Beowulf and the Dragonborn

Reading through the story of Beowulf for the first time, I was surprised by the word “thane.” As I read further, getting the context of the word, I found myself nodding along. I was already familiar with the concept of a thane, a person who fights for a lord and receives certain benefits in return, from (believe it or not) a video game. To be specific, from the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Software, 2011. PC.)

                                    Main theme from Skyrim. (It's kind of a big deal.)

For those of you unfamiliar with this game, I'll give a brief overview. The Elder Scrolls games (five so far, with a sixth on the way) take place in a huge sandbox world. In video game terms, that means that instead of following a linear plot, you are free to wander around, pursue whatever goals you like, and the main plot can wait until you're good and ready. This world has its own religions, its own books (compiled here or here), and the characters in the game even go about their own lives, following a daily routine that you, as the player, may never even see. What's more, each game in the series takes place in a different part of the world, so each one exposes you to a unique culture.

In Skyrim, the culture of the Nords (natives of the province Skyrim) bears more than a passing resemblance to the culture of the Danes and the Geats in Beowulf. Historically, each major city in Skyrim was ruled by a jarl, but in modern times they have been united under a high king. Each jarl has thanes, and when your character does enough good deeds for the people of a city and its surrounding lands, the jarl will make you a thane and give you a weapon from his armory as your badge of office, promising to inform his guards that you are not “part of the common rabble.” (watch the whole video or go to 3:24 for the thane part) There is a famous mead hall, Jorrvaskr, older than the city it resides in, as well as a fortress named “High Hrothgar.” The names of Nords also bear a marked similarity in style and sound to the names in Beowulf.

More interesting to me than the cultural similarities are the parallels between Beowulf himself and the Dragonborn in Skyrim. The premise of Skyrim is that dragons are awakening from millennia of slumber and wreaking havoc on the land, and only one person, the Dragonborn (that is, the player's character) can defeat them. Your character can take a dragon's soul after killing it, preventing it from returning, and can use that soul to access dragonlike abilities and powers. Beowulf was renowned for his strength and fighting prowess. Likewise, the Dragonborn becomes, by the end of the game, one of the most famous warriors of his time, no matter what path you choose for your character.

Personally, I am pretty stoked to see old stories receive new life in modern media, and since video games are one of my favorite media, I thoroughly enjoyed this new perspective into one of my favorite games.