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Beowulf Research Paper

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Recommended: Anglo saxon traditions in beowulf

Throughout human history many books and fables have came from oral tradition. Oral tradition is defined as “a community's cultural and historical traditions passed down by word of mouth or example from one generation to another without written instruction”.Such oral tradition has been important to many cultures and texts but especially to anglo-saxon England and the anglo-saxon book Beowulf. The reason for the importance is that oral tradition kept the story of Beowulf alive, inspired it's making , affected the people of the time and kept the anglo-saxon literature alive as well. First, Oral tradition kept the story of Beowulf alive. Oral tradition was able to do this by allowing the story of Beowulf to be spread through most of anglo-saxon england. This was done through travelers and storytellers telling of the story which led to many people knowing of Beowulf .Oral tradition also kept Beowulf alive by keeping the story around long enough for it to eventually be written down. This was because the story was told for past generations to future ones and by the story remaining in the minds of many. Oral tradition does wonders for a time like this because many people were unable to read or write and being able to just tell a story made it convenient . Oral tradition is …show more content…

Oral tradition is responsible for the inspiration of Beowulf due to the earlier stories made by oral tradition that Beowulf's character and plot drew inspiration from.Things that Beowulf borrows from other stories are an importance on honor and a warrior's code, it features monsters and a main character who is seemingly unbeatable in Beowulf. Oral tradition also affected it because since their is no original source material the story could be up to interpretation or modified by the teller. Oral tradition greatly affected Beowulf as a whole by keeping it alive and influencing it but Oral tradition also affected the people as well in Anglo-Saxon

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Passed down through various societies for multiple generations, the poem Beowulf is a true literary masterpiece. While first spread by word of mouth, the work was later transcribed, translated, and transformed into numerous forms of literature and media. Due to this, we know that their is not one true Beowulf. As Professor Martin Foys once said, “each generation gets the version of Beowulf it deserves”. These various adaptations led to differing tales of the conquests of Beowulf, as is the case with the first of the three agons, Beowulf’s clash with Grendel.

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I have to admit that I first didn’t like reading Beowulf, the language and poem structure made it a little difficult for me. It wasn’t until I began working on this journal that I began to appreciate the poem, the author, and the many angles that can be discussed about this literary piece. Subjects like religion, timeline, and the author’s reason for writing Beowulf has made me become more interested about the story. How are the themes of the story observed in life and society today?

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Beowulf is an archetypal story known by generations around the world. Beowulf took place during Anglo-Saxon English time period. In this work, Beowulf, a young Geat man, journeys to Denmark to save the Danes from the wrath of the demonic Grendel. During Anglo-Saxon time, Beowulf was a folk song only passed around by word of mouth. Monks eventually transferred it to paper since they were the only ones capable of writing.

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In the epic poem Beowulf passed on by the Anglo-Saxons, the alienated character of Grendel and the heroic character of Beowulf underscore the values, assumptions, and morals of the Anglo-Saxon culture.

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Anglo-Saxons believed that there was nothing after death, and that the only way to achieve “immortality” was through stories; achieve something worthy of being remembered, and one’s name and legacy will be remembered. Ironically, though Beowulf is meant to show the superiority of Christian values over Anglo-Saxon ones, its very existence proves the worth of the Anglo-Saxon beliefs. Beowulf has achieved immortality: his story is still being told today. In Grendel, this idea is explored more thoroughly. Though Grendel can recognize the storyteller’s (known as the Shaper) songs for what they really are (distorted tales of glory that only bear a passing resemblance to actual events), the fact that the stories are lies does not matter.

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Beowulf, written in the Anglo-Saxon period England between 700 and 1000 A.D, is a poem about a heroic warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf shows his leadership in many different ways throughout the poem. Beowulf’s leadership is that of a hero. He comes into the poem with a purpose, which is very evident to the reader. He is relied on by the people of Geatland for protection throughout the poem.

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Because they did not believe in an afterlife, the Anglo Saxons felt that immortality was achieved by fame and positive reputation, and that achieving fame was the most important task in one’s life. Beowulf clearly defines this idea in his speech to Hrothgar before attacking Grendel’s mother: “he who can earn it should fight for the glory of his name; fame after death is the noblest of goals.” The Anglo Saxons remembered their heroes’ fame through the telling of their epic tales and the passing down of their mementos. Beowulf embodies memento mori in nearly every aspect; the epic itself is a prime example of oral tradition. Within the story, there are several instances of scops recounting the stories of past heroes, such as the tale of Siegmund.

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