Germanic paganism

native past.” Hrothgar, a father figure to Beowulf, reveals a Christian view of life because of the conduct of Germanic heroes since it precedes an expression to secular ideals. His purpose was building Heorot was to provide a hall that imitates God’s generosity with his own. Hrothgar also had a vision of giving for stability in the world of change; the treasure is the lifeblood of Germanic society because wyrd strikes against honor and dignity against avarice (Osborn 8). Similarity to Beowulf’s…

During the 17th century, after the discovery of North America, Europeans immediately began the journey of colonizing the area. Emerging from these newly established colonies were New England and the Chesapeake. These two areas were built along the Atlantic Coast, housing hundreds of European settlers. However, as the people of New England and the Chesapeake began to construct societies of their own, the differences between the two colonies escalated. The differences between the European…

aside and one that is unlikely to be known is that the ‘shaming of Cersei’ for adultery also hails from Germanic descent. It is likely surprising that such a horrible and graphic custom could be perpetuated by the same culture that gave us the good guys. This is exactly the reason why the story inspires interest in real medieval history! The Starks are a strange amalgamation of Scottish, and Germanic culture fused together with the conflict of the Yorkish. Not only does the story promote…

A hero is adequately defined as a larger than life hero who embodies the values of a particular society. Commonly, these heroes have superior strength, have strong love for their people and are fearless of death. The epic poem, Beowulf describes a hero who upholds the ethics of their society through heroic journeys to fight off the faces of evil. The Anglo-Saxons admired these epic poems and is known to be the most favored within their time. Beowulf prevails over insurmountable odds, shows…

Many may think of Rome as a folder. A very nice folder at first, something to put hard work into. However, that folder will break down. This is probably because it was carried around so many times. Possibly even dropped a couple of times. It also may have broken down because there was too much inside. This folder could easily be compared to Rome because after Julius Caesar ruled, Roman terror began. Just like that folder, many things started to nag at the stability of it. What are the primary…

Many of the challenges observed in Beowulf that the society of Herot faced are comparable to the struggles of Anglo-Saxon society. The epic, Beowulf, would be considered an archetypal symbol to Anglo-Saxons because the Anglo-Saxons had to fight groups in order to defend the society they had built up which is similar to what Beowulf encountered in the epic. One challenge that Beowulf faced was trust in his men. When Beowulf was going into his final battle Wiglaf was the only one brave enough to…

Author Brodi Ashton in her book Everneath explains the following about heroes: “Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” Paths chose by heroes are often fearsome, challenging, and test their strength as they navigate through perilous, unfathomable conditions; for both Beowulf and King Arthur – famous, legendary heroes – they face the same, yet different challenges on quests they encounter. Within Myths and Legends of the British Isles and the King Arthur…

Throughout the epic of Beowulf, it is clear to the reader that reputation is extremely important: it is especially important to Beowulf himself. When Beowulf first introduces himself to the Scyldings, he states his accomplishments to impress other around him. Doing this gains not only him honor but honor for his king as well. Then, when his reputation is attempted to be tarnished by Unferth, it is seemed as the worst insult possible that Beowulf can get. Beowulf is obviously concerned about how…

The last great bluff mentioned in part one of this article—that of tricking a superior force into surrendering—has been used many times. In 1812, the British force aligned with Shawnee warrior Tecumseh took Fort Detroit using about the same tactic. In fact, military history is full of tales of bluff and trickery. Here’s a few more tasty tidbits of military lore. Taking a Bridge by Charm Alone What can a insouciant saunter and larding on the charm get you? Here’s how two of Napoleon’s finest…

The idea of a hero during Anglo-Saxon times was simple. A hero had to do one thing to be a hero; he would have to fight the evil monster and win. After this, he would be a hero. Today, this is not the case. There are many different forms of evil that a person can fight to be considered a hero. This “evil” today includes many more things than in the previous Anglo-Saxon times. In the epic Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, he depicts Beowulf as a hero based on a different set of ideals that a hero can…