Generosity In Beowulf

What does it mean to be good? The answer to this question has changed very little over the last few centuries, yet it still differs from one society to another. Being kind to others, helping those who are less fortunate, and giving back to the community are shared throughout all societies. Although the Anglo-Saxons lived in a period of constant warfare between kingdoms and had a male dominated society, they still believed in these universal ideals, in addition to a few other beliefs that gained a foothold in their society because of this hostility. This extra set of beliefs including; physical prowess, a strong patriarchal lineage, and generosity of kings, defined the Anglo-Saxons and gave shape to one of the most famous epic poems in history, Beowulf. The legendary king of the Danes, Hrothgar, also known as “The Ring-Giver”, was known to be extremely generous to all of his followers. He would give them gold, land, and a safe community to live in, he even opened up his throne room, Heorot, to the citizens. Young followers, a force that grew To be a mighty army. So his mind turned …show more content…
Generosity, however, has remained virtually the same even though gold and land are not everyday gifts. Physical prowess and unnecessary strength have evolved into almost entirely cosmetic traits, because we have tamed most of the world and machines do any kind of heavy lifting and large scale manual labor. Lineage does not play as significant of a role in modern society as it did in ancient times, but it can come into account when applying for colleges or attempting to join specific organizations. Therefore the Anglo-Saxons, of pre-Norman England and Scandinavia, and modern day Americans can share most of the same traits but the connotation of these traits can be vastly