Beowulf Context
Beowulf: Context Review
 Composed in England by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet (c. 750)
 Set in Scandinavia just before Anglo-Saxon migration (c. 520)
 Celts reside in England during 1st century BC; pegan
 Romans (from Italy) invade in the 55 BC; Christian
 Angles & Saxons (from Germany) invade in the 5th century; pagan
 Vikings (from Scandinavia) invade in the 8th century; pagan
 Normans (from France) invade in the 11th century; Christian
What’s the
difference?
Christianity
Paganism
Poly/Mono-theistic
Monotheistic
Polytheistic
Cosmos: Linear/Cyclical
linear
cyclical
Religious Text
Bible
none
Morality
Good v. Evil
Right v. Wrong
No concept
of sin
Role of Nature
God’s creation which
has been corrupted, it
must be corrected
Personification of gods;
connection to nature
Worldview
Free Will & God plan
Fatalistic
Tensions Between Value Systems
Heroic Code, Paganism, and Christianity
 Anglo-Saxon invaders experienced
a large-scale conversion to Christianity
 Though a pagan story, Beowulf would be
told by a Christian poet (poet attempts to
attribute Christian thoughts/motives to
characters, who frequently behave in
un-Christian ways, leading to inconsistencies)
 Heroic code maintains that honor is gained during life through
deeds, while Christianity asserts that glory lies in the afterlife.
 Warrior culture dictates that it is always better to retaliate than to
mourn, while Christianity advocates peace and forgiveness.
Review:
What is the definition/purpose
of epic poetry?
Epic poetry is used to portray significant cultural
information about the people who created them
(religion, gender roles, VALUES, morals, fears, etc.)
What is the definition/purpose
of HERO’s JOURNEY (monomyth)?
The heroic journey is that which occurs in ALL mythical stories,
where the hero learns the truth about his world and himself
through a journey symbolizing the search for individual identity
and the culture’s concept of the idealized member of society.
Beowulf as an Epic Hero:
Anglo-Saxon Values
 Comitatus: Oath of Camaraderie
~ Loyalty, Generosity, Friendship
 Wergild: Revenge & Kinship
~ Justice, Revenge, Family
 Fame and Reputation
~ The Nine Noble Virtues
Comitatus Oath
Comitatus: relationship between a ruler
and his warriors requiring that
the thane vow to defend a lord to the death,
while in return, the lord provides protection and a share of his wealth.
****
 Chieftain of the comitatus (small war band) is surrounded by warriors,
his comites (companions), who’ve sworn to defend him with their lives.
 May seem like a typical warrior defending master relationship, but with
each providing services to the other, there is a great deal of camaraderie
 The chieftain (or gold-giver) showed symbolic measure of
a man's worth by the amount of gold he offered.
Wergild: Revenge & Kinship
Wergild: monetary compensation for somebody
slain, the value placed on every human being and
every piece of property in Anglo-Saxon times.
****
• A man's kin were his strongest support in
everyday affairsIf killed, it was the duty of his
kinsmen to avenge him (eye for an eye)
Alternative
• Wergild (man-payment) could be accepted by
the kindred of the slain man without loss of face
because each man's life had a set money value
according to his rank and standing in society
Value of Fame
 Fame or Praise was the final
goal of the heroic life
 The Anglo-Saxons had an
incomparable sense of the
transience and pointlessness
of mortal life,
only a man's name lived on
 Elements that make up the
heroic ideal can be seen in the
patronymics and cataloging
of the Danish kings in the
first few paragraphs of Beowulf.
Fame and Pride
 The warriors of Beowulf seek
fame through feats of bravery
in the face of danger, an utter
disdain for death;
this is emphasized by boasting
 The quest for fame can easily
succumb to pride.
 Fame involves becoming great in
order to bring strength/power
to one’s people through
generosity and community
 Pride involves greed, selfishness,
and a desire to be great at any cost.
How might the
search for
fame conflict
with these
values?
Loyalty
Hard Working
Seamus Heaney
 Irish poet
 Considered the most
important poet in
Ireland since Yeats
 Awarded the
Nobel Prize in
Literature in 1995
for his translation
of Beowulf
Agenda
Characters
& Setting
Read:
Heorot is Attacked