When a loved one steps into the afterlife a specific ritual or ceremony takes place. A common word used for these rituals are funerals. Funerals help signify the life that was lived and in strengthen the connection between those who mourn the loss of a loved one. But how does one celebrate the farewell of a young hero who has perished? In the poem ¨Beowulf¨ Beowolfś funeral takes quite a few twists and turns. Symbols and patterns within the poem raise the question, was Beowulf's funeral a serious reflection of the warrior values or did it simply question the warrior code?
In the beginning of Beowulf´s opening funeral almost every other sentence gives me a heartfelt, emotional and pure connection. The stanzas ¨Afterward a boy-child was born to Shield, a cub in the yard, a comfort sent by god to the nation¨ (1-2) and ¨And a young prince must be prudent like that, giving freely while his father lives”(20-21) release more of a sympathy rather than honor. The reason being the words used to
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The warrior code values strength, courage, and loyalty. But in the poem Beowulf the exact opposite was portrayed throughout the funeral. As stated before through the stanzas it seems as if the speaker wanted to point out and question the warrior code and shoot at the people before him with indirects but also mourn the loss of the hero while reminding the people of true values. For example the poem state's ẗhen he ordered ¨Then he ordered the outcome of the fight to be reported to those who camped on the ridge, the crowd of retainers who had sat all morning, sad heart, shield-bearers wondering about the man they loved.”(2892-2895). Sad hearts and shield bearers were the true outcomes of the people, one for the death of their loved one and the other for the failed courage of the supposed warriors. The sad heart for the people who disappointed and became disappointed and the shield bearers in honor of