The Values of the Anglo-Saxons Imagine the distant future, where this world is in the past and the only objects people find is a book or a movie. How would society be portrayed? Researchers would make assumptions about today’s culture just from those artifacts. Today, that is how all researchers gain knowledge about past people and worlds. They analyze what they find, which leads to conclusions about who the people were, what they valued, and what they believed. This is how discoveries were made about Anglo-Saxon culture, their principles, and their values. Important evidence was found, including poems and armor, that contributed to the idea that the main values that Anglo-Saxons had were loyalty, warriors, and wealth. One of the most important …show more content…
From the poem Beowulf, after King Beowulf defeats the dragon, he is still severely injured and about to die a heroic death. He tells Wiglaf he wants the gold that is in the dragon’s lair to be brought to the kingdom for the people. Instead of doing that however, Wiglaf buries the treasures in Beowulf’s tomb to honor his king. As Wiglaf is preparing Beowulf’s grave the narrator says, “They place his ashes, along with all of the dragon’s treasure, in a huge burial tower… They extolled his heroic nature and exploits and gave thanks for his greatness; which was the proper thing, for a man should… praise a prince whom he holds dear and cherish his memory” (From Beowulf 49). The reasons Wiglaf goes against Beowulf’s wishes is because he wants to honor his king with the valuable riches he fought to have, and so he would have it in his afterlife. According to a National Geographic video titled “A Window on Anglo Saxon Life”, “The Anglo-Saxons valued their treasures, and often adorned their fallen warriors with beautiful riches” (A Window). Another reason the Anglo-Saxons valued riches was because it was helpful in settling quarrels. If there were arguments between two people, they would be given gold to stop fighting. The Anglo-Saxons had many uses for gold, which is why they found their riches to be extremely
The clear definition of a hero is often open to interpretation and has never been clearly defined. In the translation of the epic poem Beowulf by Seamus Heaney, it is often debated whether the main character Beowulf is actually a hero or not. Beowulf displays hero-like characteristics through his bravery, loyalty, brute strength, confidence and protective nature. He is a crystal clear example of an Anglo-Saxon hero in his time period. In the present day he should be considered a hero as well. He displays heroism through his fights with Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the dragon while managing to protect his people and eventually sacrifice himself.
In the middle ages we believe that gold and other physical possessions determine one’s value. Currently we understand that there is more to offer someone than just material objects. The king can be discerned from all of the garish clothing and embellishments he wears. King Hrothgar in the epic is all about having the most elaborate of items. He bequeaths armor and gold to the defeaters of Grendel, Beowulf and his mighty thanes. This materialism displays that only the noblest have the high quality belongings. Another sense of materialism in the epic was when Beowulf kept Grendel’s claw after their fight. This action infers that Beowulf would not have gotten the credit if he did not show some sort of proof to the Danes. Beowulf is very fond of his sword. Later in the epic he duels the dragon and relies on his sword to help defeat the creatures like always. The sword was a big part of his life. It was always there to help Beowulf when he needed it and once it did not work on the dragon, Beowulf was in complete
Promp: what does beowulf have to say about women? Specifically, what is a women’s proper role in Beowulf? Consider actual Anglo- Saxon queens
Literature all through history uses symbolism to portray different ideas, religions, and beliefs. Throughout Beowulf symbolism is used both to reinforce the importance of religion and to impress the values of the Anglo Saxons upon the reader.
The gold will rust and the silver will go unpolished. In the grand scheme of things, money, glory, and fame here on earth mean nothing; but to Beowulf, it meant everything. He felt as if there were nothing else to live for. As the hero was passing into the afterlife, his last request was for Wiglaf to bring him some of the treasures they had just inherited by defeating the dragon. Beowulf said, “My days have gone by as fate willed, waiting for its word to be spoken, ruling as well as i knew how, swearing no unholy oaths, seeking no lying wars. I can leave this life happy; I can die, here, knowing the Lord of all life has never watched me wash my sword in blood born of my own family. Beloved Wiglaf, go, quickly, find the dragon’s treasure: we’ve taken its life, but its gold is ours, too. Hurry, bring me ancient silver, precious jewels, shining armor and gems before I die. Death will be softer, leaving life and this people I’ve ruled so long, if I look at this last of all prizes.” Wiglaf, being Beowulf’s only faithful friend, honored his request and brought him the most beautiful and glorious riches. Sadly, Beowulf’s last request was not to see his followers or his fellow soldiers. His last request was to be with the treasures he won instead. One of the last things Beowulf said was that he sold his life for that treasure. To sell your life to something means to completely surrender your means of living. Beowulf did not simply enjoy the things of this world, he lived for them. He yearned for them. He wanted and desired them so desperately, that he would lay his own life down for them.
