Saxons

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…

In the context of the years 875-975 how valid were the claims of Alfred the Great and his successors to be kings of all England? The extent of the authority of the Anglo Saxon kings varied between them, and depended on many factors within their reign including unity within their kingdom, challenges to their authority and what they controlled on a geographical scale as well as social. We have to consider these factors whilst making a well rounded judgement on whether they could claim to be kings…

Societies create heroes when they are needed. For example, during World War II comic book writers created Captain America to show citizens a character that emphasizes patriotism. Back in the Anglo Saxon Era, people created their version of a superhero; Beowulf. Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero by proving he has a strong moral code, honor and larger than life strength throughout the epic poem. One of the most important traits that all heroes have is a strong moral…

Heroism is defined as “the quality of heroic actions, showing great bravery”, (Oxford English Dictionary, 2014). This is compared to a modern definition of bravery as “a person who is greatly admired for brave deeds or an illustrious warrior and one who shows great courage”, (Merriam-Webster, 2014). This shows the definition has remained the same for many years. The word hero comes from the Latin word heros, which was derived from the Greek word hērōs. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary…

Beowulf prevails as one of the most significant pieces of English literature despite being written centuries ago. One justification for this is that countless motifs that it elaborates on are still applicable in the modern world. One of the widespread matters developed in Beowulf is the prestige of the heroic code. Most of Beowulf is committed to interpreting and epitomizing the heroic law which appreciates characteristics like power, perseverance, and glory. Contrasting with this teaching are…

“All men who feel any power of joy in battle, know what it is like when the wolf rises in the heart” This quote, from Theodore Roosevelt, properly explains his, and the rough riders sense of joy from adventure, and the adrenaline from battle. Before Theodore Roosevelt became president, he led a group of men into battle in the Spanish American War. This battle is the reason he became so popular with the American public. Roosevelt and his rough riders saved the day at San Juan Hill, returning to…

Beowulf, a story of an extraordinary warrior who fights off supernatural beings in the form of evil in order to save his people and his enemies. This story is a representation of an epic due to its various forms of interaction with gods, the inclusion of kennings, and its demonstration of a hero with no fear. Beowulf represents the hope of the Geats and the Danes. His actions that take effect throughout the narrative are characteristics of an epic narrative poem. The word choice that the author…

Many contemporary artists derive their themes from Anglo-Saxon texts. One instance of this is the presence of ofermode, or too much pride, in both the anonymous poem, The Battle of Maldon, written in A.D. 991 and George Orwell’s modern story, Animal Farm. In The Battle of the Maldon, the pirates succeed in using Earl Byrtnoth’s pride in order to allow them onto his land despite the Earl knowing it will most likely have devastating effects on his men and the people he defended. In Animal Farm,…

The epic “Beowulf” shows many aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture that otherwise could not be known today. Many of which are considered either immoral or wrong; however, as they were influenced by Christian beliefs and the only ones that could write were monks, it is obvious how Christianity affected the poem. Thus, to some extent, sharing some similarities with our modern society, although sometimes there are some contradictions as pagan and Christian beliefs clash during the poem. Notwithstanding,…

“A Mason-Dixon Memory” In “A Mason-Dixon Memory” a colored boy named Dondre Green is talking about a trip they had to a golfing tournament but the owner told him that he couldn’t play in the tournament because he was African-American, so all his teammates didn’t play either. While telling that story a colored guy named Clifton had a flashback of a time when he went to Washington D.C. but couldn’t go to the theme park because of the Mason-Dixon line, so all his friends didn’t go either. This…