content…
At the end of the day, she has the upper hand. However, she does not seem to be a benevolent being. She seems very kind, and proves to be at the end of the work. The fairy promises that she will love Lanval and give him anything he asks for as long as he does not tell anyone about her. Just like in the Grimm fairytales, there is a certain protocol. What you want always comes with a condition. That condition is sometimes overcome, sometimes not.
In Beowulf though, what is good is clear cut. Alliances are formed, but not with conditions. Kin fights with kin; it is that simple. Good—even though there are regrets and instances of sadness along the way—wins. Evil and all creatures aligned with the force dies. This is because good is more powerful than the evil.
Similarly, in Lanval good is represented in the form of true love. True love wins in this tale. Lanval, while being meek and not the warrior figure represented in Beowulf, proves to be faithful and love the lady. Good