"The Anglo Saxons appear as a race of fierce, cruel, and barbaric pagans, delighting in the seas, in slaughter, and in drink "(Allen, 17). The character of the ancient Saxons displayed the qualities of fearless, active, and successful. The Anglo-Saxons are mostly a barbaric race, not savage and rude but mostly military and...
There has only been one hero in Anglo-Saxon history, only one man can meet every requirement one needs to be classified as hero. Only one man's honor, loyalty, courage, generosity, and wisdom, fits the true definition of a hero. That man is Beowulf. With these leading traits, Beowulf's rise to heroism was not just by chance. He filled each of the five characteristics perfectly, as if it was his destiny to be admired.
In history, evil men have reigned supreme across many cultures. Some people say that being evil is inherent in every human. If this is true, then writing may be the ultimate way of releasing hatred of the world without hurting anyone. In Beowulf, all of society's evil men can be personified within the demons of Cain. The main demon presented in Beowulf is Grendel. Grendel personifies the exact opposite of what the Anglo-Saxons held dear. Beowulf, the story's hero, is the embodiment of what every Anglo-Saxon strove to become in their lifetime. Grendel is constantly angry, afraid and unsure of himself; while Beowulf is fearless and loyal to his king.
Existence as an Angelo-Saxon warrior was rewarding, however at the same instant it was difficult. Warlords had a number of warriors obliged to serve them. Being a warrior had a worthwhile life, they spent their time shining armor, readying their sword and intimidating the other warriors. Being an Anglo- Saxon warrior was gratifying life because warriors got fame, glory, recognition, and treasure. The younger boys looked up to either their father that was a warrior or another warrior. They idolized these men because they received fame. The idea of jewels, clashing of metal hitting your foe painted great images in Angelo- Saxon boys. In their culture fame is the most important thing you can have. By reading Beowulf I realized that loyalty is sometimes more important to them than their religion.
But we know from archaeological evidence that the royal and aristocratic milieu of Beowulf with its lavish burials and gold-adorned armor “can no longer be dismissed as poetic exaggeration or folk memories of an age of gold before the Anglo-Saxons came to England (Cramp 114).
Someone from the Land of the Geats has stolen fro the dragon while it slept. Now, the dragon is out for revenge. Beowulf knows that he must fight the dragon although he is old and not as strong as he once was. As Beowulf is tragically injured as of his soldiers run except for Wiglaf. Together Wiglaf and Beowulf destroy the dragon. As Beowulf dies he gives the kingdom to Wiglaf and tells him to build a lighthouse in his memory. The treasure that Beowulf gets from the dragon can either be physical or emotional. It conveys on page 64 line 867, “Crying that no better king had ever lived, no prince so mild, no man so open to his people, so deserving of praise.” The physical treasure is the treasure and riches of the dragon, while the emotional treasure is helping his people.
In this essay, I will uncover the countless insights that can be learned about the characters in Beowulf, as well as the society as a whole, based on the weapons the characters choose to use in battle. During the Anglo-Saxon time, roughly between 400 and 1066, swords were considered the most precious weapon someone could own. Although it is not certain who wrote Beowulf, and when, many people believe it was composed in the middle to end of the Anglo-Saxon period. Analyzing the different weapons, and significance of each, in Beowulf, and comparing them to the weaponry at the time, provides the readers with a great deal of insight into the society during this period. The use of weapons in Beowulf not only provides the readers with insight into
Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf, morality and values shine through in a variety of circumstances. These morals just so happen to stem from the heart of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Strong in their beliefs, the Anglo-Saxons focused on loyalty, friendship, and bravery above all else. Beowulf serves as a prime example of these priorities, and holds innumerable examples depicting each of these.
Are there any similarities between life in modern America and the world of Beowulf? Is it possible for such a technology oriented world such as ours to have anything in common with a world which had not even heard of electricity? Has this technology really separated us from prior civilizations? Is our thinking today any different from the thinking of ancient cultures? Although it may not seem to be true, there are actually many similarities between our world and that of Beowulf’s. These similarities are readily seen in all forms of media and entertainment, as well as noted sources of culture such as music and movies. If the similarity between the two cultures is accepted, it will not be hard to comprehend Beowulf.
The Old-English or Anglo-Saxon era extends from about 450 to 1066. The Germanic tribes from the Continent who overran England in the fifth century, after the Roman withdrawal, brought with them a language that is the basis of modern English, a specific poetic tradition, and a relatively advanced society. All of these qualities and spirit are exemplified in the eighth-century epic poem Beowulf.