What Makes a Man??

Ok, so I’m still on the Beowulf kick, I can’t help it. The Canterbury Tales may have their moments, but my mind is more intensely drawn to fighting and monsters and dragons…I can’t help it. Beowulf is just way cooler than any of the Canter-characters, it’s a fact.  

My last blog post was about what made a monster. After dwelling on that idea for a while, I realized we never really discussed what made a man. Surely the natural assumption is that a man is the opposite of a monster (or at least one should hope). But men can be monsters, can’t they?

The trusty ol’ Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes a man as:

Man 1: A human being; to have or assume human nature

Man 2: Wickedness; a lie

Man 4: An ostentatiously virile or manly man; a man engaged in or excelling in activities considered to be typically masculine.

These definitions, for lack of a better term, are extremely bland. Is it that difficult to define what makes a man? Is there no real definition because it is not a term, but a label generated by society? In Beowulf’s society, a man fears nothing; he fights his demons to their death or his own. No fear is allowed. A man he boasts his accomplishments. Other men follow a real man. But, even in Beowulf’s society men are allowed their faults it seems. King Hrothgar is still considered a great king even though he fails to kill Grendel himself.

Given today’s time, I feel there are probably different expectations of what makes a man, or a woman for that matter. Each of us in this class probably has varying ideals on what a true man/woman is. Maybe that’s what makes it so difficult to define. 

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Sculpture David by Michelangelo

Monsters and Beowulf

I’m very intrigued by the definition of a monster. The Oxford Dictionary describes a monster as:

Something extraordinary or unnatural; a malformed animal or plant; a fetus, neonate, or individual with a gross congenital malformation, usually of a degree incompatible with life; a person of repulsively unnatural character, or exhibiting such extreme cruelty or wickedness as to appear inhuman; a monstrous example of evil, a vice, etc.; an ugly or deformed person, animal, or thing.

In the epic poem Beowulf, Grendel easily fits this definition. Grendel is described as “a powerful demon” (86), “a fiend out of hell” (100), and “[dwells] in misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s Clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts” (106-107).  

Every description in Beowulf seems to focus on Grendel’s character, not his appearance. There is no description of what he looks like, only how he acts. He acts a fiend, he is God-cursed, and he is a miserable wretch. Not once does it say if he is covered in hair, lumpy or bumpy, or a creepy creature. He is a monster to these people because of his inhuman actions. Because he dwells in the bogs and murders and eats people he is a monster; which fits the Oxford definition “exhibiting extreme cruelty or wickedness.”

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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.

Grendel dies, then Momma whops some ass.

Beowulf is one of my favorites, especially when I read it in high school my senior year. 

I find the whole situation of Grendel's attacks on Heorot very ironic. This great mead hall, "meant to be a wonder of the world forever", built by the mighty King Hrothgar was taken over by one single monster. The Danes were powerful and I assume they won many battles, yet they're all almost  slaughtered by this ONE monster. 

I find it interesting that they cannot even get help within their own country either. No man or woman within Denmark steps up to try to challenge Grendel. Thank the Lord that Beowulf shows up! Even though I think his idea of fighting without any weapons... or clothes is a little, um, INSANE, he still manages to defeat the horrible monster. Of course the Danes are beyond thrilled that this man took on this monster, weaponless, but they all celebrate way too soon.

 Despite the victory, the irony comes back into play when Momma Grendel comes and, well, whoops some drunk Danes' asses. Yet again, it only takes one womanly monster to murder a decent number of men. But then again, it only takes one man, Beowulf, to kill both Grendel and his crazy momma. 

I'm just curious about the impact that just one individual can have, good or bad. 

I somehow deleted my previous post, so here it is resubmitted. 

