Beowulf

Beowulf
    The literature, culture, and religion of the Anglo-Saxons define them as one of the most distinctive nations to date. Going back as early as the fifth century, Anglo-Saxons had a presence in Britain. In 449 AD the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded Britain and from then until the sixth century, more would settle in Britain killing any British natives in their way.   However before the Anglo-Saxons could peacefully settle in England, they had to face the native Celts. The Anglo-Saxons were unique from the other nations at the time in that a storyteller was treated the same way as a warrior. Storytelling was extremely important for the Anglo-Saxons because they believed it strengthened their unity and that passing down stories was vital for survival. The Anglo-Saxon religion was polytheistic and descended from Norse religion. Although the Anglo-Saxons venerated their religion and seemed to be expanding it, various Irish missionaries eventually converted them to Christianity. The Anglo-Saxon monasteries were very important in that they were the center of knowledge and produced many famous pieces of literature, notably the epic, Beowulf. It is unknown who the author of Beowulf was, but it is believed that a monk in an Anglo-Saxon monastery wrote it. Beowulf is a perfect representation of Anglo-Saxon times as characterized by its values, poetry, and heroic traits.
    Beowulf is filled with Anglo-Saxon values such as loyalty to the king, wyrd which is one’s ultimate fate, afterlife, mead halls, and a code of honor. Beowulf, portraying the extreme loyalty he has for the king Hrothgar, “[proclaims] that he [will] go to that famous king, [will] sail across the sea to Hrothgar, now when help [is] needed” (114-116). In gathering fourteen of the bravest men he could find, Beowulf “[knows] the sea, [will] point the prow straight to that distant Danish shore” (123-124). The author uses a combination of wyrd and loyalty to the king to exemplify the traits that...