Scribd
Upload
539 views1 page

Cultural Values of The Anglo-Saxons Depicted in Beowulf.

Bravery, truth, and honor were highly valued cultural traits among the Anglo-Saxons as depicted in Beowulf. Thanes were expected to be brave warriors and face dangers loyally in service of their king. While boasting was acceptable, all claims had to be truthful to maintain honor. Beowulf exemplifies these values through his brave and successful battles against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, facing each threat with perseverance until the task was completed to uphold his loyalty and duty to King Hrothgar.

Uploaded by

Elaine Mandia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
539 views1 page

Cultural Values of The Anglo-Saxons Depicted in Beowulf.

Bravery, truth, and honor were highly valued cultural traits among the Anglo-Saxons as depicted in Beowulf. Thanes were expected to be brave warriors and face dangers loyally in service of their king. While boasting was acceptable, all claims had to be truthful to maintain honor. Beowulf exemplifies these values through his brave and successful battles against Grendel, Grendel's mother, and the dragon, facing each threat with perseverance until the task was completed to uphold his loyalty and duty to King Hrothgar.

Uploaded by

Elaine Mandia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

CULTURAL VALUES OF

THE ANGLO-SAXONS
DEPICTED IN BEOWULF.

BRAVERY TRUTH
Thanes were expected to be brave all The Anglo-Saxons valued the truth.
of the time. These were the warriors, ThoughSOMETIMES RULES
they were known to AND
boast and
the ones the rest of the culture brag, likeWORDS
Beowulf CHANGE
does when he tells
looked up to. Bravery was mandatory, of the swimming match with his
whether it was in facing a battle or childhood
Alwaysfriend Breca,up their
keep yourself to date!boasts
fighting a monster. Such bravery is had to be rooted in the truth.
evident in Beowulf himself, as he These warriors were expected to
faces and defeats Grendel, Grendel's prove their valor, and a boast would
Mother, and the dragon. A lack of
have to be backed up. Any thane who
lied, like Unferth, the Danish warrior,
bravery is seen in Hrothgar's men,
does when he challenges Beowulf's
who cower in their beds while account of the swimming match,
Beowulf and his fellow Geats face the would be disgraced.
monster Grendel. The Geats are the
true followers of the Heroic Code.

HONOR
To Beowulf and his men, honor was
everything. They showed their honor
through service to the king, backing
up their boasts, and in their
treatment of each other. A king's
honor depended on his generosity to
his warriors. Honor also caused men
to avenge killings, leading to the
creation of the system wergild.
Where an amount where an amount
of gold could be paid to satisfy a
family's honor if a thane were killed,
thus avoiding a blood feud.

HONOR PERSEVERANCE
Beowulf expresses his gratitude to
King Hrothgar as he enjoys his Beowulf clearly demonstrates that he
hospitality. His words “Here we have was committed to finish Grendel's
been welcomed / and thoroughly mother because he did not give up
entertained. You have treated us and he finally found a solution that
well” show his joy. Later, Beowulf also led him to glory. Another important
repays the hospitality by putting his factor of perseverance is motivation.
life in danger for King Hrothgar and
other Danes when fighting Grendel.

LOYALTY AND DUTY


Loyalty was perhaps the most
important value to the thanes.
Loyalty to the king was placed above
everything else, even loyalty to one's
own family. In Beowulf, both loyalty
and lack of loyalty is witnessed.
Beowulf is loyal. We see his loyalty in
how he gets permission from his
king, Hygelac, to help Danish king
Hrothgar kill the monster Grendel.
His successes earn him much fame,
and the love and respect of Hrothgar,
but Beowulf remains loyal and
returns to Hygelac and Geatland.

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy