In the epic Beowulf, funerals appear throughout, and are very important to the story. Beowulf’s funeral is no exception. Beowulf’s funeral brings several important elements and themes together, like fame; it also serves as a summation of Beowulf’s life. The details of Beowulf’s funeral embody the theme of fame; a theme found throughout the poem. At the funeral Beowulf’s thanes recount Beowulf’s exploits, “they were minded to utter their grief, to lament the king, to make a chant and to speak of the man; they exalted his heroic life and praised his valorous deed with all their strength.”(Gordon
