Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Beowulf, The Warriors, And Their Belief System - 926 Words

Beowulf is an epic poem that has been handed down orally for centuries, but was finally written down in the eighth century. It is the story of an epic hero, named Beowulf, who travels with his men, the Geats, to conquer the many beasts who terrorize the lands of the Danes. The scops describe Beowulf as â€Å"greater and stronger than anyone anywhere in this world†(110-111). This example shows one of many qualities that make Beowulf the epic hero that he is. He uses his strength to demonstrate both the dedication and bravery needed to bring peace and justice to the people who have been terrorized for such a long time. Cultural elements exemplified in Beowulf occur in the aspects of the mead hall, the warriors, and their belief system. The first element occurs in the description of the mead hall. Right before Beowulf’s epic battle with the beast, Grendel, who has taken over many of the Dane’s possessions and has killed hundreds of men, we glimpse what life is like for the Danes when they were able to live in peace. The scops say the mead hall is â€Å"gold shining†(239) and has â€Å"beautiful walls; shaped and fastened with iron inside and out, artfully worked†(295-297) and is filled with the â€Å"harp’s rejoicing call and the poets clear songs†(4-5). Through this description, we can imagine that the Danes are a powerful and bold people. They are powerful by being able to build and retain a mead hall adorned with gold; they are bold because their mead hall is always filled with the joyousShow MoreRelatedThe Power of Faith in the Poem, Beuwulf1425 Words   |  6 Pagesby proof then one can attribute it to devotion and divine intervention. Did Beowulf achieve his victories because of his warrior skills, or because of that divide intervention? In the poem, Beowulf, this idea is brought up throughout when Beowulf is successful in his battles. According to the epic poem, it is God’s intervention that helped Beowulf. In other words, Christianity is interrelated with other ideological systems in the text such as chivalry and paganism. Furthermore, it is also indicatedRead MoreThe Religious Principles Of Beowulf1236 Words   |  5 PagesSyncretism is defined as the combination of different beliefs or practices. This term is an important topic within Beowulf, since the poem has obviously united two religious principles. Beowulf is dedicated to expressing and explaining the Germanic heroic code, but there are specific moments when Christianity and paganism over laps. Though Paganism focuses on victory, honor, and masculinity the author manages to add the act of forgiving your enemies, the significance of the monsters within the poemRead MoreThe Heroic Significance of Christ in The Dream of the Rood Essay978 Words   |  4 Pagestraditional Anglo Saxon beliefs of heroism with the image of Christ on the cross allows the poet of The Dream of the Rood to effectively communicate the benefits of Christianity to pagan warriors. By comparing characteristics, duties, and treatment of heroes in Beowulf and the Battle of Maldon to the depiction of Christ in The Dream of the Rood, it becomes evident that the image of Christ is altered to mirror that of heroic warriors. Through this melding of heroic beliefs and Christianity, the poetRead MoreBeowulf Is The Oldest Recorded Poem1328 Words   |  6 PagesThe epic poem, Beowulf, is the oldest recorded poem in English and at 3200 lines long, comprises roughly ten percent of the surviving poetry in Old English. Although written in this language, Beowulf focuses on the feats of the poem’s namesake Beowulf, a Geatish prince, and the invading Germanic tribes in Denmark. Understood early on in the poem, these tribes have a lengthy and powerful warrior culture; a culture heavily influenced by heroic virtues, blood vengeance, and paganism. Along with theseRead MoreThe Role Of Government In Beowulf And King Arthurs Society1629 Wo rds   |  7 Pages Although the role of the government found in Beowulf and in King Arthurs societies had basically the same functions (to protect the people from invasion and provide safety and order within the community), each government was set up with some drastically different ideologies. The ideologies that perhaps governed the formation of each government were defined easily by the time periods in which each work was written. Both governments describe leaders (Kings) who are honorable and kind to their peopleRead MoreBeowulf Battle Comparison1293 Words   |  6 PagesHonors 9-21-17 Beowulf Battle Comparison In his three major battles, Beowulf fights for many different reasons. His motivation varies, and as he grows older and wiser his attitude toward these battles also changes. Throughout the epic, Beowulf bradoshously beats Grendel, then more methodically murders Grendel’s mother, and with his last breathes humbly hollers for help to slay the dragon. This shows that Beowulf’s early focuses of glory and riches changes as he becomes a weathered warrior acknowledgesRead MoreThe Importance Of Heroism In Beowulf1073 Words   |  5 PagesBeowulf is a classic, epic story which theme focuses on good versus evil, â€Å"Beowulf is essentially a heathen poem† (Bodek) said F.A Blackburn because it consists of elements drawn from Anglo-Saxons culture before they were converted to Christians. It is tidily divided into three parts; The battle with Grendel, The battle with Grendel’s mother and the battle with the Dragon. The poem deals with Germanic forebears, the Danes, the Geats and the Swedes. This story features a super-strong warrior BeowulfRead MoreCanterbury Tales And Beowulf Essay1373 Words   |  6 PagesThe stories of Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales are two that have been compared for centuries. Based in two different time periods, both novels describe religion, loyalty, and distinguish social classes through characters. In the novel Beowulf, the character Beowulf is known as the â€Å"hero of all heroes,† strong, courageous, and a warrior who is willing to risk his life for his ideals. In The Canterbury Tales, there are twenty-four tales describing characters from a knight to a monk’s tale. As theRead MoreThe Merging of Cultures in Beowulf 1410 Words   |  6 Pagesstory of Beowulf represents the merging of two cultural belief systems: paganism and Christianity. Historically, the Anglo-Saxon culture was based upon pagan practices- idolatry, worship of many Gods and a specific warrior’s code of conduct. Beowulf was born of this culture as a legend passed down through centuries by oral tradition until shortly after their conversion to Christianity. It was finally preserved in written form by an obviously Christian author in an attempt to unify the two belief systemsRead MoreKeeping Briton’s Religious Origins Alive through Ancient Literature1129 Words   |  5 Pages Furthermore, the persistence of these religious genres is evidenced in ancient literature such as Beowulf, The Myth of Arthur’s Return, or Diedru and the Exile of the Sons of Uisliu, as they retained remnants of origins of the Britons’ religious beliefs. In Beowulf, King Hrothgar, the ruler of Danes, is troubled by the rampages of a demon named Grendel. Fortunately, a young Geat warrior, Beowulf, travels from his own kingdom across the seas, to Heorot Hall offering his assistance with the pest

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.