let go

This essay is the comparison between Beowulf and the modern day hero, which I thought that any soldier would be my modern day hero. In this essay I will explain in three paragraphs of how my modern day hero is like Beowulf. With in these three paragraphs I will go over how they are both fighting for a good cause, how they are both rewarded for what they do, and how they are both treated with much respect.

The first comparison is how they are both fighting for a good cause, and I mean that they are trying to protect people, and doing the right thing. In the epic story Beowulf is fighting to destroy the monster that is eating all of Hrothgars men in the mead hall. Beowulf defeats the monster and seeks all other monsters that try to promote evil and do evil things

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Beowulf, the national epic of England, was passed down from generation to generation tells the legend of a mighty hero. This folk epic portrays the ideas of 16th century Anglo-Saxon culture until the early 8th century when a monk transcribed it into written form. Housed in the British Museum, the manuscript is considered to be a historical document as well as a great piece of literature. This tale narrates a story about a man who saves two nations from terrible beings which embody evil. Beowulf contains many themes such as the fantasy of supernatural creatures and the role of woman. However, the main focus of this tale presents both Christian and Pagan ideals. While the epic shows evidence of patristic influences, it more clearly depicts ideals associated with pagan culture and society. Beowulf blends patristic references into a pagan narrative that previously focused only on Anglo-Saxon ideals. For 12 years, king Hrothgar has suffered at the hands of the terrible monster Grendel, who no man has been able to kill. However, when the mighty monster slayer Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s plight, he at once goes forward to put an end to Grendel. Soon after they received fervent greetings on the Danish coast, the men prepare for the night, and Beowulf realizes that “God in His wisdom must allot the victory as He thinks fit” (43). Beowulf knows that he serves God, the resolver of all problems. The monks who altered the story taught that the pagan god Wyrd does not exist but merely acts as a capability of God. By getting rid of the main pagan god, the monks show God’s almighty power and his ability to control good and evil and decide right from wrong. All evil beings exist because they battled against God and lost; and for rebelling, they received punishment. The fen demons of the Danish land all descend from Cain, who opposed God and “for this crime Cain had been outlawed, branded a murderer, and made to relinquish human happiness for a lodging in the wilderness” (57). God banished Cain and his descendants from his love forever and for that, the evildoers hate mankind who still hold favor with God. The exile of Cain makes Grendel God’s enemy, and by killing Grendel, Beowulf gains favor from God. This patristic message can be interpreted to show that by adhering to the church, God will hold man in his heart forever. After killing Grendel, Beowulf goes to finish what he started and kill Grendel’s mother, who in a mad fury has killed one of Hrothgar’s most beloved advisors. When they fight, she would have killed him were it not for God’s power and a mighty sword inscribed with the biblical tale of how “the swirling waters of the flood destroyed the giant race, they suffered sorely; because they were hostile to God” (66). Even when men fail, the power of God will see them through. This sword predicts what will happen to Grendel’s mother and the reason for her demise. A blessed sword and the only weapon which could kill Grendel’s mother. She, like the giants, rebels against God and for that she will die. As well as having patristic elements, Beowulf contains pagan ideas. Scyld Scefing, Hrothgar’s great grandfather and one of the greatest and most beloved Danish kings won glory for his people and “after a long reign the king departed into the care of God” (27). Scyld transmigrates into warrior heaven, a place where only the most honorable men could enter. When Beowulf arrives in Denmark, Hrothgar is not surprised because he knew Beowulf’s father, Ecgtheow. Beowulf’s father got into a bloody feud with another clan and had to flee to Hrothgar for help. Hrothgar recounts that “in time I settled the feud with money, sending many valuable old treasure overseas to the Wilfings, while your father gave me his parole” (37-38). By paying off Ecgtheow’s wergild, Hrothgar obtained Ecgtheow’s loyalty and love and Beowulf later returns to honor Hrothgar. Wergild supports the honor code of the pagan society and by respecting Hrothgar, Beowulf shows himself as an honorable man. The system of wergild has it’s faults and often leads to feuds, but the honor of the men allow it to continue working in the Anglo-Saxon period. After Beowulf slays Grendal, scops tell stories, one of which deals with King Heremod. Heremod, unlike Hrothgar, had no respect for his people and had violent tendencies. Heremod held little favor and even the wise men disapproved his actions. The witan “had time and again deplored the behavior of this powerful king” (48). The witan, wise men of pagan culture determine good from evil and the heir to the thrown. Heremod’s actions puzzled them and contradicted their pagan beliefs. This poem lastly relates various Anglo-Saxon codes of conduct. After Grendel’s raids, people realize that Hrothgar wasn’t able to protect them anymore and “soon it was easy enough to find a man who looked for sleeping-quarters farther off, or for a bed in the outbuildings, once the glaring enmity of Heorot’s latest henchman became manifest” (30). The men dishonor their comitatus bond with Hrothgar by leaving his mead hall, the outward symbol of the pact. The code of conduct defines the Anglo-Saxon culture and comitatus defines the honor between man and chief. Beowulf strengthens Hrothgar’s comitatus alliance with the Danes by killing Grendel and making Heorot a safe place again. A chief without a comitatus bond is a weak chief; the greater the mead hall, the more respect a chief can earn from his people strengthening the bond.. In return, Hrothgar rewards him with love and gifts. After winning treasure and renown in Hrothgar’s kingdom, Beowulf returns to Geatland to honor his own king with the gifts he just received. Beowulf’s bond with Hygelac serves as a model for other men and “is the way in which kinsman ought to behave, instead of weaving dark and subtle conspiracies against one another, or plotting each other’s death” (78). This teaches men how they should behave toward one another and especially to their king. Civility states one should lay ones gifts upon ones king instead of dishonoring him. Hygelac, a good king, in turn gives Beowulf a great amount of land. Hygelac later dies in battle and Beowulf becomes king after Hygelac’s son dies. Like Hrothgar and other great kings, Beowulf builds a mighty mead hall for his people. Peace exists for many years until a dragon starts wreaking havoc on the Geats after a servant steals a golden cup from it to appease his angry master. After the dragon destroys Beowulf’s mead hall, Beowulf travels out to seek revenge for his people and his honor. With a group of chosen men, Beowulf goes to the dragon’s layer to slay the beast. Following the heroic code to seek honor, Beowulf stops his men from coming with him because “it is not your business nor any man’s but mine to measure strength with the monster and win renown” (86). Even toward the end of life, a warrior should seek to win glory in battle and even endanger himself to do so. The heroic code states that the more glory a person wins in life, the greater and better afterlife they will have. Beowulf and the dragon die together, and with his last words Beowulf requests a burial within a giant tumulus so his grave can guide sailors from the sea. Beowulf also crowns Wiglaf, who will bring years of prosperity to the Geats. Although having patriastic elements, Beowulf is predominately a pagan, as evidence with one of the closing lines that “twelve chieftains, all sons of princes, rode round the barrow lamenting their loss, speaking of their king, reciting an elegy, and acclaiming the hero” (101). The story of Beowulf teaches much about the ancient Anglo-Saxon times and pagan beliefs; not only is it a masterful piece of literature, but a manuscript that we can appreciate both in its historical and literary sense forever.

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