Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The story of Beowulf is ancient. The first manuscript was penned sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, but the poem itself dates back to 500 CE. What’s even more remarkable is the age of the stories and histories that comprise the interludes of the text. Arguably, the most famous of these interludes is the Finnsburg Episode. Another, lesser acknowledged interlude is Beowulf’s recount of Herebeald’s death and the Father’s Lament. When reading various translations of this interlude,…

In the epic poem Beowulf, the story takes place during in Anglo-Saxon society during a time of many battles. The Anglo-Saxon society were known to be warriors. They valued many traits such as courage, good values, and determination. Beowulf showed all these characteristics, proving himself to be not only a great warrior, but a hero. A great hero is determined, no matter how hard the battles get a hero keeps fighting. Beowulf showed great determination during his battles against the many enemy’s…

new or different attitude. Such is the case within Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, and Grendel, by John Gardner. Overall, Beowulf has a formal tone as it uses the third person narrative. For example, “Beowulf is my name” (Beowulf 343). The Anglo-Saxons, and others within their time frame, did speak like this. They valued a man’s language much like they valued his heroic qualities, if any. In contrast, Grendel takes on an informal tone with its first person narrative. This tone enables the…

The story of “Beowulf” gives insight into the Anglo-Saxon ideals of conduct. The ideals of allegiance to king, belief in fate, and love of glory all are portrayed in different ways throughout the story. People quickly show their allegiance to the lord and king and their belief in fate, while they may secretly hide their love of glory by indirectly bragging about themselves. Allegiance to lord and king plays a large role in how the story of “Beowulf” unfolds. In order for someone to be a true…

Controlled Explosion: An Essay on the Motivations of Beowulf The Norse tribes were some of the most ferocious warriors the world has seen. These tribes of people focused mainly on war, and were known for their great strength and fearlessness. As these people began to move away from their nomadic lives, they began to settle down and tell stories of the past. Beowulf is perhaps the most popular of these legends. In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf is a fierce soldier, who kills monsters with…

The Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf is ancient legend that was performed by bards. While the poem itself defies logic, it does a wonderful job of unlocking the secrets behind Anglo-Saxon culture. Analysis of the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf reveals that the Mead Hall served important roles in Anglo-Saxon culture as a place for governing, celebration, and ceremony. The first and possibly most important role of the Mead Hall was its role as the main government building in Anglo-Saxon culture. This quote from…

Loyalty is a major and pervasive theme in Beowulf. This is because in the Anglo-Saxon culture loyalty was valued above many other qualities. Loyalty was such an important aspect in Anglo-Saxon life that it caused families to make difficult decisions between blood family and marriage family. The theme of loyalty is seen several different times in the Beowulf story. The theme of loyalty will be examined through the actions that Beowulf took in regards to defeating Grendel and Grendel’s mother,…

Tanner White Mrs. Bowman English IV Sept. 7, 2016 In Anglo-saxon culture, the term “comitatus” is referred to a code of honor between a lord and his warriors, who were called thanes. A man who lived up to the comitatus was deemed a hero in those times. People believed in fate and believed the only way to live forever was if you had fame. Beowulf was a very famous warrior, who kills Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Every time he received more fame and more glory, he became a king. I want…

Beowulf is sometimes thought of as being a tale with the poem filled with ugly monsters and a epic hero to save the day. Beowulf is a true example of Old english literature, it is flushed with poetic language. Throughout the poem there are many types of figurative language along with descriptive examples. However Beowulf features language like kennings and only a few similes it also uses alliteration. These are used in very diverse ways to improve the poetic effect and really set Beowulf apart…

literature. Most of this poem has been known to exist since the middle of the fifth century; however, the poem was composed in the late tenth century in a dialect that is known today as the Midlands of England. As the majority of all old epics with an Anglo-Saxon origin, both the authors name and its real title are unknown due to the fact that most of these poems were passed from generation to generation through oral tradition before they are actually written down. Beowulf is a poem enriched…