The Germanic heroic code was an important element of Anglo-Saxon culture, as made clear in the novel “Beowulf” by Seamus Heaney. The Heroic Code emphasized the values of strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors. Some factors of the Germanic Heroic Code are still relevant to our society today, while others have been left in literature and the past. The meaning of courage in the Germanic Heroic Code is that being a strong warrior who wins battles is courageous.. The Anglo-Saxon novel “Beowulf” portrays fighting as a way of being courageous to gain fame. Beowulf is “inspired again by the thought of glory, the war-king threw his whole strength behind a sword-stroke and connected with the skull” (2677-2680, Beowulf). Beowulf behaves courageously by keeping the thoughts of his reputation and glory in mind. Also, Anglo-Saxons believed a weak warrior
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In some agreement with the Heroic code, many people heroize soldiers who fight. For example, the Navy Seal Team Six was glorified after the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This differed from the Heroic Code though because rather than achieving self glory, they achieved Glory for “their team,” as they did not go out and brag or even talk about the killing at all. Anglo-Saxons fought for themselves or for their prince, but today we’re more fighting for our team or our country. Also, war nowadays is on such a large scale that it is not personally glorified or something to brag about, it is more viewed as a devastation. Also, today people who aren’t necessarily strong or great warriors in the fighting sense can be glorified. For example, many people viewed Kaitlyn Jenner as a hero who showed courage by changing her sex. That doesn’t show physical strength, so the Anglo-Saxons would not have viewed that act as courageous. Courage nowadays can be considered almost anything whereas the Anglo-Saxons left the word courage as a description for
In some agreement with the Heroic code, many people heroize soldiers who fight. For example, the Navy Seal Team Six was glorified after the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This differed from the Heroic Code though because rather than achieving self glory, they achieved Glory for “their team,” as they did not go out and brag or even talk about the killing at all. Anglo-Saxons fought for themselves or for their prince, but today we’re more fighting for our team or our country. Also, war nowadays is on such a large scale that it is not personally glorified or something to brag about, it is more viewed as a devastation. Also, today people who aren’t necessarily strong or great warriors in the fighting sense can be glorified. For example, many people viewed Kaitlyn Jenner as a hero who showed courage by changing her sex. That doesn’t show physical strength, so the Anglo-Saxons would not have viewed that act as courageous. Courage nowadays can be considered almost anything whereas the Anglo-Saxons left the word courage as a description for