Heardred

In Anglo- Saxon culture, the afterlife is nonexistent. They believe when you die, you die and nothing comes after this world. The only way to live eternally is to be remembered. They believed their success in life would determine the fate of their name after their own death. Beowulf is one of the prime examples of the people who accomplished this. Over 10 centuries later, Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, continues to be taught and read about. Although it may have been changed over time,…

Upon his death, Queen Hygd offers the kingdom to Beowulf; however, he rejects the offer. Instead, Hygelac’s son, Heardred, acyquired the throne but died at the hands of Swedes. Only then, did Beowulf become king and ruled the Geats for half a century. The last of his significant virtues, his pride, would be both his fortune and his downfall. For his final quest, Beowulf…

With such heroism seen in Beowulf, Queen Hygd Offers Beowulf to be the heir of Geatland, after the death of Hygelac, but Beowulf refuses although humbled by the offer and instead chooses to serve the young king, Heardred (Beowulf, 2375-2380). All in all, the reader sees Beowulf and the values he holds in which reflect those of Anglo-Saxons. Through courageous acts, like taking great beasts and fighting them hand to hand, humbleness and grace when being glorified…

Beowulf is an epic poem that was originally written in Anglo-Saxon between 700-1000 A.D. in England. The main action of the story is set around 500 A.D., but the narrative also recounts historical events that happened much earlier. Beowulf takes place in Denmark and Geatland (a region in what is now southern Sweden). The author is unknown. The narrarator of the poem is a Christian telling a story of pagan times. The scribe who first wrote the poem down was a Christian, but the characters in…