Throughout history, several organizations have used medieval imagery for their cause. One of the most prominent groups in today’s history is used by white supremacists. The most prominent use of this imagery is seen through the symbols, specifically those of knights, they use in order to further their cause. However, it is evident that while they believe these symbols hold ideas similar to their cause, they are instead going against their own beliefs.
While white supremacists are known to use several symbols in furthering their ideas, the most prominent one is the use of the “white knight”. This symbol is more specifically used by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and is what this group often refers to themselves as. This group has been known to attack specific groups of people such as African American, the LGBT community, and immigrants. By going after these groups, they enforce their belief that these groups of people are inferior to themselves and therefore should not be granted the same rights as themselves. While the call themselves “white knights” they are in fact the opposite of knights. Prominent examples of what a knight should be are seen through the actions of Beowulf. Throughout the poem, Beowulf is seen to be one of the best examples of what a knight should stand for. The first example of this is seen when he first enters Heorot, “‘The news of Grendel, hard to ignore, reached me at home…So every elder and experienced councilman among my people supported my
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By misinterpreting these symbols, people tend to go against their arguments thus, resulting in their cause being seen as faulty. If these symbols had been used correctly and they had a better understanding of what they represent, their cause would not be the same and would fight for the union and equality of all peoples instead of the division and hierarchy system of certain people based upon their religion or skin
Beowulf (Heaney) is a three part poem about a man, if one can call him a man, with superhuman strength, the ability to swim for eight days straight, breathe underwater, and contest with nightmarish monsters in hand-to-hand combat, just to name a few. He, notably, combats Grendel, a spawn of Cain himself , “Grendel was the name of this grim demon… he had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts. For the killing of Abel...Cain got no good from committing that murder...and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves and evil phantoms and the giants…”
This article talks about the use of the Swastika symbol by Nazis. Many people don’t know this but it was first originated from the ancient Indian language, “Sanskrit”, and means “well-being.” However in history as we know the Nazis used it as a symbol of German pride. And now around the world it symbolizes genocide and hatred and a nightmare to many Jews. This shows how Nazis have appropriated and completely changed the symbol from its original meaning. I want to use the article to show one of the examples of cultural appropriation so my reader can understand better on my topic.
In this I-Search research report, I will attempt to show that the Swastika was not created by the Nazi party. The expected outcome of the research is to prove that the Swastika originates from Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Some things that I might discover along the way during my research might be where the Swastika first appeared, why the swastika is hated by millions of people, why Adolf Hitler used the swastika in his campaign to become powerful, why the swastika is important, and what inspired Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party to implement it as their flag. I also predict that I will find some war footage of World War 2 and Adolf
Symbols hold substantial power. When many people see a Nike swoosh, it automatically triggers “Just do it” in their brain. For some, seeing the golden arches of McDonald’s makes them salivate and suddenly long for a Big Mac with salty, crispy fries. Symbols are prevalent in advertising because companies know customers associate visual objects with products, resulting in purchases. Many people are visual, giving images lucrative power. Symbols have a way of manipulating people to purchase products, believe in the slogans they represent, and provide courage and strength in knowing others are uniting behind the symbol too. Symbols influence people, and the swastika is an example of one that will forever invoke emotion in people as it is deeply rooted in our world’s history.
Beowulf the movie released in 2007, is a motion capture animated-fantasy film based on the Old English epic poem, Beowulf. Beowulf is an Old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative lines. The poem focuses on Beowulf who sets himself to embark journeys or adventures in dealing with evil. The poem and the movie is about Beowulf who has journeys where he fights evil. The movie Beowulf and the book Beowulf are mostly different in feminist theory and the plot, but tends to have some similarities.
With the great power possessed by Beowulf, great battles are destined to be fought for glory, protection, and reputation. As the demon Grendel approaches the great kingdom of Danes, his mother coming to avenge the wrongs done to her son, or when a great dragon is awakened, posing a massive threat only a warrior the likes of Beowulf can deal with. This creates a situation in which constant battle for glory, honor, and protection keep taking place. He travels to distant lands to maintain his warrior status, whilst battling the creatures posing problems to him.
Today, the swastika is typically identified with racism, hate, violence, death, and antisemitism due to the Nazis, however, its history shows that it was primitively a symbol for many other things, including life, the sun, power, good luck, and well-being. The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika, which means “good fortune” or “well-being”. The swastika has been around for thousands of years, and some even say it is the oldest known symbol. It is thought to have first been used in Neolithic Eurasia, perchance depicting the movement of the sun through the sky. The symbol became sacred to the religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and is a common sight to see in places like India and Indonesia.
We can see that the poem Beowulf is located in North Europe. It is set primarily in Scandinavia, which is modern day Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The time period is Medieval because of the combat actions of soldiers, clothing style and the fact that it was dated to be in between 500-700 AD. We can see that the geographical location of Beowulf is somewhere in the mountains and near the ocean. It is close to Britain, because of the way that the tribes/countries were able to raid each other in no time and due to its continental setting. The poem is in the city mainly due to it’s population being centered on the Mead-Hall and the king’s palace is located in the city along with it. Though it does country image from its geographic location and farmlands.
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.
To many people, the swastika represents the Nazis and the many other terrible events which occurred throughout World War II, but it had been used in other religions, cultures, and had various meanings before Hitler turned it into a symbol of destruction and sorrow. The swastika originated in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism in India, though it was only minimally used in Buddhism. It had been an important symbol in Hinduism, used in festivals and religious rites for various reasons. In Buddhism, the swastika had represented eternity. It had also been mostly used in Asia through Jainism. The swastika was used in Greece through architecture, clothing, and coin design. Greco-Roman art and architecture included many connected swastika-like images as well. In Russia, the swastika had represented the Christian Slavic faith. Not only had the swastika been used in those religions and countries, but it had also been used in Finland for decoration and a military
"Meanings of the Swastika Symbol." Theosophy Northwest. The Theosophical Society., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
My topic for this paper is analyzing how great Beowulf was as a King and a Warrior and how he represents masculinity. Scholars are in complete disagreement over how Beowulf represents masculinity; however, despite their disagreement on how it should be accomplished, all scholars place masculinity as the goal. Scholars agree that Beowulf is about masculinity and the different separations of gender, but are disagreeing on how he shows it. I believe that Beowulf represents masculinity by doing what he did like every great man has done in history, he stepped up to the plate and lead by example and didn’t let the power go to his head. So, I will analyze both articles and show where the dispute occurs, but at the same time showing that both Morey
The image found on the front cover of the book is clearly a Nazi swastika - the traditional, pre-Nazi swastika uses horizontal and vertical, not diagonal lines. However, to clarify who exactly is being identified with the Nazis, we must look to the stylized, angular cat's fa...
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.
Good and Evil- The entire poem of Beowulf deals with the battle of good verses evil, good being Beowulf, his followers, Hrothgar, and Hrothgar's people, and evil being Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon. In this poem the power of good overcomes all the evils, but not without the lose of life. These lives include that of Beowulf, Aeschere, and many of Hrothgar's people. The clashing of good and evil forces was the main method of creating interest and suspense in the poem.