Beowulf in his old age

This week's reading was great for me because it clarified a lot about who Beowulf is and whether he was more prideful or vain as we were talking about in class. I've read the text before, but have had trouble deciding whether pride of vanity ruled Beowulf’s actions. This time, when I started out reading I was immediately struck but some of the boasts Beowulf made. One being "I was the strongest swimmer of all" (533). Simple statements like this caught my eye because if someone were to say that today than they would be labeled as egotistical. But in the context of this time period, as I read further into our reading I realized that I think he is a proud person, rather than a vain one. One of the moments I realized this was when he acknowledged his people, the Geats, in his final speech before his death. “I give thanks that I behold this treasure here in front of me, that I have been allowed to leave my people so well endowed on the day I die. Now that I have bartered my last breath to own this fortune, it is up to you to look after their needs.” (2795-2801) If Beowulf had truly been a vain man he would not have cared about leaving his people with a means to support themselves. Nor would he have cared to tell Wiglaf to take care of them when he passed away. All in all I quite enjoyed reading this second half of Beowulf much more than the first half because I think it showcased his true colors. In the face of death it becomes clear what a person is actually like, and I think Beowulf displayed himself to be a confident but caring ruler.

The Significance of Water in Beowulf

     Water has symbolized many different emotions, sources of hope, and even gods throughout different societies. In the poem "Beowulf," water is a focal point for many of the most important battles. I believe that water, and more specifically the sea, represents something untamed, something to be conquered, an obstacle to be faced...
     During the time period "Beowulf" takes place, the ocean was a frightening and unknown place. They did not know where it truly began or ended, and there is always an aspect of fear in the unknown. Therefore, when the heroic Beowulf conquers this obstacle time and time again, people revere him more and more.
     An important part of the poem to take into consideration is the instance where Unferth challenges Beowulf's validity of a noble. He does this by mentioning how Beowulf lost a long distance swim race against Breca, Beowulf's childhood friend. The focal point of this is story is the sea and all the unknown "monsters" that lie within it. If Beowulf could not conquer these creatures in a swim across the sea, how could he defeat the dreaded Grendel? But Beowulf proved Unferth wrong and even defeated Grendel's mother in an underwater battle. This proved not only to Unferth, but to every person throughout those lands that Beowulf could conquer the unconquerable.

"Beowulf's prodigious/ gifts as a swimmer guaranteed his safety..." (Lines 2359-2360)

Religion in Beowulf

So, full disclosure before I begin: in my senior year of high school, we read Beowulf and discussed religion in it so I'm coming in with previous knowledge already. That was three years ago though, so it's a bit of a stretch to remember.

One of things I notice most about Beowulf is the peculiarity of the religion. From the text, it's pretty obvious that Christianity is the dominant philosophy, both from the context of the story (late 5th century) and the references made by the characters to God and some biblical stories.

There are also aspects of paganism, though these are often subtler. The speaker seems to condemn paganism as an older religion which is not believe in anymore:

"Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed
offerings to idols, swore oaths
that the killer of souls might come to their aid
and save the people. That was their way,
their heathenish hope; deep in their hearts
they remembered hell. The Almighty Judge
of good deeds and bad, the Lord God,
Head of the Heavens and High King of the World,
was unknown to them." (175-183)

 However, if we look closer at some of the Christian aspects that re present, we can see that there is a sort of hybrid between Christianity and paganism shown.
Grendel and his mother are referred to as descendants of Cain (99-114). Also listed are "ogres, and elves, and evil phantoms and the giants" (112-113). These monsters are not found in Christianity but are from different mythologies that existed before Christianity was introduced to the Anglo-Saxons.
The culture we see in Beowulf is in a state of transition from paganism to Christianity and because this happens over a long period of time, the two religions mix and create a hybrid of the two.
Another time that this is apparent is in line 1690 when Hrothgar begins his speech to Beowulf after Beowulf brings back Grendel's severed head. Hrothgar examines the sword and the text tells us that there are engravings of the past on the hilt and references when "the flood destroyed the tribe of giants." This story is recognizable to us as the story of Noah and the Ark. However it is presented to us as yet again a mixture of Christianity and paganism.
I'm sure there's other ways that religion plays a part in Beowulf and would be really interested to hear anyone else's opinions!