North Germanic languages

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…

The Unhappy Compromise World War I was officially brought to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. The Treaty of Versailles was negotiated among the Allied powers of Britain, France, and America with little to no participation from Germany. The intent of the treaty was two fold, first to prevent another world war, and second to punish Germany for starting the war to begin with. This vindictive approach would spill over into every part of the treaty and would…

‘national identity’ spurred by the promotion of a supposed and superior Germanic Aryan race which later was merged with the Germanic concept of the Viking identity. The initial Germanic Viking identity began in 1852, during the initial Viking revival of the 19th century. (Lönnroth 1997: 245) In 1848 Richard Wagners presented the operatic tale Ring des Nibelungen that captured the romantic and mystic tale of the Vikings in a Norse/ Germanic setting. (Lönnroth 1997:…

Beowulf: A Guide to Proper Kingship Great authoritative figures lead their people in times of good and bad by setting moral examples. In Beowulf, Beowulf serves as an authoritative figure through his youthful heroism. The epic begins by discussing Shild, the first king of Denmark, and how Shild is the basis of what a good king should be. The plot advances to Beowulf, a noble warrior from Geatland, who saves the Danes from Grendel and his mother because Hrothgar, king of the Danes, fails to…