Examples Of Medieval Heroism
Heroism in medieval times was different than it is today. Much of it was based on power over beauty, or wealth over intelligence. When faced with the decision of looking brave but being dumb, or looking cowardly while being intelligent the majority of the heroic people would have chosen the first option. In the example of Theseus (Canterbury Tales:The Knight's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer) although he was honored for his wise decisions he had the power and strength to stand fast against anyone who opposed his decisions. A medieval hero is made up of the glory he has, the reason he has that glory, and the people giving him that glory.
Glory and fame were major attributes in the making of a hero in the medieval era and the renaissance. The more
glory that you had the more people knew who you were and the more people that knew who you were the more welcomed you were in other places and by leaders of those places. This helped hero's to travel and fight because they would be welcomed and treated well in places that they were well known, for instance, in Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain-Poet, Gawain encounters a castle and is quickly welcomed once he is recognized, he is treated wonderfully well and stays there for multiple months as he prepares to continue on his journey and then receives guidance on his way from the people in the castle. If Gawain had not had that glory he would have not had the guidance of the people that helped him and would not have had time to recuperate and also may have had to fight the people in the castle if they thought he was an enemy. In the case of Beowulf from Beowulf, Beowulf most likely only heard of the grendel because he was well known and people knew he would care about a monster ravaging a nearby land.
The reason that these heroes have their glory can be just as important as the glory itself. If Beowulf had been known for his intelligence rather than his physical prowess than he would have been laughed at after proposing he’d fight the grendel. But because he had earned his glory through strength and skill he was respected in the scenario of fighting te grendel, maybe not as respected and expected to solve a mystery or build a new invention because he was not glorified for intelligence. This doesn’t mean that he wasn’t intelligent per-se but it means he would not be expected to be. Gawain (Gawain and the Green Knight) on the other hand was known for righteousness and humility as well as his physical prowess and intelligence. He would be expected to volunteer to sacrifice his life for his king, but he would not be expected to take a mission to get something for someone from and evil witch or to commit a sin.
These heroes would not have had their glory without the people there to give it to them. The only reason they had glory because they were respected for their decisions and actions, if they had made those decisions and done those actions near no one or had told no one about it then they would have not been honored. Their must be some spreading of word and some way that people can hear about said hero for them to be known for their heroism and for them to have that glory from others.
Heroes are important in our history. Heroes not only bring glory to themselves but bring glory and recognition to those around them. Many artists and scientists and warriors had apprentices or squires that they taught and that learned from them. Those people then went on to become heroes themselves. Thus creating livelier and more exciting history and a more awesome world to glorify our god. Without the glory of these heroes that they earned from their decisions, actions, and the people around them, history would be much less interesting and would be much more boring.
Glory and fame were major attributes in the making of a hero in the medieval era and the renaissance. The more
glory that you had the more people knew who you were and the more people that knew who you were the more welcomed you were in other places and by leaders of those places. This helped hero's to travel and fight because they would be welcomed and treated well in places that they were well known, for instance, in Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain-Poet, Gawain encounters a castle and is quickly welcomed once he is recognized, he is treated wonderfully well and stays there for multiple months as he prepares to continue on his journey and then receives guidance on his way from the people in the castle. If Gawain had not had that glory he would have not had the guidance of the people that helped him and would not have had time to recuperate and also may have had to fight the people in the castle if they thought he was an enemy. In the case of Beowulf from Beowulf, Beowulf most likely only heard of the grendel because he was well known and people knew he would care about a monster ravaging a nearby land.
The reason that these heroes have their glory can be just as important as the glory itself. If Beowulf had been known for his intelligence rather than his physical prowess than he would have been laughed at after proposing he’d fight the grendel. But because he had earned his glory through strength and skill he was respected in the scenario of fighting te grendel, maybe not as respected and expected to solve a mystery or build a new invention because he was not glorified for intelligence. This doesn’t mean that he wasn’t intelligent per-se but it means he would not be expected to be. Gawain (Gawain and the Green Knight) on the other hand was known for righteousness and humility as well as his physical prowess and intelligence. He would be expected to volunteer to sacrifice his life for his king, but he would not be expected to take a mission to get something for someone from and evil witch or to commit a sin.
These heroes would not have had their glory without the people there to give it to them. The only reason they had glory because they were respected for their decisions and actions, if they had made those decisions and done those actions near no one or had told no one about it then they would have not been honored. Their must be some spreading of word and some way that people can hear about said hero for them to be known for their heroism and for them to have that glory from others.
Heroes are important in our history. Heroes not only bring glory to themselves but bring glory and recognition to those around them. Many artists and scientists and warriors had apprentices or squires that they taught and that learned from them. Those people then went on to become heroes themselves. Thus creating livelier and more exciting history and a more awesome world to glorify our god. Without the glory of these heroes that they earned from their decisions, actions, and the people around them, history would be much less interesting and would be much more boring.