Anglo Saxon Culture Influence On Beowulf

The epic poem, Beowulf was influenced by Anglo-Saxon cultural beliefs. Beowulf is the longest, and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The setting of the epic is the sixth century in what is now known as Denmark and southwestern Sweden. This poem strengthens the Heroic Code. This code was derived from the Anglos-Saxons’ Germanic roots and was a basis for Anglo-Saxon honor. It called for strength, courage, and loyalty in warriors. It also required kings to be hospitable, generous, and have great political skills. Most Anglo-Saxons lived in tribal groups with a high class of warriors. Their culture valued human contact, family, virtue, and a good story. They feared humiliation and loneliness in their lives. Beowulf is the strongest of the Geats. He likes to win, but he doesn’t like to lose. The Anglo-Saxons desired richness, power, and appreciated heroic actions of warriors. Beowulf had much power, he killed nine sea monsters, and he kills everything with his bare hands. Anglo-Saxons spoke Old English which was the language that

In that time Anglo-Saxons push out Celts and Germanic tribes were formed. In 787CE Viking raids begin in 871-899CE King Alfred the Great becomes King of England. During that time he established education systems, rebuilt monasteries, fought Danes and forced them from Wessex, and unified Anglo-Saxons under one king to resist the Viking invasions. Danes ruled in the North, Anglo-Saxons in the South. In 1066CE Norman Conquest by William the Conqueror officially ended Anglo-Saxon era. The Anglo-Saxons mixed both Pagan and Christian traditions. Beowulf contains traces of both beliefs. In Beowulf, God is mentioned by two of the main characters, Beowulf and Hrothgar. In the poem, Grendel represents Lucifer and is described as a son, or descendant of Cain, a clear Biblical reference. In Pagan, there is a strong nature presence and strength of the