The mead hall is the center of Anglo-Saxon life both in
the epic poem Beowulf and in actual Anglo-Saxon society. The mead
hall is the center of social life and the center of defense and
protection.
The mead hall is led by a gold-lord like
Hrothgar. Men serve him and join him in battle and he in turn organizes protection for
them.
No central government exists, so life is
precarious. One mead hall can attack another and take over the mead hall. Defeated
residents are often killed or exiled.
Grendel, then, in
the poem, is every Anglo-Saxon's greatest nightmare. Grendel does in the poem what any
other mead hall might do at virtually any time. Thus, though Grendel is a creation of
imagination, of course, the threat he poses to warriors is
actual.
Wealth, fame, and honor come through great deeds
in battle. Bravery and courage are highly honored. Beowulf speaks repeatedly about his
reputation and, in fact, his view of immortality centers on being remembered for great,
heroic deeds in combat.
No comments:
Post a Comment