Beowulf Portrait Of Anglo Saxon Society Essay - 2057 Words

Beowulf: Portrait of Anglo-Saxon Society The Middle Ages in England began with the withdrawal of the Romans and the arrival of various Germanic tribes (the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes), during the mid-fifth century. These tribes, which became known as the Anglo-Saxons, were composed of people from North Germany, Denmark and northern Holland, and took control of most of Britain, except for lands such as Scotland, Wales or Cornwall (Hindley 23). They brought with them the tradition of oral poetry, specifically heroic poetry, which they valued, as it honored brave feats and specific codes of conduct, and which was used for recording historical events. One of the most famous heroic stories, later transposed to manuscript, was the poem Beowulf (Edward 2). It is the mythical tale of a warrior who saves his people from monsters through his courageous deeds. Nevertheless, this epic poem was not completely fictional as it incorporated a great deal of Germanic history. For example, m any of the characters were real, such as: kings, Hygelac, Hrothgar, Ongentheow, Haethcyn, Onela and Heardred, and are mentioned in a twelfth century chronicle. The Geats, Danes, and Swedes of the time are also historically noted in ancient chronicles. The Ravenswood battle, fought in 510AD is also true, and Heorot was an actual place located in a Meiselbach 2 village near Roskilde, on the island with Copenhagen (Hunter 49). More importantly, heroic poems often utilized the hero to embodyShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Beowulf As A Heroic Epic779 Words   |  4 Pagesideals are sometimes the basis of a society. The Anglo-Saxon people are a prime example of the previous statement. In Anglo-Saxon culture, being called a hero was an honor. Heroes were treated like kings. One of the most popular hero stories that bled into Anglo-Saxon life was the heroic epic of Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect example of an Anglo-Saxon hero as he was courageous, strong, and determined. Due to its wondrous tales of Beowulf’s intrepid adventures, Beowulf is a heroic epic. To clarify, aRead MoreRethinking Gender And Space On Old English Literature877 Words   |  4 PagesGender and Space in Old English Literature Beowulf and The Wife’s Lament are written between 100 and 1600 centuries. There has been different interpretation of the poems, some, an attempt to fit the events in the poems into the 21st century which has led to distortions and misrepresentation especially of the female characters and their representation in these poems. According to Shari Horner, twentieth century critics have tried to read women in Beowulf particularly as garrulous, weak, and dispassionateRead MoreAnglo-Saxon Heroic Poetry5673 Words   |  23 Pagesinestimable value as a source of knowledge about many aspects of Germanic society. The traditional epics (also called primary epics or folk epics) were shaped by a literary artist from historical and legendary materials which had developed out of the oral traditions of his nation during a period of expansion and warfare. To this group are ascribed the Iliad and Odyssey of the Greek Homer, and the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf . The literary or secondary epics were composed by sophisticated craftsmenRead MoreBritish Literature Essay1614 Words   |  7 PagesAges the oldest literature monument of the Anglo – Saxon period is the old Germanic legend called BEOWULF. This heroic poem is about the strong and courageous pagan hero Beowulf John Wycliffe – is a professor of Oxford University. With his students he translated the whole Bible into English - he influenced Master Jan Hus and our Hussite movement very much 2. the renaissance and humanism Geoffrey Chaucer – Canterbury Tales – brilliant portrait of 30 pilgrims who travel to Canterbury andRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Beowulf 3700 Words   |  15 PagesSeptember 2014 Summer Reading Assignment Beowulf 1. This epic poem is one of the first works composed in the English language. It also tells us about the Anglo-Saxon people who lived in England and their culture. What values did these people support? What ideals did they try to live by? How do their values compare to our values today? Try to find similarities between our culture and this ancient culture. Use examples from text to support your points. The Anglo-Saxon people in England at this time followedRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 Pagespattern created in a line of verse. There are four basic kinds of meter: Accentual (strong-stress) meter: The number of stressed syllables in a line is fixed, but the number of total syllables is not. This kind of meter is common in Anglo-Saxon poetry, such as Beowulf. Gerard Manley Hopkins developed a form of accentual meter called sprung rhythm, which had considerable influence on 20th-century poetry. Syllabic meter: The number of total syllables in a line is fixed, but the number of stressed syllablesRead MoreChildrens Literature13219 Words   |  53 Pageschildren’s literature is a constant battle of dulcis et utile (or, pleasure and instruction) and (2) children’s literature is a site of multiplicity and intertextuality that absorbs and assimilates anything it likes. 2. Early History In order for a society to produce a substantial body of childrens literature it must recognize the existence of children as an important and distinctive category of readers with separate needs and interests. Despite Philippe Arià ¨ss much debated assertion that childhood