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In Anglo-Saxon literature and most likely in Anglo-Saxon times, men
were measured by many of the same aspects of life that men are measured
by today. Men of that time period were godless, fearless, fame seeking,
and most of all, courageous. Warriors, sailors, exiles, and even gods
were in search of these things and often achieved them through
completing daring deeds, withstanding harsh conditions, or beating the
odds. It wasn’t odd for men to die to get the job done either.
Beowulf, a Scandinavian warrior, not only killed a terrifying
monster, the monster’s mother, and countless sea-monsters, but also
killed a huge dragon too, achieving fame and showing a neighboring
kingdom how much strength, courage, and fearlessness he had. It also
seemed that heroes of that time had to boast about their deeds to other
kingdoms and villages. In Beowulf, when Beowulf greets Hrothgar, he
says,
“Hail, Hrothgar! I am kinsman and thane of Hygelac. In my youth I have set about many brave deeds. (Abrams, pg. 28)
How many times have you introduced yourself to someone and say,
“When I was younger, I accomplished many great things? It wasn’t enough
for a man to show just his people of his accomplishments, he had to
make it know for everybody to see.
In The Wanderer, the author says,
“Men eager for honor bury sorrow deep in their breast.” (Wanderer, lines 16 & 17)
In most Anglo-Saxon literature, this “macho” theme is present. The Wanderer also states,
“No man is living…to whom I fully unlock my heart.” (Wanderer, lines 10 & 11)
“Who bears it, knows what a bitter companion…sorrow can be." Wanderer, lines 26 & 27)
The Wanderer is sprinkled with small lines like these to show that
a real man can take anything that the world throws at him. Beowulf is
similar to the Wanderer in that they both have the same “voice”. In
Beowulf, Beowulf says,
“You will not need to hide my head if death takes me, for he will
have me blood-smeared; he will bear away my bloody flesh meaning to
savor it, he will eat ruthlessly, the walker alone, will stain his
retreat in the moor; no longer will you need to trouble yourself to
take care of my body. If battle takes me, send to Hygelac the best of
war-clothes that protects my breast, finest of mail-shirts. It is a
legacy of Hrethel, the work of Weland. Fate always goes as it must.”
(Abrams, pg. 29)
Just as he is about fight Grendel, showing that a real man can take whatever fate throws his way.
The Seafarer isn’t so much of a “manly” piece of literature, but it
still deals with the same theme that exists in Beowulf and The
Wanderer. Passages like,
“Hunger and hardship’s heaviest burdens.” (The Seafarer, line 3)
“Fast to the deck my feet were frozen, gripped by the cold…and hunger’s pangs” (The Seafarer, lines 9 through 11)
Show that you have to be tough and courageous on the ocean to make
it on this earth. The Seafarer doesn’t deal so much with men overcoming
enemies, but instead shows the experience of an aged sailor verses the
excitement and ambition of a young sailor. The young sailor is
convinced that he is going to leave his mark on the sea, that he’s
going to take the world by storm, and the old man knows he won’t, but
can remember a time when he used to think the same thing about himself.
He knows that in time the young sailor will grow out of it.
In conclusion, the Anglo-Saxon hero and maybe even the Anglo-Saxon
people in general learned to take whatever fate gave them and to take
it without whining about it. In fact, they made up stories such as
Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer to show their children and
anyone else who would listen, that if they took what fate gave them
with courage, and without any fear, then they would be recognized for
it. They learned that the best man isn’t necessarily the man who does
what is right and just, although most of the time being courageous,
getting fame, and the other aspects of Anglo-Saxon life went along with
being right and just. In a lot of ways, this attitude is very similar
to our sports starts of today. Football players, baseball players, and
Olympic medallists alike have been banned from their sports for
everything from doing drugs to abusing their spouses, but fans still
love them and turn out for their games because they are good at the
game that they play.
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