How Did Beowulf Remember Death

Remembering Death: A Mid-Life Crisis The top three most abundant elements of Anglo-Saxon culture present in Beowulf are, in increasing order, comitatus, fame, and memento mori. The third most common element of Anglo-Saxon culture found in Beowulf is the idea of comitatus or service to the king in exchange for the promise of wealth. The very beginning of the poem discusses King Hrothgar’s ancestors, describing them as brave as well as loved for their generosity. The Danes, it says, were devoted to Shild’s son, Beo, because of the glory and riches bestowed upon them by Shild. Beowulf says specifically that “wealth is shaped by the sword,” implying that Shild’s generosity was rewarding those who had loyally served him in war, a prime example

This theme is evident throughout the poem, any time Beowulf achieves prodigious victories with the hopes of being remembered, but is especially relevant at the end of the poem when Beowulf is dying. After Beowulf defeats Grendel, he leaves Grendel’s claw hanging from the ceiling of Herot as a reminder of the monster’s death (Beowulf 983-85). The claw serves as a sign to all who look at it of Beowulf’s bravery and ability to vanquish the creature that had been plaguing Hrothgar’s people. The entire episode guarantees that the Danes will remember Beowulf for generations to come as an epic warrior, thereby achieving the purpose of memento mori. At the end of the poem, after Beowulf has been fatally wounded, he commands Wiglaf to seek out the dragon’s treasure saying that he can die at peace knowing that he has brought riches to his people (2739-43). This implies that the riches left behind by his battle with the dragon will serve to remind the people of his admirable leadership for generations to come. Then, when Wiglaf returns with the spoils of the battle, Beowulf instructs him to have the Geats build a immense tomb at the edge of the water so that

The former is the basis for the innumerable philanthropic foundations that give billions of dollars to charities and causes around the world. An article written by David Gelles and published in the New York Times states that the Rockefeller Foundation (whose founder died almost seventy years ago) invested twenty-two million dollars in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the Gates Foundation (whose founders are still alive) has given over two and a half billion dollars to an organization that is helping to cure rotavirus. Both of these foundations are the result of the sentiment of memento mori. Their founders were seeking a way for their lives’ works to live on after they themselves were dead, and found that a charitable foundation was an effective method to accomplish that goal. The Rockefeller Foundation is a clear indication of the validity of the concept. The other major indication that the concept of memento mori is alive today is the prevalence of the “mid-life crisis”. An article written by Susan Krauss Whitbourne in Psychology Today reports that the odds that people age fifty to sixty-four will be divorced has more than doubled since 1990. This is possibly the result of people during the middle of their lives start to panic that they have not accomplished enough in their lives and need to rethink