Medieval Life
Medieval Germanic and Anglo-Saxon Literature share various ideas and themes, including loyalty, vengeance, hospitality, and reputation. This themes can be seen in many ways in both, The Nibelungenlied and Beowulf.
Loyalty is a recurring theme on medieval literature. In those times, loyalty to your Lord is one of the most important duties one has. In both books there is a ultimate representative of loyalty. In The Nibelungenlied, the title goes to Hagen, his priority and mission in life is to serve protect and be at all times loyal to his lords, specially Gunther. He is the one cause behind all the mayhem at the end of the book and Hagen even gives up his life in name of loyalty. For Beowulf, the representative of loyalty is Wiglaf, the only one who did not flee when the Dragon used its power against Beowulf. While the other warriors ran away, Wiglaf was the only soldier who remained loyal to his lord, even if it meant losing his own life.
Vengeance is a strong feeling or force that can take over one’s sanity, as in the case of Kriemhilde. The Nibelungenlied’s touch on vengeance is basically the whole second half of the book, after Sifrid is killed. In this part, Kriemhilde’s sanity and mind get overpowered by vengeance thus revenge becomes her only duty in life.
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The bases of the main conflict in The Nibelungenlied come from reputation. To put it differently, it all starts in a fight between Brünhilde and Kriemhilde. Each woman was trying to prove which husband, Sifrid or Gunther, had better reputation. In contrast, Beowulf’s case is more evident, all his quests are done for loft, which is reputation after death, we can see him doing certain things for his quest for reputation which are peculiar, like the swimming contest, and doing crazy things like battling the dragon alone . Reputation, in both Germanic epics, are
The great heroic story of Beowulf gives many examples of the traits a great leader should have. At the end, those same traits were demonstrated by Wiglaf who then became the king of the Geats. This proves that these traits were essential to the Anglo-Saxon culture; however, this also makes Beowulf contemporary. The poem has many themes that are still applicable today. Natural respect and trust are fundamental parts of character in Beowulf and in today's society. This is a great reason to keep reading Beowulf and take it as an example of honor and loyalty. Beowulf is a great hero but also a great example along with many of the characters. The poem itself teaches the reader about respect and
After reading the epic poem Beowulf and watching the movie The 13th Warrior, I find that the differences greatly outnumber the similarities. However, the theme of good versus evil reflects the values of the Anglo-Saxon people in both the poem and the movie. Numerous differences exist in the poem and the movie including the characters, the bloody battles, and the deaths of the heroes.
In the Anglo-Saxon times, honor, bravery and loyalty were very important morals. Beowulf and Wiglaf showed loyalty in this poem by sticking to their word. Beowulf killed all the monsters and also risked his life. Wiglaf sticks by Beowulf side when he knew that his king were struggling to kill the dragon. The battles between the monsters and the clear descriptions give the poem a more vivid approach and gives the audience bold imagery.
Beowulf is very faithful to the kingdom in which he works with and serves. He says to Hrothgar, “If there is any favour I can perform / beyond deeds of arms I have done already, / anything that would merit your affections more, / I shall act, my lord, with alacrity” (1822-1825). Even if he is home, all the way across the seas, he would drop whatever he was doing and come to help Denmark defeat its evil that comes to that land. He shows his undying dedication to helping the king and the kingdom that he lives in. Beowulf then tries to defeat this dragon, that is, his final battle. He has been in “retirement” and has not fought in quite some time, but he still is being depended on by his kingdom to fight off this evil. Sadly, he does die, but he was so dedicated, brave, and strong enough to fight off this dragon to make sure all is safe. It was, “that final day was the first time / when Beowulf fought and fate denied him / glory in battle” (2573-2575). Each characteristic has a special part of an epic hero, but faithfulness can really set the tone for a hero's life.
Loyalty is a key part of any story, but most crucial to medieval tales of knights and mythical creatures. Beowulf’s men were/are loyal to him until they were reminded of their mortality. His men abandon him in his
Wiglaf was the only person that had stayed to help his king and by doing this while all the other soldiers ran away it magnified his glory infinitely more than before. It was magnified so much that Beowulf made him king because of his bravery and loyalty to him.
