Beowulf, the great warrior, dies in battle protecting his territory of Scandinavia at the age of 70. His life full of three agons with successful outcomes. Unferth, a Anglo-Saxon soldier, stated the Beowulf was a kind fearless warrior who had saved the Geats in their time of need. Before his death, Beowulf lived his life as a king for fifty years. He died at the dragon’s tower. His greatest accomplishments are saving the Danish community from the monsters. He also saved his people, Geats, from…
Beowulf, a story of an extraordinary warrior who fights off supernatural beings in the form of evil in order to save his people and his enemies. This story is a representation of an epic due to its various forms of interaction with gods, the inclusion of kennings, and its demonstration of a hero with no fear. Beowulf represents the hope of the Geats and the Danes. His actions that take effect throughout the narrative are characteristics of an epic narrative poem. The word choice that the author…
Sutton Hoo was located in Woodbridge, England, and it was discovered to be an Anglo-Saxon cemetery that dates from the 6th and 7th centuries AD. It was located on Edith Pretty’s estate, on a hill overlooking the River Deben, in Suffolk. Pretty had been curious about the mounds of earth located on her land, and she was not sure what they were. She decided to excavate the embankments on her otherwise flat property, and to her surprise, she discovered the archaeological treasures of Sutton Hoo.…
The Anglo-Saxons, burdened with poor soil and floodwaters in their native Scandinavia, fled to Britain after the Romans left in retreat because of their crippling empire, taking with them traditions of elaborate storytelling via epic poems and song. Putting into meter the major events of their tribe’s history, the scops transmitted these epic poems and songs from generation to generation in mead-halls, central gathering places similar to the courts of monarchs. Through this transmission from one…
or not Beowulf can be considered a Christian or pagan epic. I will compare the elegiac themes in the Wanderer and Beowulf and how they were heavily influenced by the Anglo-Saxons. In conclusion, I will discuss how Beowulf is still relevant today. Beowulf is the longest epic poem in Old English, which was the language spoken in Anglo-Saxon…
Although Christianity dominated the Anglo Saxon lifestyle, paganism was a present reality still being practiced. Paganism is a religion based on animism, or the belief that spirits resided in everything ("What Is Paganism?”). Pagans often worshipped multiple Gods, sacrificed animals and other commodities, and loved feasting and participating in festivals. An individuals destiny, fate, and glory were all important to Anglo Saxon’s in that they believed that immortality could be earned through…
“Beowulf- The Anglo-Saxon Hero” The Anglo-Saxon culture embraces virtues such as courage, strength, loyalty, cunning, and generosity. These virtues are exemplified by the epic hero Beowulf. Beowulf possesses each of these characteristics. Throughout the epic tale of Beowulf, the hero displays each of these virtues through his actions and adventures. The first of these characteristics is Beowulf’s strength. He is often referred to as “the strongest of the Geats”. Beowulf…
really is a testament to the successes of the society that produced the hero. The ideals such as interlacing and comitatus that were so highly regarded by the society were the main factors in the successes of the Anglo Saxon people. The ideal of comitatus that permeates various aspects of Anglo Saxon society is indicative of the society in which a character such as Beowulf would have existed. Comitatus is a mutual relationship in which loyalty and respect carry between a man and his leader. In…
generally people who are judged based on their actions. They share the common traits of courage, sacrifice, loyalty, and compassion. Over time, the desirable traits for a hero change. For example, the Anglo-Saxon culture of Beowulf’s time had considerably different ways life than we do now. The Anglo-Saxons were heavily reliant on their…
An epic is a long narrative novel that is designed in an elevated style that deals with the trials and achievement of great heroes. The virtues that are celebrated in the novel are of national, military, religion, and political as well as historical significance. For instance, Odyssey is one of the earliest epic that is still in existence in a number of ways. The epic of Odyssey opens with the subject and the statements of Muse who identifies the techniques that is associated with trials and…