Anglo Saxon Warrior Culture

In Beowulf, the epic depicts an abundance of scenes of how wealth, in today’s modern culture, shows someone’s power. One way the benefit of wealth is shown in Beowulf by the kings in not solely the story but the Anglo-Saxon culture. This is shown by King Hrothgar when he talks about how he handled his enemies, saying, “Finally I healed the feud by paying / I shipped a treasure-trove to the Wulfings” (Heaney 470-471). Moreover, the amiable King Hrothgar pays his enemies with precious gold from his treasure hold and he ends up settling the feud. It is displaying how being wealthy can synthesize the jubilance a person can obtain by being so powerful that they can pay their enemies to stop attacking them. Another way that wealth can demonstrate the power in Beowulf is when the kings are being described. One excerpt that shows this is when King Hrothgar greets his companion, Beowulf, saying, “Then the grey-haired treasure-giver was glad” (607). The author specifically describes the highest powerful men in the land as treasure-givers. Comparatively, this not only showcases the Anglo-Saxon cultural beliefs, but is an even greater reflection on current the population. The wealthiest man in the world, currently, is Bill Gates with a net worth of 85.6 billion dollars (Kim). Not only is he extremely wealthy, but his influence in

To begin, a cultural truth admired by the Anglo-Saxon is courage in battle because it is a trait of a good warrior in the eyes of Anglo-Saxon people. Courage in battle is the ability to not be afraid of the enemy, be strong, and brave. Beowulf shows his above average strength and courage in battle when he is going to battle Grendel: “When it comes to battle, I count myself/ as dangerous any day as Grendel,/ … No weapons, therefore,/ for either this night: unarmed he shall face me/ if face me he dares” (Beowulf 677-685). In this quote Beowulf states and declares his abandonment of weapons, as well as his belief that he is as strong as Grendel, so he will fight him without a weapon. This shows Beowulf’s courage in battle because it displays his tremendous strength and boldness by going to fight a monster with no weapons, which demonstrates that he is not

The kings and warriors are important in Anglo-Saxon culture, “The Anglo-Saxon social structure consisted of tribal units led by chieftains ("kings," or "lords") who, theoretically at least, earned their respect from their warriors (or "retainers," or "thanes," the group being called a "comitatus").”(6). In the Anglo-Saxon culture there are kings then below them are the warriors, and below them are the commoners. The kings had to earn the warriors respect, the kings were known for their fearlessness and heroism. He must share the winnings earned from war with his warriors, and the king must prove to be generous. “Although theoretically the thanes freely agreed to join a king, it was nevertheless vital for one's sense of self to be part of a

Anglo-Saxon culture consisted of receiving fame, glory, and wealth through acts of vengeance and courage. “Beowulf” portrays these parts in great detail and shows how destabilizing it can be. Through acts of vengeance, a never ending war occurs.

Many readers of the poem Beowulf may find it difficult to distinguish the 'good' kings from the rest – indeed, almost every man who holds a throne in the epic is named at one point or another to be 'good'. By examining the ideals of the time period as identified by the 'heroic code', it becomes clearer that a truly 'good' king is one who generously distributes treasure and weaponry to deserving retainers to honour courage and strength displayed in battle and to encourage the defense of the kingdom (Intro). When Beowulf ascends the throne of the Geats, the heroic traits of courage and strength for which he was so highly praised as a warrior do not serve well in making him a good king. Indeed, by exhibiting the traits of a thane, that is, by

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.

There are many known periods that we know lead to the development of the modern era and the Anglo-Saxon period is the oldest known period of time that had a complex culture with stable government, art and literature. This period is a time filled with great advancements and discoveries in government, religion, literature, and art. Cultures of Anglo-Saxon society and modern society have many similarities as well as differences. There are many differences between this period and the modern era we live in today in terms of politics, social climate, values, social hierarchy, the role of women, military, government and language. In this essay, I am going to focus on the differences of the two periods in terms of values, role of women and language in the society.

In Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, treasure and weaponry were of great importance to the people of that time. During the Anglo-Saxon period (410 to 1066 A.D.), gold treasures and swords were distributed to show loyalty and trust among a kingdom’s great warriors (“Beowulf Project - Archeology” 1). For biblical figures, such as Jesus and his disciples, treasure represented wealth and weaponry showed the ability to fight against Satan (“What Does the Bible Say about GOLD?” 1). In today’s society, treasure represents the success and riches one possesses while weaponry can be seen as strength or even arrogance. No matter what period in history, treasure and weaponry play a role and its importance is ever changing.

The Anglo-Saxon period was a time around 410 AD where settlers from Modern Germany invaded Britain after the failure of the Roman Empire. Anglo-Saxon warriors were hired to preserve the Roman way of life but decided the land was good for themselves. Therefore, Britain became their home. Anglo-Saxons contributed greatly to the foundations of Britain by spreading their culture in ways of their language, literature, religion and traditions in law and government. They were referred to as the “First Englishmen” and left the strongest reminder of their presence in ways such as the Exeter Book. The Exeter Book was literature that expressed all the ways and values of the Anglo-Saxon people. “The seafarer”, “the wanderer”, and “the wife's lament” being part of the Exeter book expressed the central theme of isolationism.

Although viewed as ruthless savages, the Anglo-Saxon culture was not founded on the sole idea of barbaric brutality. The Anglo-Saxon beliefs were established by loyalty, generosity, and valor. As a result, the people of the Anglo-Saxon culture lived life by these ideals which created a great thirst for fame in being the best version of themselves. If one was decent at fighting, they would train to be the best fighter they could be, or if someone was intelligent they would devise complex riddles to boast of their intelligence. In order to fulfill their beliefs, there were many aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture that were not only prevalent in their day to day life, they were expressed through their literature as well. In Beowulf, the

Warriors are considered among the bravest of men. In the Anglo-Saxon community, the warriors were of the most respected class, and made up the foundation for their way of living. Anglo-Saxon warriors would not stop fighting until either they were victorious or they were dead. Written during this Anglo-Saxon period, the epic Beowulf contains many pagan ideals, in addition to several references to Christian philosophy. Beowulf is a tale of dual ordeals; an external fight against treacherous enemies, and an internal struggle with human tendencies of pride, greed, cowardice, and betrayal. The story intertwines them with both pagan and Christian beliefs.

Furthermore, the primary duty of a hero is to provide his kinsmen with great treasure and weaponry. Beowulf fulfills this duty by stating "Behold this treasure … that I have been allowed to leave my people…" (Beowulf 91) to Wiglaf after defeating the dragon. The warriors in The Battle of Maldon describe their Lord and hero as a "treasure-giver," and also a "ring-giver." The warriors in both of these texts reflect on all that their lords or heroes provide for them. It is through this gratification for material wealth that kinsmen feel so indebted to fighting for their lord. Wiglaf illustrates this concept when he remembers "the bountiful gifts bestowed upon him" (Beowulf 88) and finds that "he could not hold back" (Beowulf 88) from his lord's side.

In the Germanic warrior culture the possession of wealth signifies that you are a tremendous warrior, in particular if you were rewarded with gold. Gold was only given to warriors in the poem if they achieved something glorious or if they have done noble acts. For example, Beowulf is rewarded with a gold standard and horses with golden equipment for killing Grendel “Then Halfdane’s son presented Beowulf/ with a gold standard as a victory gift.” (1020-1021), “Next the king ordered eight horses/ with gold bridles…” (1034-1035). Death is also rewarded with gold, as a recognition for paying the ultimate price towards a cause “And compensation, a price of gold, was settled for the Geat/ Grendel had cruelly

Beowulf exemplified great integrity throughout all the battles he won and honors he received. He endured noble acts of heroism established by his own moral beliefs and never expected praise or gifts in return. Nevertheless, the people decorated him with a "gold-chased heirloom of Hrethel's...and then rewarded him with land as well, seven thousand hides, and a hall and a throne" (Beowulf 149). When Beowulf decided to fight against the dragon for his people, he did not even think about the material rewards that he may receive, all he thought about was protecting the innocent lives of many people. In battle, Beowulf received his strength knowing that he was fighting for a good cause. Beowulf was "formidable in

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.