Examples Of Gold In Beowulf

Beowulf was written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet in the ninth century, and it is known as one of the few manuscripts that still remains from that time. During that time gold was considered a treasure that was presented to a king and/or queen whenever a person went to visit them and needed something from them. Treasures during that time was a symbol of a desire for peace. For instances, one way of avoiding an argument was by paying the wergild, the man-price, with gold in order to avoid more violent vengeance. An example of gold being a symbol of peace would be when the narrator says,

"Finally I healed the feud by paying:

I shipped a treasure to the Wulfings and Ecgtheow acknowledged me with oaths of allegiance" (Beowulf 470-472).

That example

At the end of Beowulf we see that Beowulf would rather die and his people receive the treasure than him live. For the warrior culture giving and receiving gold, armor, weapons, coins, jewels, jewelry, and other treasures showed that they won a battle or it showed their bravery and all the things they went through to obtain that

For instances Hrothgar, when one of Beowulf’s men was killed the narrator said,

“The chieftain went on to reward the others:

Each man on the bench who had sailed with Beowulf and risked the voyage received a bounty, some treasured possession. And compensation, a price in gold, was settled for the Geat

Grendel had cruelly killed earlier-....” (Beowulf 1049-1054).

In other words Hrothgar decided to recompense Beowulf and the Geats with gold. However he did not do it because he felt bad, he did it because he did not want the Geats to go to war against him. Moreover, he got most of his treasures from the people in his town but gave them away as a way of protection not to this town but for himself. Another example of Hrothgar would be when the narrator says,

“Then Healfdane's son presented Beowulf with a gold standard as a victory gift, an embroidered banner; also breast-mail and a helmet; and a sword carried high, that was both precious object and token of honour.

So Beowulf drank his drink, at ease; it was hardly a shame to be showered with such