When interpreting history it is almost akin to separating the wheat from the chaff in farming. Close attention has to be paid to every historical detail that is given. In many cases when studying a historical description the reader can find a particular bias that the author has written with. The writings of Julius Caesar and Pliny are not exempt from being written with a bias when they describe the druids. Both authors are considered to be valid sources on historical events which make the assertions and observations that they noted more reliable than other authors. Upon a cursory observation of the text it seems that Caesar tended to find fewer faults in the druids customs compared to Pliny. This paper will argue and prove that although …show more content…
Caesar makes no comment on this difference but instead keeps relaying the facts. Another part that ties into the religious description that Caesar gives is the druid’s rights to enact punishment. For instance, “if a private person or the public does not yield to their decision they are prohibited from sacrifices” these people are regarded “as godless and wicked and they are cut off from all.” (Caesar, 21) This shows that the druids were very powerful not only when it came to religious matters but also matters that dealt with the public. They had the power to ostracize entire clans from the rest of the Celts for any type of religious misconduct by a particular clan. The position of druid was coveted by the Celt people, so much so that many men were sent by “parents and relatives” to try to become one.(Caesar, 21) This was not an easy task though. “They are said to commit to memory a great number of verses… and remain some twenty years in training.” (Caesar, 21) Part of the reason for the extensive training that went on is that the druids refused to commit “things to writing.” (Caesar, 21) One can only imagine the great mental capacity that each one of these individuals had to have. The huge amounts of information that had to be memorized did two things for the druids. One it deterred anyone who did not really have the
The poem Beowulf, believed to be written between 650 and 800 by a group of monks, contains several complex characters that have sparked discussions throughout the years. Scholars still continue to ponder over the unanswered questions about characters, such as whether Grendel is monster or human, whether Grendel is evil or not, and what the monsters in Beowulf signify. Other important, though less accepted questions include whether Beowulf is really a hero, or is in actuality a monster, and what allows the characters to be classified as either evil, or not evil. Because both sides of these arguments can be sufficiently supported with textual evidence, it is the reader’s responsibility to defend an appropriate answer. There are no
The Anglo-Saxons kept detailed records of their familial heritage through oral stories, such as Beowulf. When the narrator introduces a character into the story, he uses family lineage as an identifier. Beowulf introduces himself as “‘King Hygelac’s blood-kin,’” and King Hrothgar notes that Beowulf’s “‘kin-folk and I are hearth friends’” (390). Such elaborate descriptions of relationships are present with all of the major human characters introduced. The constant references to lineage and bonds of friendship show that the Anglo-Saxons exceedingly valued the ties to their ancestors and companions. By placing emphasis on their roots and their friendships, the Anglo-Saxons were creating the basis of civilized society.
Throughout the ages the tale of the epic hero has been subject to change, as writers found new inspiration and allowed the art of storytelling to evolve. With it, there was the change of the portrayal of the epic hero, and I will be illustrating this through an analysis of the epic heroes from Beowulf, suggested to have been first composed between the 8th and 11th century, and Macbeth, composed early in the 17th century. It is important to note the time difference, and all the change that time would have brought to social structures in written fiction. The tales of epic heroes are a good way of researching historic civilizations, as they play a role in reflecting the ethics and morals of civilizations and always have. Beowulf and Macbeth play a similar role as the works of the Greek poet Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey or tales from other cultures. It is partially through the differences in character portrayals and roles within the plot that someone can understand the morals of those before us and
2. What do these duties reveal about the basis of local rule in post-carolingian society?
The expression “Jesus take the wheel” is quite common in today’s world, but just because it is a modern saying does not mean that it did not have any relevance in earlier time. Throughout the story of Beowulf, a comparison between Christianity and paganism had always been a topic discussed both within the text and spoken aloud in the classroom. Likewise, in this instance, man-made issues serves as a mirror of paganism and trust in God becomes Christianity. Many factors throughout section three revert to paganism rather than Christianity because there was no trust in God. Details such as pride, arranged marriage, and death are the major aspects of man-made issues in this section.
Religions play various different roles throughout literature, the most common one I think of is Christianity. We will discuss what the role of Religion is in Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney and the role in the movie The 13th Warrior. Christianity, Islam, and Anglo-Saxon Paganism are the various Religions’ that are expressed in both the literature and the movie. Since both works are similar, but written in a different point of view because of different beliefs we will discuss the difference between Beowulf and The 13th warrior throughout the paper. Another thing we will be discussing is how the authors use religion in a unique way in both works to portray their story in their own way. Before we begin our comparison we will begin with some information on Anglo-Saxon Paganism and Islam.
