Germanic languages

One weapon the English used, leading them to many victories, was the English longbow which was hard to master and use. The english longbow impressed the kings of England, making it very popular when it was first used in the Battle of Crecy. The kings of England were so impressed by the longbows that they encountered from expeditions against Wales, that they adopted it and ordered the people of every village to practice it regularly. By the time the Battle of Crecy came, the longbow that they…

Surprisingly, the average person knows very little about Anglo-Saxon culture as well as Norse mythology, despite that fact that traditions, customs, and figures from these cultures permeate all aspects of modern society. From religious practices to pop culture, bits and pieces of Norse and Anglo-Saxon culture impact our daily lives. One of the greatest English Epics is Beowulf. Written in 9th century England, the text describes that tale of a mighty warrior who travels far and wide to defeat…

Nationalism and Colonialism in the German Empire Within these two novels, there lies a common theme which aims to further develop and explore the state of the German mindset within the late 18th to early 19th century. One of these themes is the German belief of their racial superiority over all other existing races. The people of the German Empire believed that their racial purity and specific traits made them of a higher standard than those of any other ethnicity. For example, Rash states that…

Strength, courage, honor and bravery are words used to describe a hero. An Anglo-Saxon hero is the definition of a hero. A hero from this era reflects the lifestyle of these people. The Anglo Saxons were Germanic tribes that conquered England. These tribes were warriors. They conquered land and other tribes to become the most powerful. The heroes live in tribes, are courageous, are strong, and are honorable. These traits formed the hero’s code. Beowulf is set in the Anglo-Saxon period.…

In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, the concept of simplistic duality is expressed quite frequently. However, the opposite can be observed in the movie Beowulf & Grendel, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. In this day and age, where moviegoers want their films to mirror the original plot of their favorite novels, why would the director of Beowulf and Grendel decide to make such a deviation? The answer lies in our modern culture. Because our culture differs greatly than that of the…

In the epic Beowulf, written by John Green and translated by Seamus Hanley, the concept of simplistic duality is utilized quite frequently. However, this is not the case in the movie, “Beowulf & Grendel”, directed by Sturla Gunnarsson. In this day and age, where moviegoers want their films to mirror the original plot of their favorite novels, why would the director of "Beowulf and Grendel" decide to make such a shift? The answer lies in our modern culture. Because our culture differs greatly…

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…

Nordic Religions in the Viking Age provides context to the time period in which Sturluson writes his prose Edda. The ending of “Gylfaginning” is heavily influenced by Christian views that age in time. In his second chapter, DuBois divulges the extremity of Christian views of pagans. Pagan religion was a “real threat, even if it remained inferior to the might of the Christian God” (DuBois 39). Although Christians were confident that their faith was superior, the non-Christians’ commitment to…

Importance of Religion in Anglo-Saxon Culture Beowulf is a thrilling epic about a tenacious warrior who honors his king above all but is also written to give praises to the God of the Christian faith. This confuses the reader to understand that the Anglo-Saxon culture, where this epic was introduced, has beliefs in both Christian and Pagan religions which in itself is dissenting, keeping in mind that the term Pagan derives from the Christian terminology of all other religions and faiths. There…

Germanic paganism- theology and religious practices of the Germanic people the the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period. ("Germanic Paganism.") Norse Mythology-body of mythology of the North Germanic people. ("Norse Mythology in”) Anglo-Saxon Mythology-belief of the existence of seven realms. Middangeard which is the human realm that we are in, and Neorxnawang which is heaven. (Wikipedia.) Continental Germanic Mythology-practiced in Central…