Anglo-Saxon Warrior Culture In Beowulf

Being a hero can mean many different things. A modern day hero might be someone who has a strong moral code or someone that has extraordinary powers and abilities but, looking back in time the meaning of a hero has changed slightly. During Anglo-Saxon times, being a hero meant being loyal to their lord and god, having a sense of duty, being selfless, having honor, being intelligent, and boasting. It also meant being brave and having courage, having a sense of justice, and having larger than life strength. A great example of an Anglo-Saxon hero is Beowulf from “Beowulf,” written by an unknown author. In this poem, Beowulf exemplifies the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon hero because he was brave and courageous, he had superhuman strength, and he had a unique sense of justice.

Every culture has its own set of beliefs values and customs. Cultural beliefs, values, and assumptions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout a lifetime. A culture is the sum of a group’s way of life and this is no different with the ancient Anglo Saxon culture. Cultures usually have distinct figures that reflect their culture as a whole. The importance of religion, values, and heroes are reflected a great deal in the epic poem of Beowulf accurately showing the Anglo Saxon culture as a whole.

The Anglo-Saxon culture came from the ethos which arose from years of progress and understanding. This culture a unification of independent principalities brought together by one king known as Alfred the Great. The true sense of the culture came with the values of loyalty, kinship, and bravery, which present themselves in the epic tale of Beowulf whose violent victory propelled him from mercenary to rightful warrior and respected hero. where the birth of a hero came from the actions of a rightful warrior.

Beowulf was presented “with a gold standard as a victory gift, an embroidered banner; also breast-mail and a helmet; and a sword” (1020-1030) and the other Geats were rewarded “some treasured possession” as well. King Hrothgar also adopts Beowulf in his heart “as a dear son” (946) This shows that Beowulf and the other men received rewards as a token of honor for risking their lives fighting a battle with Grendel. Before Beowulf goes on his quest to attack Grendel’s mother, he reminds Hrothgar “to send Hygelac the treasures [he] received” if he will die in battle, which again portrays the idea of treasure symbolizing generosity and gratitude (1483). When Beowulf returns home from a victory battling Grendel’s mother and brings back “[Grendel’s] head and the inlaid hilt embossed with jewels”, he receives praise as well as treasure and receives a “promise of friendship” with Hrothgar (1614-1615;1707-1708). As Beowulf prepares to depart and return back to Hygelac, “the earls’ defender furnished the hero with twelve treasure” to ensure that he will be safe on the way home (1866). This exhibits the Geats’ gratefulness for Beowulf’s courage in fighting Grendel and his

An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. The epic hero of a story embarks on a quest in search of fame and glory, and encounters challenges throughout their journey. No matter the adversity, the epic hero maintains bravery and courage, never backing down. However, what the epic hero does not know is that the “real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge” (Foster 3). In the epic Beowulf, Anonymous employes the affection of a king, bravery in battle, an eternal quest and a lasting legacy to show Beowulf as an epic hero.

more than use art to rid of unwelcome spirits. Shields, churches, even the handles of swords have been known to have pictures, or art, on them by this time. Much like Egyptians, important members of society would generally be buried with artifacts to keep them protected in the afterlife. Which is a peculiar sight to see since the Anglo-Saxons did not believe the afterlife as pagans, but as stated, they were converted into Christians when the St. Augustine came to the pagans.

It’s often given the description of homely. People want to bestow upon you a feeling that on your first visit, you’ll fall in love (Trust me, you won’t). There are many roads leading into the small town of Middleville. Some twisting by the river, others curving around the valley. Some stretching for miles over the never-ending farmland. And that’s all the area is. Farmland, interrupted by a school and a village that is barely big enough to see on a map.

As the Martian Manhunter once said, “The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight”. This modern day superhero mentality, that fighting the good fight is worth it because it is the right thing to do is seen everywhere today. Movies, comic books, and videos games come out yearly featuring superheroes who fight for justice using their superhuman abilities. They possess characteristics such as bravery, strength, a stong moral compass, and loyalty. Interestingly, these modern day superhero traits can be traced all the way back to the Anglo-Saxons were the first hero ever, Beowulf lived. It is Beowulf who not only exemplifies modern day hero traits, but he more importantly shows the ideals of an Anglo-Saxon hero. Without a doubt, Beowulf demonstrates the traits of an Anglo-Saxon hero.