The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey and Danny Danziger offers a delightful, often astonishing portrait of everyday life in Anglo-Saxon England in the year 1000. This very informative book, describes what life was like that the turn of the first millennium. The Anglo-Saxons, a practical, self-contained, fervently superstitious people, were 99% illiterate, yet their language would become their most widespread legacy. Compared to modern day times, people are almost the opposite from the Anglo-Saxons. There are many qualities that are the same, but also different when comparing the Year 1000 to the modern era of the 21st century. Within this paper, it will discuss about how the community, lifestyle, advances in technology, politics, and religion were formed in the Year 1000. It will also compare and constrast the Year 1000 to the Paleolithic and Neolithic era.
Everything that we do requires words. Even when we think we create our memories out of words. One reason why we do not remember stuff when we are young is because we don’t have the words to put the information into to store it. Writing is very important because writing means everything, and if we didn 't have writing, we wouldn 't be able to spread ideas. The local and world news are in writing also so we need to be able to read the information. Also directions on how to use something or directions to go somewhere for transportation are also written in words. It is unimaginable how many roles writing plays in our lifestyles and we don’t even think about it.
Every culture has its own set of values, beliefs, and customs. These values, beliefs and customs create each unique culture, and these cultural constructions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout the lifetime of the culture. A major part of culture is literature; the literature of the time reflects upon daily life and society during the time that the story was composed. Beowulf, an epic poem, is one of the most important and only works of Anglo-Saxon literature. Much like a fable, the epic poem of Beowulf had lessons that taught the people within this society how to behave. This essay will outline how the importance of Christianity and the Germanic Heroic Code in Beowulf are revealed throughout the epic poem as important aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture as a whole.
Wells, Peter. Barbarians to Angel: The Dark Ages Reconsidered. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008
The language of Roman rule and power can be disputed endlessly, much like all else when trying to study ancient history. This is primarily a result of a multitude of interpretations that can be inferred from primary sources, which also tend to be biased, that we have available to us. Examining a source that is written from an individual’s perspective, and they trying draw conclusions about varying aspects of a certain society is especially tough and extremely subjective. Nonetheless, history remains an important field of study and reaps many benefits.
Throughout Old English literature, the themes of loyalty and pride have played a large component in the narratives of the protagonists. While Beowulf was written after the Anglo-Saxon tribes had been Christianized the pagan elements of the past still dominated the culture. The retention of these themes within Beowulf reflects the landscape of England at the time, because even though it was Christianized, England still had many pagan elements such as pride within its culture. Conversely, even though Lanval was written at a later date when pagan elements subsumed with Christian elements the concept of chivalry had arisen thus the poem is still tinged with the themes of loyalty and pride. From observing the themes of loyalty and pride in Beowulf and Lanval we can discern the
The world of Late Antiquity is written by Peter Brown, a Professor of History at Princeton University. This book is an entertaining introductory text to the Late Antique period, AD 150 to 750. Brown delivers an entertaining account and perspective of how and why the Late Antique world came to differ from “Classical civilization.” Instead of focusing on the cause and effect of the civilization’s downfall, Brown emphasizes the changes that occurred and men’s reaction to them. His thesis centers around social and cultural changes and specifically states:
The Druids were the priests and priestesses that provided guidance and mentoring through mnemonics of Druidism theology to the Celtic people. Therefore anything pertaining to the Druids was second-hand knowledge moreover the Druids never put their works down on paper. Furthermore any surviving knowledge came from non-druids However, the most essential knowledge that exists of the Druids came from the written works of Julius Caesar. Moreover, Caesar acquired his experience from his acquaintance Diviciacus the pro-Roman Druid, according to Caesar Diviciacus shared many Druid beliefs, about their gods and life after death with
Beowulf is an epic dense with imagery derived from Anglo-Saxon Pagan culture and Christianity because it is was written in England during the 8th century, a period of Christian migration, growth, and conversion. From the sea where he loses a fight but fends off evil sea-monsters, the forests, and specific animals such as the raven, Beowulf blends nature, mysticism, and reality seamlessly. The descriptions of nature are general and vague which makes it hard to tell exact locations and lets the reader form their own, personalized visualization of the area; likewise, the role of nature in the lives of the Anglo-Saxon culture and Pagan religion remain unclear at best. Provided with many images of nature in Beowulf, this analysis will extract a deeper understanding of how the Anglo-Saxons used their Paganistic view of nature to help shape Beowulf.