Anglo-Saxon Values and Ideals in Beowulf Essay

During the Anglo-Saxon time period, individuals wrote poems about achievements, deaths, emotions, and adventures taken by certain individuals. There were many popular poems during this era including, “Beowulf” translated by Burton Raffer and “The Wanderer” translated by Charles W. Kennedy. Although both these poems were written during this era, “Beowulf” was an epic poem and “The Wanderer” was an elegiac poem. However, both of these pieces shared certain characteristics related to the culture and

Beowulf is an epic poem written with many acts of vengeance. Many times, these acts are to show courage, or in pursuit of fame, wealth, and even glory. The Anglo-Saxon culture valued these ideal traits along with heroism, and loyalty to the tribe leaders. They even had a common tradition to celebrate heroes and told their legendary stories. The value of vengeance is to prove who you are and what you can be while avenging an event or death. For the Anglo-Saxons, this was a very sustainable value

In the poem, Beowulf, the main character acknowledges God as his guardian. Beowulf in the poem recalls fighting with Grendel’s mother, he notes, “The flight would have been straightway if God had not guarded me (Beowulf 56)”. In this quote, Beowulf acknowledged God and showed his humbleness for God realizing that Grendel’s mother could have killed him in battle. According to the Bible, First Peter 5-5-6 it notes, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you

The poem “Beowulf” is translated by Burton Raffel. “Beowulf” is centered around Anglo Saxon cultures. The Anglo Saxons worshipped their lord, and their main values were their families. “He was expected to provide opportunities for plunder and glory for his followers.” The king`s life was also much easier than the town people but with being a king came consequences; if he did not provide the town people with what was needed, the king might have been killed("Life in Anglo-Saxon England"). The

In eighth-century Anglo-Saxon society, an important transition occurred from the use paganism to the new traditions of Christianity. Beowulf is an epic poem in which the main character Beowulf has an internal conflict regarding two religions. To further understand why Beowulf has both Christian and pagan influences you must first understand the Anglo-Saxon culture. In the eighth century, Christianity was evolving into the orthodox religion for the people. However, aspects of pagan culture were

there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go." This quotation may apply to the span of the Anglo-Saxon period because of the coherent linkage to the origination of the English dialect and the modernization of English Literature. Over the years English literature has evolved greatly. There have been diverse changes to the structure and development of English language since the

In the Anglo-Saxon way of life, their ideals are as important to them as are their great achievements. Loyalty and bravery lie exceptionally high on their list of priorities. The epitome of a good Anglo-Saxon is always loyal to his lord and is always running into whatever battle he shall face with true courage and ferocity. They never falter and are always ready and willing to fight for their king to the death. While they do have many other values, loyalty and bravery are two that are consistent

The Anglo Saxon epic Beowulf is a story of a geatish warrior who helps the king of the danes, Hrothgar, defeat a monster named Grendel. After slaying Grendel with his bear hands, the beasts mother comes to take revenge. Much like before, Beowulf uses his god like powers to slay beast. From this he gained much fame and wealth, and is later crowned king of the Geats. After 50 years, a dragon comes to exact vengeance on Beowulf’s kingdom for a stolen treasure. Beowulf and his servant, Wiglaf, set

As an epic, Beowulf introduces readers to the Anglo-Saxon warrior culture that dominated Europe during the so called Dark Ages. The story succeeds in conveying major aspects of the warrior culture; nevertheless, it has fused with Christian culture along the way. This amalgam of cultures appears strange without context, as the warrior tribes of northern Europe did not exactly embrace Christianity, or any foreign influence, with open arms. The coincidental discovery of the Book of Kells, Sutton Hoo

a set of rules and regulations that govern many everyday aspects of individuals lives in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Although similar to modern societal norms in terms of application, the Germanic heroic code is very different in many other ways, specifically in the sense that rebellion against this rigid code results in extreme implications such as persecution, exile, or execution. In his publication Beowulf and Epic Tradition, William Lawrence states that the code is “defined with the utmost strictness