Brenna Hubschman
Professor Jones
English 4513
24 September 2017
“Exodus” in a Culturally Blended, Anglo Saxon Britain
The Old English poem “Exodus” exemplifies the complex mixture of influencing forces within Anglo Saxon culture at the time of its writing. As discussed in class, sixth and seventh century (the time leading up to the creation of “Exodus”) Britain were periods of increased Christian missionary work. It is important to note, however, that while Christian missionaries began to greatly influence and shape Anglo Saxon Britain, the conversion of its people was not achieved quickly or all at once. “Cultural blending” is a term discussed in class in regards to the mode of conversion utilized by Christian missionaries in Anglo
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The poem begins immediately by introducing a major theme within epic poetry: the journey home. Instead of a physical journey to one’s homeland, (though the Israelites to make such a journey in Exodus) the authors makes reference to the reward of “the heart’s homeland” at the end of the travel. This statement not only exercises an awareness of the Old English poetic tool of alliteration, but also utilizes twist on the epic literary themes that would have likely been more easily received by an audience likely familiar with epic storytelling through Greco-Roman influence during the Roman occupation of Britain, and/or through Germanic heroic writing such as that found in the story Beowulf, written around the same time as “Exodus.” Like the “Exodus”, Beowulf “belongs metrically, stylistically, and thematically to a heroic tradition grounded in Germanic religion and mythology. It is also part of the broader tradition of heroic poetry (Encyclopedia Britannica).” Further evidence of the varying influences behind “Exodus” can be seen with the victory of the Israelites as they are given freedom from their enemies as well as favor by God, and they make their way toward the promised land of both Heaven and Israel.
“The trumpets of victory
Sang a beautiful song of bright victory,
And the banners were raised. All of the Israelites
Were home free on
Within the text of the epic poem, Beowulf, reader’s are given a story that follows the format of a “hero’s journey” to a T. Beowulf, the protagonist travels a great distance and defeats a supernatural beast against great odds. Reader’s can see this through
The story of Beowulf is clearly an epic of mass proportions. It takes its readers through an immense journey of great battles with horrific beasts and also manages to teach about pride and honor. The main character Beowulf faces many challenges throughout the epic but conquers them in the end, giving the word “epic hero” its true meaning. The use of Alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, emphasized the certain image of nobility and principle.
Anglo-Saxons saw their world completely depending on fate. During battles in Beowulf, the outcome would be decided by fate previous to the battle even commencing. The Anglo-Saxons don’t worry about the outcome of events because they think God decides their fate. He decides who will win, or who will lose and die. Battles will last as long as God decides, and won’t end unless fate has chosen a winner. Individuals don’t affects the actions that take place. All deaths that occur are based on fate, and God’s decisions.
The epic, Beowulf, is filled with literary elements such as imagery, alliteration, and personification, among others. These elements help to create a tone that suits the circumstances; additionally, the elements also enhance the plot and the scale of character development. The translator, Burton Raffel, used point of view, imagery, and diction to create a laudatory tone of self-righteousness.
An epic poem is a long, narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. These poems tell tales of intense adventures and heroic feats. They often include cultural references to the time it was written and was a way for the people to spread their ideas and beliefs. Epic poems are very important when a person is trying to learn more about a certain culture or era in which the poem was written. Two of the most famous epic poems are Beowulf and The Odyssey. Although no two poems are exactly them same, Beowulf and The Odyssey do share a few similarities. Between Beowulf and The Odyssey, the most salient similarity they share is the way the monsters from the epics are symbolic and challenge
An epic story is one that combines elements of supernatural powers and heroic deeds with plebeian troubles. In Beowulf , the unknown author paints a typical yet magnificent tale that is one of the great epic chronicles of the Middle Ages. Like the poems of Homer, Beowulf possesses terrible monsters, men with supernatural powers, the search for glory, and deadly defeats. However, this medieval account brings a new element into the folds: the association between established religious forces and personal choices. The concepts of predestination and fate intertwine in this work with the idea of free will.
