Geat Vs. Greek

Geat vs. Greek:

Paternal Injunction in Beowulf and The Iliad

Picture this. Inside the hall, mighty shields and glistening swords await the visitors’ arrival. Skillfully crafted armor decorations proclaim great battles and fierce hunts. The prevailing warrior ethos and his manly power are evident throughout.

It is these strong patriarchal images which gave birth to two epics from two totally different cultures: The tale of Beowulf from Scandinavia and The Iliad from Greece. To better understand the works themselves and their parallels, it is best to first define an epic. In order to be considered an epic, there are certain qualifications and standards that a piece of literature must meet. These epics are long poems that were originally expressed orally and later were put into writing.

Both stories tell the tale of brave young heroes, always believing that their fight, their cause, is the true cause. In both stories, the heroes understand the role of fate. In Beowulf, the hero of that name understands that the monster Grendel may end his life, but is not deterred. He is not aware of his destiny, but realizes without qualms that if Grendel does kill him, then that was his time to die. In Iliad, both Hector and Achilles are keenly aware that their lives will end in battle. Although there is an emotional struggle in these characters not seen in Beowulf, their knowledge of their own fates does not stop them from fighting. This is what we might call bravery today, but in the past it was better thought of as a “warrior code”. And in both stories, it is not fate that matters in the end, but glory. The attitude is that if death shall come, so be it. But better to die fighting, immortalized in glory.

The hero code itself is based on patriarchal injunction. In Beowulf, the first character introduced in the prologue is the king Shield Sheafson, who bears the name of the founder of the Danish nation, making him a sort of father to his kingdom. The prologue of Beowulf takes on an Old-Testament form of sorts, introducing the characters by their lineage. Shield is father to Halfdane, who is father to Hrothgar, one of the main characters in Beowulf. The hero himself makes his introduction on the Danish shore by saying, “We belong by birth to the Geat people and owe allegiance to Lord Hygelac. In his day, my father was a famous man, a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow” (260-263).