Germanic Culture Preserved in Beowulf - 1284 Words

Germanic Culture Preserved in Beowulf Many differences can be found between early Germanic culture and our culture today. Beowulf,the story of the triumphs of a great warrior over near impossible feats, takes place in Scandanavia during the 450s. In this tale, the war obsessed men exhibit values important to the early Germanic culture. Recording such an epic tale not only immortalizes the hero of the poem, but in turn also makes certain that these Scandanavian ways of life will never be forgotten. Their morals, while on the surface seem wrong compared to those found in society today, make sense to them because of the unwritten rules they have set up. The differences in these cultures make it difficult for people today to find interest†¦show more content†¦Throughout the story, the text brings out the value of revenge through Grendel s mother avenging her son, the tale of Herebeald and Haetheyn told by Beowulf, and the effects that death has on other characters. Revenge can be a way people in this time period to honor the memory of a fallen kinsman. With no legal system like that of which can be found in American society today, the only way they see fit to find justice for the crime of murder comes from murdering those responsible. This cycle, while seemingly never ending, can be stopped by paying a weregild, or an amount of money giving to absolve one of a crime they have committed. This speaks volumes of the importance of vengeance over the death of a kin, considering the great value money has to this culture. One example of this, the death of a man in the Geats party during the fight with Grendel. Beowulf makes it clear that he expects a payment from Hrothgar, which shows that the price put on the life of a man comes before keeping his memory alive once he passes. While weregild can be used to deal with death, the other would be to kill the responsible party. This task usually falls on the kin of the deceased, just as Grendel s mother avenges the death of her son after his death at the hands of Beowulf. There are instances where these two options do not apply. Beowulf tells the tale of brothers HerebealdShow MoreRelatedAnglo-Saxon Heroic Poetry5673 Words   |  23 PagesOld English poetry is divided into two types: the Heroic, the sources of which are pre-Christian Germanic myth, history and custom; and the Christian. Heroic, or Epic Poetry belongs to one of these two types and refers to long narrative poems celebrating the great deeds of one or more legendary heroes, in a grand, ceremonious style. In its strict use by literary critics, the terms Heroic Poetry or Epic are applied to a work that meets the following criteria: such a poem must be related in anRead MoreHistory Of Ancient Poetry Ghosh ( 1 )995 Words   |  4 Pageswas characterized by foreign invasions and internal struggles. This resulted within the admixture of many races, tongues and cultures. Once the Romans departed from British Isles in 407 AD fighting continuing between the Picts and therefore the Scots who had lost their common enemy. The fifth century additionally saw conquests and therefore the gradual occupation by Germanic tribes - Angles, Jutes and Saxons - who had rapt north to Scandinavia and from there to Great Britain aside from creating conquestsRead More The Anglo-Saxon poems, The Wanderer, The Seafarer, and The Wife’s Lament3469 Words   |  14 Pagesculture’s societal structure, and religious struggle of the Old English time period: making the transition from paganism to Christianity. In order to understand how these poems mirror the Anglo-Saxons’ lives, one must know a little history about the culture. In the fifth century, the inhabitants of the island of Britain hired German mercenaries to defend them against their warring neighbors, the Picts and the Scots. 2 After having defeated the enemies, the pagan Angles, or Saxons, revolted against theirRead MoreQuestion and Correct Answer7042 Words   |  29 PagesWorld culture quiz ï‚ · Question 1 2 out of 2 points | | | Why did the arts develop in Mesopotamia?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: |   Ã‚   As celebrations of the priest-kings power | Correct Answer: |   Ã‚   As celebrations of the priest-kings power | | | | | ï‚ · Question 2 2 out of 2 points | | | What did lost-wax casting enable the Mesopotamian sculptors to create?Answer | | | | | Selected Answer: |   Ã‚   Larger and more lightweight bronze pieces | Correct Answer: |   Ã‚   Larger