Beowulf holds a key to understanding how the author can invoke a response from the reader through different narrative forms and the heroic/non heroic trope. The form of the epic poem is used to present the themes of power, war death and life itself in an enhanced way that allows the writer to arouse a particular response from the
In his “Faithful Narrative,” Edwards attempts to justify the “unusual” number of conversions in his community. He begins his narrative about “the Surprising Work of God” by explaining the geography of the town of Northampton in conjunction with a discussion of the general state of mind of its people. He notes, in introduction,
The Anglo Saxon is a primary source written by an anglican monk who was captured and taken back to Norway. This chronicle is a recount of the brutal and harsh conditions in captivity and slavery. However; it may not be 100% historically correct due to the obvious grudge and biased point of view the monks have against the Viking warriors. The chronicle was originally written in old english and continuously updated for many years between, 1116-1154 AD . 9 copies of the original were made and spread throughout monasteries around england. All of these facts help depict the importance of this book. This source is quoted as being the single most useful old english historical source due to the fact that it helped historians piece together the romanian
Christianity was a core segment in English culture. Numerous Colonists had spread Christianity through the conversion of Indians. Mather noted that “the Gospel was freely offered to him [King Philip] and to his Subjects, but they despised it” (Mather, 4). In order to convert, an Indians had to become literate. Mather neglected to mention that the culture of an Indian was stripped away during this process. Praying Towns were established
Many people believe that initially, Beowulf was a Pagan artifact. In fact, such belief has developed further to support that an anonymous Christian rewrote the piece with the intention to apply Christian characters in the first script. Academics, however, differ on whether the central thematic argument was Christian or Pagan. The author remarkably puts actions into the context of the Bible owing to the impulse at the era of converting everyone to Christianity. By, interlocking the old Pagan elements of folklore and Christian belief, Beowulf grows into a standard of fiction, which is difficult to outshine. The epic of Beowulf has no recognized author ever since its original tradition. However, it does represent the culture of the Anglo-Saxon from which it originated. Besides, it serves its goal of moral teaching as a work of art and the meaning hero-life (Disraeli). The poem’s hero, known as Beowulf, seems to display great bravery in all the things he takes part in during his time. Indeed, Beowulf represents one of the greatest epic heroes in history; he symbolizes bravery and honor, loyalty to his people, and the reputation he holds, as he represents the Anglo-Saxon culture.
The oldest of the great lengthy poems written in English and perhaps the lone survivor of a genre of Anglo-Saxon epics, Beowulf, was written by an unknown Christian author at a date that is only estimated. Even so, it is a remarkable narrative story in which the poet reinvigorates the heroic language, style, and values of Germanic oral poetry. He intertwines a number of themes including good and evil, youth and old age, paganism and Christianity and the heroic ideal code, into his principal narrative and numerous digressions and episodes; all of which were extremely important to his audience at the time. Vengeance, part of the heroic code, was regarded differently by the two distinct religions.
Throughout history there have been examples of religion being regarded as traditional and of people dissenting from the traditional religion. This essay will trace the footsteps of tradition and dissent of Christianity in England between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries by looking at the statement “… a previous generation’s “dissent” itself becomes “tradition”, and a previously dominant tradition becomes dissent.” (Tradition and Dissent p72). With particular reference to the differences between Protestants and Catholics.
As a Christian monk and teacher, Bede could not have carried out this English history without emphasizing the importance of the Christian conversion that took place in England before the VIII century. It covers both the conversion of the kingdoms and the creation of the
The word “epic” ignites a multitude of reactions in the minds of literature lovers and passive readers alike. Some people may think of the slang version of this term while other may fondly remember the theater. However, when one is conscious of literary analysis and literature, they can always fall back to the genre of an epic poem. In literary terms, an epic poem is considered to be a lengthy, narrative poem that has a focus on the exploits of a hero and is full of immense amounts of style and figurative language. Normally, by following this hero throughout the poem, the readers are introduced to the alignment between the poem with a specific nation or national identity. Several characteristics of epic poetry lend to this concept, especially those found in both The Faerie Queene and Paradise Lost. Both epic poems focus on historical context and on the characteristics of a heroic journey, the scale of the setting, and divine intervention in order to establish a trend of English nationalistic and religious identity.