The Anglo-Saxon Hero

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.

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.

The epic poem Beowulf describes the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, is a seemingly invincible person with all the extraordinary traits required of an Anglo Saxon hero. He is able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encounters many monsters and horrible beasts, but he never fears the threat of death. His leadership skills are outstanding and he is even able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf is the ultimate epic hero who risks his life countless times for glory which to him meant eternal life.

Today's modern day hero has similarities and differences than the Anglo-Saxon hero. The two heroes each have different values they believe in. Also, they are motivated to fight for different reasons. An Anglo-Saxon hero also fights differently than a modern day hero. An example of this comparison is Bono from the band "U2" and Beowulf. Both modern day heroes, like Bono and Anglo-Saxon heroes, like Beowulf, try to improve their societies, but do it in different ways and for different reasons.

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

Despite the hero-villain representation usually seen in the fantasies of modern day culture, real heroes and monsters remain today. When defining the terms ‘hero’ and monster’ people often imagine made-up characters. Because of this, the view of a hero or monster in a real-world sense might seem absurd, however, looking at people who have risked their lives, or devastated the world proves their existence. Similarities between the heroes and monsters of today and those found in poetry centuries ago exemplifies how they still exist. In the epic poem Beowulf, characters Beowulf and Grendel represent the ideals of a hero and monster. Their qualities of courage and envy parallel with that of some of the most significant people today. De Vigny

Monsters, their mothers, and dragons! The epic poem Beowulf, author unknown, includes all these mystical creatures and an impervious protagonist after which the poem is named. As the main character in the poem, Beowulf exemplifies the heroic archetype physically, spiritually, and ethically.

In any classic story about heroes and villains, the monsters involved are often characterized as the evil ones and, consequently, receive no justice under the law. Throughout the epic story Beowulf, the hero of the story encounters three monsters that are threats to society: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. The monsters in Beowulf are quickly targeted and destroyed because of the harm they cause to society. However, upon further examination of the monsters and the motives for their actions, the reader can view the monsters not as the cutthroat villains they may initially appear to be, but perhaps as victims of society. In today’s society, murderers and robbers are also portrayed as “monsters” because of the atrocious

To start of I selected Beowulf by Anglo-Saxon, the second text I chose was The Wander by Anglo-Saxon.

Grendel probably one of the best known outsiders in the literature world. He is portrayed in the poem “Beowulf” as being an evil monster with no feelings that just wants to kill humans (for no good reason). He is known as a demon that live in the swampland (where no light shines). Grendel even attacked the great mead-hall of the Danes, killing many people (even eating them at some points) for years and years. This leads to the Danes living in fear of Grendel.

“The Dream of the Rood” is a prime example of Christian influence upon Anglo-Saxon heroism. It is a religious short story that recounts the crucifixion of Christ communicated from Christ’s rood to an unnamed visionary. The crucifixion of Christ is depicted as the ultimate act of heroism. However, it is via Anglo-Saxon tradition that Christian ideology manages to influence the definition and imagery of Anglo-Saxon heroism. In “The Dream of the Rood” Christ is an Anglo-Saxon hero. An Anglo-Saxon hero is valiant, strong or mighty and not frightened when in the face of death. An Anglo-Saxon hero can also be a savior to his people. In “The Dream of the Rood” Christ is valiant, strong and not frightened when confronted by death. Christ is also

Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the earlier form of heroism, and was then later introduced in to the English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to be defined perfectly as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his eagerness to seek glory and fame, rather than richness and treasures, his loyalty and graceful attitude not only to his rulers but also to his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and fate

Monsters are towering, fierce beings best known for causing nightmares and battling heroes. Tales are told of their devastating power, but also of their agonizing defeats. Monsters are symbols of the inherent evil of human nature and of the dark truths of the natural world. Monsters are also challenges, tasks a hero must complete. Sometimes monsters are the ultimate measure of a hero’s worth, other times just another step in a hero’s journey. In the book Bulfinch’s Mythology, Thomas Bulfinch writes that “Monsters, in the language of mythology, were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men.” Although

Each of the historical periods you studied in this course presented a hero or an idealized vision of the perfect individual. In the Anglo- Saxon times, the hero was a strong , honorable warrior with no fear. In the middle ages, the hero was a knight who was loyal to his lord and his lady and who protects. The innocents the so-called " renaissance man" of the fifteenth century was a genius who was well versed in science, poetry and the art. During the enlightenment, the ideal man intelligence of the ancient philosophers and the love for

The Anglo-Saxon time period was an era full of storytelling and lyrical poems. Storytellers developed an oral tradition during this period as they memorized, adapted, and passed along stories and songs. Many of the Anglo-Saxon stories were epics, which are long poems that tell a story of a heroic deed or a legendary event from the past. These epics invariably included an epic hero, or a larger-than-life figure that presented their courage, virtue, and skill against an evil or opposing figure. In addition to the epic hero, the Anglo-Saxon’s incorporated their values into the epics. By incorporating these into the songs, they were able to teach not only their values, but also life lessons to the audience.