North Germanic languages

are a single attribute of a culture. Some of Sweden’s cultural traits are First of May parades, Christmas feasts and wooden horses. Once known for their land, Sweden now is known for their fast growing economy and infrastructures due to all the people who moved their. “Less than a tenth of the land is devoted to agriculture, mostly in the form of family farms. Forested land is held largely by individuals and corporations; the state owns less than 5 percent”(Culture of Sweden 4). The official language of Sweden is Swedish. Swedish was made from all the people who came to that country, speaking other languages. German, French, English, and Finnish all help make up Swedish. Swedish is a North Germanic language spoken by most people in Sweden and Finland. Swedish is the first language of most citizens and English as their second. People in Sweden can speak up to 200 languages and Public schools allow children to learn first language as an extra course. For most, their first language is English from all the people who moved there from the UK. Although many people assume the British invaded Sweden because they were so close, this was not the case. “Of the nearly 200 countries out there, the Brits have invaded all but 22. That is just about 90% of all countries”(Murphy 2). Sweden was one of the 22 countries that were not invaded by the British. Many people are unsure why Sweden was never invaded, some just assume because they did not have much to offer. Religion is a…

Norse mythology is known to be an important tradition held by several groups of people who would share many poems and stories regarding the culture of the Nordic people. The word ‘Norse’ was used to refer to people of the Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic, and Swedish territory and comes from the term ‘North Sea’. Norse Mythology derived from legends from others that would speak different German languages. They also share some mythology traditions that pre-Christian Germanic groups had.…

Beowulf, a Pagan or Christian Poem Prose, riddles, poetry, and proverbs can all be found in Old English Literature, as well as a mixture of Christian and pagan traditions and influences. One such an example would be, Beowulf, the epic long poem whose title character displays heroism and generosity. In this paper, I will explain how Christian values have been woven throughout the poem and mixed with Germanic hero values. Secondly, I will explain the long standing debate of whether or not Beowulf…

Although Christianity dominated the Anglo Saxon lifestyle, paganism was a present reality still being practiced. Paganism is a religion based on animism, or the belief that spirits resided in everything ("What Is Paganism?”). Pagans often worshipped multiple Gods, sacrificed animals and other commodities, and loved feasting and participating in festivals. An individuals destiny, fate, and glory were all important to Anglo Saxon’s in that they believed that immortality could be earned through…

position and how their interlacing creates success for the Anglo Saxons. The role of a king is made clear through the comparison between Hrothgar and Beowulf. Hrothgar, the Danish king, is the antithesis of what a king is meant to be. He is referred to as the “homeland’s guardian” (616) out of irony since he wasn’t able to protect his own people from Grendel the monster. In a culture that glorifies fighting, Hrothgar is weak and does not fight back. This shows the asynchrony between what he…

The Joy of Grendel “Is it joy feel?”(Gardner 173). These were the some of the last words uttered by Grendel before his demise. Why does Grendel feel this joy? Grendel had suffered inwardly all his life. Why is at this time, when Grendel is defeated Beowulf, does he feel joy? Perhaps, Grendel is feeling joy because this was the end of his struggle the two beliefs he encounters in the novel. At Grendel’s death, he has a revelation that he should have had while he was still living. In the…

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 410 A.D., the Anglo-Saxon Era began in England. Germanic tribes migrated to England and developed a tribal society that revolved mostly around war and agriculture. Tribal society often held traditions of storytelling and gathering in mead-halls to celebrate victories over a neighboring tribe. The first great story about a world-renowned hero is Beowulf. The main character, Beowulf, was a great warrior about whom people passed down spectacular stories of…

While popular culture depicts Vikings as a very homogeneous warrior group, there were actually many layers and nuances to Norse culture and society. Given that the Viking period extended from 800 AD to 1050 AD, the Norse groups experienced multiple cultural shifts and political shifts that can be seen throughout their stories and cultural artifacts. Prior to the majority of Viking expansion, much of their culture was defined by closely knit kin groups and one’s honor was deeply tied to your…

The Louisiana Fighting Tigers were made up of the 5th – 9th Louisiana infantry regiments. They were commanded by Brigadier General Harry T. Hays which were under the division commanded by General Jubal Early and in General Richard Ewell’s Corps, which was all part of the Northern Virginia Army under the command of Gen. Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Tiger Brigade earned its name from a Louisiana infantry company, Company B. 1st Louisiana Special Battalion and was one of the five…

The Culture Collision of Religions as displayed in Beowulf Tale The Anglo-Saxons were Pagans when they came from Britain, but as time passed, they all gradually converted to Christianity. These two totally different religions of Christianity and Paganism clashed, and Christianity came out the victor in the end. In the epic Beowulf, these Christian values are displayed plentifully throughout the epic. However in the 2005 movie, Beowulf & Grendel, the film’s hostility towards Christianity…