Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon vs. The Modern Era: Contrasting Religions of Then and Now The cultural values of the Anglo-Saxons from the early Middle Ages reflect a somewhat different mindset than those we possess today. We tend to see more mockery towards religion and beliefs now, as opposed to how they portrayed such perspectives in the Middle Ages. The Danes and Geats in the epic Beowulf considered God as an Almighty Lord worthy of man’s respect and worship. However, in the movie Beowulf and Grendel…

Beowulf is an Old English epic story believed to be written somewhere between the 8th and 11th century in England, making it one of the oldest existing long poems. Beowulf, the main character, is a man of extraordinary stature that saves the Hrothgar and his people, the Danes, from the vicious monster known as Grendel. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, he clashes with Grendel’s mother and the evil dragon. Beowulf shows characteristics of an epic hero through traits of being brave, strong, and…

Beowulf: A Reflection of Cultural Context. A society's culture and values are dependant on their standard of living. Anglo-Saxons in harsh winter weather constantly warred amongst the neighboring tribes for food, valuables, and territory. In a world where survival hinges on combat, rulers would extol the concept of glory in death. These people were not allowed the luxury of having compassion, not to say they were completely void of it, but it was not necessary. Conversely, we today live in a…

A look into Cultural differences based on Beowulf Many cultural differences between the epic poem Beowulf (Gunnarson) and the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Heaney) were demonstrated, including character behavior. In the epic poem, characters that portray this difference from epic to movie are Beowulf and Grendel. Beowulf in the epic poem is mostly known as a God among men, he kills all the evil in his sight, has no flaws, and doesn’t care about much, other than being honorable. Being that this was…

surviving piece of literature written in Old English and one of the very few works written by a person of the Anglo-Saxon culture. The epic poem has stayed an important piece of work through generations and generations. The epic poem Beowulf has managed to stay an important manuscript due to its message that has remained constant in society and because of its significant representation of the Anglo-Saxon culture. The medieval manuscript shows the mindset of a culture and how violent and…

Loyalty is a hard personality trait to find in people but in the story Beowulf loyalty is shown throughout the book as being the most important lesson, being loyal in this book has its ups and down in the story. loyalty in this story can come with perks like treasure and fame are big ones and just respect from people Beowulf is a very loyal man and that is why he is a really respected man one of the first people he is loyal to is his family which says it all because if you can't be loyal to…

Cultural Contrast between Modern day and Old English Values In contrast to our modern day standards of morality and intolerance toward a black and white perspective, Beowulf(Heaney) emphasizes a completely opposite mindset. There is an immense variation between the moral standard a ‘hero’ is held to in the old age of Beowulf and what was depicted in the movie Beowulf and Grendel (Gunnarsson). In the olden age there was a morally low shelf where most only ventured to two perspectives, those being…

Anglo-Saxon, once called Old English, was a language spoke under King Alfred and continued to be a common language of England. Some of the most common literary works of Old English include genres such as epic poetry, sermons, bible translations, and others. Beowulf was one of the most famous works from this period. Beowulf illuminated many different Anglo-Saxon beliefs. First and foremost, to be a hero, he or she must possess the characteristics their society holds up as most important and…

Beowulf is one of the oldest known Anglo-Saxon works of literature. The work is believed to have been told around the middle of the seventh century, and was only written hundreds of years later. The author of the work is unknown, however, it is believed that some sort of monk originally created the poem. In Beowulf, the protagonist idolizes gold and weaponry in the same way characters of other epic works and myths do. This almost holy representation of treasure can be seen in different cultures,…

Loyalty Loyalty is the most common theme that Beowulf, Lanval, Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, and Chaucer share. For example, loyalty to their kingdom, king, love, or themselves. Being loyal could be selflessness, protection, and allegiance. Characters within these stories, not just the main ones, do something in the stories that show these qualities. Beowulf shows selflessness when he decides to go to Hrothgar to help him out with his Grendel situation. Another part was when he decided to go…