When you think mysterious gothic stories authors’ names like Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthrone may come to your mind. Poe’s short story “The Fall of House of Usher,” is undoubtingly a great story, with his clever use of literature to the theme of consuming death. However, when placed on the side of Hawthrone’s short story, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” it meets its match. Hawthrone explores the theme of isolation through the mood and descriptive detail, making it the ideal story. Both stories share many similarities and differences between their style of writing, the symbols, the themes, the characters, and the moods.

Not only does Hrothgar give Beowulf treasures, but he also puts his trust into him: "Now Beowulf, best of men, I will love you in my heart like a son, keep to our new kinship from this day on"(Crossley, 32). This is an excellent portrayal of the lord and thane relationship, and shows how much appreciation

Beowulf, the defender of Hrothgar and Heorot, exhibits far more complicated (and less sincere) shades of revenge than the Grendel’s mother. At the end of the day, Beowulf’s goal is to become the preeminent warrior in all the land. In his society, the only way to gain such widespread celebrity is through courageous and self-endangering acts. Beowulf masks these deeds with a façade of seeking revenge; he supposedly comes to Heorot to save the Danes from Grendel’s terror, but his true motives lie in becoming a hero. His reward is not the pride of doing a good deed; Beowulf is rewarded with lavish and expensive gifts.

As previously stated, comitatus was also a value expressed multiple times in Beowulf. When Beowulf arrives and discloses his intention of killing Grendel and riding the Danes of their burden, Hrothgar rejoices and says he will reward Beowulf with great gifts if successful.(Beowulf 381-386) This idea of benefits in exchange for protections reoccurs again when Grendel's mother seeks vengeance for her son's death, and Hrothgar affirms that he will again repay Beowulf for killing this monster, which is a challenge he agrees to.(Beowulf 1379-1382) Although Beowulf's arrogance and thirst for fame plays a factor in this decision, Beowulf is persuaded again and again the protect the land of Heorot in exchange for wealth. Through winning these battles, Beowulf earns the respect and love of Hrothgar, repays his followers through their own little system of comitatus, and returns to his land with gifts for the king and queen. Through this gesture, Beowulf is rewarded with land, and becomes revered in the eye of the king, assisting him in his assent to the title of king.

Throughout the epic poem, the possession of wealth and treasure represents a reputation of honor, status, and skill, but were also used to solidify bonds and ensure loyalty. Every king along the lineage of royalty had a duty to spread his riches, a responsibility indicated by the frequent use of “ring-givers” that would even provide, “far-fetched treasures… and precious gear” (36-37). Wealth, a vastly important role in Beowulf, enables the king to manifest his generosity upon society. This act was not only a practice, but also a representation of honor as it was a way to exhibit benevolence to others as well as rewarding their loyal followers. An example would be during the time Beowulf saves the hall of Hereot from the terror and destruction of Grendel. As a result of Beowulf’s heroic acts, Hrothgar showers treasure on him and his men in order to show his thankfulness and goodness. The poet asserts how this giving of gifts signifies the manifestation of Hrothgar’s honor as king.

In Beowulf, the cultural traditions of the ancient Germanic tribes are expressed. Throughout the poem, treasures are a symbol of achievement, glory, and wealth in the Germanic culture. The possession of treasures such as gold earns one respect within the Germanic tribes. Moreover, the act of partitioning is celebrated and it earns you a title of a good king and warrior. While the doing the opposite condemns you and titles you a greedy king and warrior.

The Anglo-Saxons’ cultures and traditions are rooted in their beliefs of the perfect hero. Their ideal hero has many key characteristics influenced by their culture including courage, strength, bravery, thick skin, loyalty, humbleness, and the ability to create strong trustworthy friendships. Beowulf is an epic poem that exhibits the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero. The Anglo-Saxon traditions illustrated in Beowulf accurately represent the Anglo-Saxon traditions of the time period. This is accomplished through the distinct correlation of heroic characteristics between Beowulf and the culture’s traditional depiction of an Anglo-Saxon hero.