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
In lines 2065-2069 this was suspected good faith of Heatho-Bards, and telling that they had truth and trust inside the alliance with the Danes. There was the figth with Beowulf and Grendel and then Beowulf and Grendels mother as well. “For the eldest, Herebeald , and unexpected deathbed was laid out , through a brothers doing when haethcyn bent his horn-tipped bow and loosed the arrow that destroyed Herebealds life” (lines2435-2439). This was the dwelling of a twisted brother who didn’t mind taking his own flesh and bloods life away. His age and wisdom was worthless. Beowulf had spoken a formal boast about how he risked his life as an wean and how he would rather not use weapons if there is another way around it. “This fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me to measure his strengths against a monster or to prove his worth” lines (2532-35). This was the speech he feed to everyone “the first time when Beowulf fought and fate denied him glory in the battle” (lines 2573-75). The only one that stood by his side was Wiglaf, and he felt enough loyalty to come to the aid of his king. Beowulf then hit the dragon in the head and the sword breaks and that mad the dragon upset. The dragon bit Beowulf neck and blood was everywhere and Wiglaf came into play. Then the dragon tried to burn Beowulf wolf to a crisp but it was a “almost”
A large problem with Beowulf was that he was attention seeking all the time. We learn that Beowulf was the prince of the Geats and had heard of the troubled times of Herot. From the beginning he was going out for attention. He assembled the strongest men of the Geats and was destined to approach the king and go in and save the country. When his me finally land, he goes to see the king and makes a huge big deal about how good he was and how bad Grendel was. This not
...fight the dragon. Beowulf understood that the key to being a great leader was selflessness, which is also why he chose Wiglaf, son of Wexstan, to be his successor. In Beowulf’s time of greatest need Wiglaf was the only selfless warrior that came to Beowulf’s aid. Even in death, Beowulf understood all the qualities of a great leader and saw them in Wiglaf.
Though Sir Gawain is brave, Beowulf seems more naturally heroic. He goes to the land of the Danes of his own volition. His king does not order him to go. He tells his king that he wishes to go help the Danes defeat Grendel, because he believes he can and should. His people support him because they know what a great warrior and leader he is. He also wants to help King Hrothgar because his father was in debt to Hrothgar and he wants to pay that debt. He wants to honor his father and his father’s word. Beowulf holds himself to a code of honor when he does not have to do so. He risks his life for a country he is not a part of.
One of the first literary work studied by our class was “Beowulf,” the longest and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The poem is packed full of Christian and Pagan elements that are constantly fighting for the dominant position. In order to understand these thematic elements portrayed throughout “Beowulf,” we must first discover
The main character and hero in the story Beowulf, Beowulf shows many heroic traits that German culture valued at that time. He is physically built and strong, making him more than capable to defend the Danes against the monster Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. “In his far off-home Beowulf, Higlac’s followers and the strongest of the Geats-greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world…” (42). One of his strongest character traits is his leadership. “Beowulf arose, with his men around him, ordering a few to remain with their weapons, leading the others quickly…” (43.) The audience and society admired this personal trait of his. Beowulf was willing to...
During the Anglo-Saxon period and Medieval Ages, cultural influences, including religion and social status, affected the characteristics of a hero. During these two time periods, characteristics between heroes shared similarities and some differences. Beowulf and the main characters of The Lord of the Rings were the upmost example of what a hero should be. All heroes are expected to have strength, glory, and wisdom. Chivalry and responsibility were also inspirational traits. Heroes are expected to be physically and mentally resilient. Each of these traits reflects the elements of a heroic tale. All heroic tales involved the elements of weaponry and treasure. All heroes are also required to go on an adventure or more in order to defeat a monster or monsters. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the heroic epic of Beowulf, translated by Clarence Griffin Child, continue to follow similar guidelines, events, and share similar characteristics despite their different time periods and influential cultures. However, they also demonstrate some dissimilarity that reflects the contrast among other heroes.
To many, reputation is everything. In the epic poem Beowulf, the epic hero is notably known throughout the world. He is known for one, for being one of the Greats. On top of all of that, Beowulf is the greatest and strongest of all of the Greats, therefore, he automatically has a reputation to follow. Therefore, when fighting against all three monsters, Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon at the end of his well-known life, he strives to keep that reputation. By fighting each one of these battles his reputation grows, he becomes better known for the kindness and strength he has to battle these monstrous creatures. Another contributor to his good reputation is the fact that he did this for people he didn’t even know. This proves him to be a good man, and people think highly of him because of it. Also, when going to speak to the Dane’s great lord, Beowulf explains his reputation with his people on page 47, lines 246-248, “They have seen my strength for themselves, have watched me rise from the darkness of war, dripping with my enemies’ blood.” This shows that Beowulf has a reputation with his people, that they know what he is capable of and have seen him in battles. His people know he is capable of fighting the beast simply because of his past experiences he has built up a reputation, a reputation of strength, honor and capability. As he fights each monsters his