Anglo-Saxons

The Anglo-Saxons believed that to be a hero, was to be a courageous warrior. The warrior had to be willing to face any odds, and die in battle, for honor and glory. The warrior must be strong, brave, and witty but also honest and humble. In the Epic Poem, “Beowulf”, Beowulf embodied the Anglo-Saxon as the perfect noble warrior. Beowulf demonstrated his bravery and strength in many instances. Throughout the story, he fought many monsters including, Grendel, Grendel's Mother, and a dragon. After…

Beowulf is the oldest English epic and was passed down for centuries before it’s contents were penned down. The story demonstrates the values of warrior culture, and more specifically, Anglo-Saxon values. Through these morals, archetypes are explored to emphasize principal characteristics which were key to the society such as: loyalty, generosity, and brotherhood during the time the work was in circulation. In the perilous epic poem Beowulf, the poet utilizes the introduction of the character of…

Everyday life in Anglo Saxon England was hard and rough even for the rich. Society was divided into three classes. At the top were the thanes, the Anglo Saxon upper class. They enjoyed hunting and feasting and they were expected to give their followers gifts like weapons. Below them were the churls. Some churls were reasonably well off. Others were very poor. However at least they were free. Below them were a class of slaves called thralls. Their lives were very hard.Some churls owned their own…

Beowulf acts as an open door, leading modern day historians into a deeper view and understanding of Anglo-Saxon religion. In more recent years it was discovered that Christianity wasn’t established during this time period, but rather Paganism was the dominant religion of the people. This has caused controversy over the fictional religious aspects of the epic. Nevertheless, the controversy is able to give historians a view of the older culture and society, even if it is through modern day…

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,…

One of the most important values that Beowulf’s character embodies is courage. From the start of the poem the author lets us know that courage is a much-valued quality in the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. “So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them had courage and greatness. We have heard of those princes' heroic campaigns (Greenblatt, p.41).” The author is using this to let us know that the Spear-Danes will be remembered because of their courage. This is important…

Beowulf is a literary work from the Anglo-Saxon time period in which the mythological and archetypal Hero Quest is portrayed. Like every literary work that includes a Hero’s Quest, the call, the obstacles, the climax, and the return are all crucial parts. The main character, Beowulf, depicts a hero in this time period. As a leader of the Geats, Beowulf is called to multiple challenges throughout his lifetime, such as killing Grendel, in order to help the Danes. Beowulf takes on multiple quests…

King Harold, the true legend himself, was the last king during the Anglo-Saxon period. His legacy would last forever. He was a competitive fighter that never gave up and whose victories were well known. He had an aggressive and arrogant personality, but his motives were never self-centered. In 1066 A.D. “both Tostig and Harald Hardrada invaded England to unseat King Harold, but both attacks failed” (n.p, Norman Conquest of England, The History Guy). This shows how magnificent his strength was…

The influence of the Norman culture, especially its literary aspect is immense. The debts of the vernacular literature of France penetrated very little into the English soil as the French were no apostles of culture. However, the Norman Conquest forced English into a subservient position from which it only gradually re-emerged as a language simplified in structure and its spelling, vocabulary and literary expression were strongly influenced by the arrival of the French language and culture. It…

important in the epic story of Beowulf was the value of selflessness. For a person to be selfless, he or she needs to care about others more than he or she cares about him or her self. Beowulf is a perfect example of the value of selflessness in Anglo-Saxon society. Beowulf showed selfless qualities even as a young man. When Beowulf is introduced in the story, he is on a journey to "destroy evil wherever it exists, not merely to protect his own people or is own interests." Beowulf is willing to…