Anglo-Saxon Hero vs. Modern Day Hero

The Anglo- Saxons had Beowulf. The Greeks had Ulysses. The Americans had Paul Bunyan. Every culture has its own hero, and each hero has many different qualities that make them stand out from the rest. Beowulf is the representation of an Anglo- Saxon hero and Thor is the reflection of a modern day hero. Although both of these men are known as heroes they each possess different characteristics that allow them to gain this title. In the epic poem Beowulf and the modern film Thor, the hero reflects the values and traits of his culture. To understand the famous Anglo- Saxon hero Beowulf, one must understand the culture that created Beowulf. The Anglo- Saxons were influential, strong, and loyal people. Research has found that, “the Anglo- Saxons arrived in Britain in about 449 A.D.”(BBC). This shows that Anglo- Saxon culture has had an influence on American history for a long duration of time because they are still discussed today. And were probably some of the first heroes that ever lived. This culture showed a great deal of braveness throughout their time. The men were put in many different situations, but their daring drive, and courageousness allowed them to persevere. According to the Germanic (Anglo Saxon) Warrior, “A glorious and courageous death was the only fitting end to a glorious life” (Hammack). This statement shows that the men took pride in fighting to protect their citizens, no matter what adversities came their way. It also shows that they had no fear and dying to save someone else, which was a very brave thing to do. Another characteristic displayed in Anglo- Saxon culture was loyalty. The warriors would never leave any of their comrades behind in battle. Hammack described this idea in this way: Having sworn allegiance, the comitatus must not fall short: they would die in battle before they would leave the battlefield, especially once their chief was killed. The death of the hunno must be avenged by his comitatus. Disloyalty to the chief