The Anglo-Saxon poem Judith, reveals to the reader a different kind of hero. One that uses her femininity as a weapon, to seduce Holofernes the Assyrian ruler and at the same time by cutting his head off and killing him, Judith uses a mannish side to defend her people and stop the enemies’ invasion. Judith’s combination of female and male hero, is a unique form of heroism. However, Judith attributes her victory against the Assyrians to God, a patriarchal figure, yet she is the character that acted and killed the king, bringing hope and strength to her tribe’s warriors so they could defeat the Assyrians. Therefore, the poet leaves it open to interpretation, if Judith is a warrior which usually is a male character, a saint, nor a male or female
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She knows that she will not be able to fight with Holofernes using her strength, he is a warrior, accustomed with violence, however she knows his weaknesses, women and mead, so she uses her looks and intelligence to get close to him. According to Robin Gallaher Branch, from the site Bible Story Daily “4. Judith knows her power over men. Throughout the book, it seems Judith merely smiles and men collapse (Judith 10:7, 14, 19, 23). Wisely appealing to their senses of sight and smell, she mesmerizes them. Her weapons of warfare are sensual and material. She dresses carefully, knowing the success of her ruse and assassination plan depend upon her ability to entice. For her adventure, she removes her sackcloth and widow’s dress, bathes and richly perfumes herself, fixes her hair, selects a festival dress, and dons a tiara as her battle garb’s finishing touch (Judith 10:3). She accessorizes her outfit with rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, other jewelry, and attractive sandals (Judith 10:4). In the intimate seduction banquet scene set in Holofernes’ tent, Judith simply reclines on lambskins, nibbles her food brought from Bethulia, and flatters the general by telling him “today is the greatest day of my whole life” (Judith 12:15–20). She presents such a pretty picture that gullible Holofernes, beset with lust, drinks himself into senseless, fatal oblivion (Judith 12:16, 20).” Whether
She knows that she will not be able to fight with Holofernes using her strength, he is a warrior, accustomed with violence, however she knows his weaknesses, women and mead, so she uses her looks and intelligence to get close to him. According to Robin Gallaher Branch, from the site Bible Story Daily “4. Judith knows her power over men. Throughout the book, it seems Judith merely smiles and men collapse (Judith 10:7, 14, 19, 23). Wisely appealing to their senses of sight and smell, she mesmerizes them. Her weapons of warfare are sensual and material. She dresses carefully, knowing the success of her ruse and assassination plan depend upon her ability to entice. For her adventure, she removes her sackcloth and widow’s dress, bathes and richly perfumes herself, fixes her hair, selects a festival dress, and dons a tiara as her battle garb’s finishing touch (Judith 10:3). She accessorizes her outfit with rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, other jewelry, and attractive sandals (Judith 10:4). In the intimate seduction banquet scene set in Holofernes’ tent, Judith simply reclines on lambskins, nibbles her food brought from Bethulia, and flatters the general by telling him “today is the greatest day of my whole life” (Judith 12:15–20). She presents such a pretty picture that gullible Holofernes, beset with lust, drinks himself into senseless, fatal oblivion (Judith 12:16, 20).” Whether