Beowulf: The Ultimate Anglo-Saxon Hero

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“They said that of all the kings upon the earth / he was the man most gracious and fair minded, / kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (Heaney 3180-82). Beowulf, the epic poem, is one of the first known texts that has been recovered from the Anglo-Saxon time period. It was written sometime between the seventh and tenth century and passed down by word of mouth until it was first translated from old English to current English in the early 1800s. The epic has been revised and re-translated several times by multiple translators. The newest and most popular translation is by Seamus Heaney. Beowulf was the ultimate Anglo-Saxon hero because he was able to protect others without worrying about the aftermath, or even his own safety. From the day of Beowulf’s birth, everyone knew “there was no one else like him alive. / In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth, / high-born and powerful” (Heaney 196-8). The Anglo-Saxons idealized good leaders and compared them to each other regularly. Beowulf was “truly noble” (Heaney 250) and “known for courage” (Heaney 340). Other kings, like Shield Sheafson and Hrothgar were known for being generous, prudent, wise, and brave. In this …show more content…
For example, when he arrived to Daneland to rid of Grendel, he chose to not use weapons because he found himself to be “as dangerous as Grendel” (Heaney 678). He believes that he can still win because Grendel “has no idea of the arts of war” (Heaney 681). The fight clearly went well for Beowulf, since “it was the worst trip / the terror-monger had taken to Heorot (Heaney 764-5). Beowulf not only looked mighty and powerful, but he had “the strength of thirty / in the grip of each hand” (Heaney 380-1). Beowulf will live forever through stories from the Danes and their defeated monsters. Grendel’s mother was also quite the fight, but Beowulf pulled through and rescued whoever he

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