, Research Paper
As was popular during the Anglo-Saxon epoch, English poets normally wrote heroic poem
verse forms. These writers told narratives about experiences in mundane life, the narratives of
conflicts won or conflicts lost, and besides about the heroes who set out to get the better of all the
atrocious monsters that plagued the state. These times greatly influenced the authors of
the Anglo-saxon period because of the abrasiveness of life and jurisprudence, the assorted beliefs in
thaumaturgy and faith and the hierarchy of their authorities.
Life during the Anglo-Saxon period of England was non precisely like the life we
experience in our clip. Consequences for non staying the jurisprudence were black. & # 8220 ; The jurisprudence
itself was violent, though a intruder would frequently avoid its terrible punishments by paying a
mulct if he could afford it & # 8221 ; ( Page 5 ) . Most offenses were punishable by decease, by hanging,
decapitation, combustion, mutilations, emasculation and scalping, most of the above mentioned in
the heroic poem verse form & # 8220 ; The Chronicle & # 8221 ; . Most felons who committed a offense and got caught
ne’er once more attempted to make so, or were in so much hurting, ne’er once more could they make
much of anything. The jurisprudence besides permitted work forces to kill other work forces that insulted them, owed
money or were caught kiping with a member of his household ( Page 9 ) .
Wars were fought throughout the history of Anglo-Saxon regulation. They fought the
British in the fifth and 6th centuries, and subsequently on, the Celts until the terminal of their reign.
They besides fought against Viking plunderers who were barbarous mariners. & # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; they viciously
murdered the arch Bishop Aelfheah, whom they were keeping to redeem, by bombarding him
with castanetss and the caputs of cowss & # 8221 ; ( Page 4 ) . The little early Anglo-Saxon lands
invariably warring with one another. No one of all time truly won, but they remained in a
changeless dead end, ever desiring greater wealth and glorification.
Natural catastrophes besides ended many lives. & # 8220 ; & # 8230 ; the pestilence yearss came, / Death
snatched off all the host of work forces, / Their crenelations became waste topographic points, / Their
bastion crumbled & # 8221 ; ( Alexander ) . Many people died from pestilences, dearth, storms and
drouths. & # 8220 ; The Wanderer & # 8221 ; mourns the loss of life due to an unspecified cause as
everything and everyone he one time loved has succumbed to decease.
The Anglo-Saxons believed in a mixture of Catholic faith and heathen imposts
and rites. For the first century and a half of their regulation, pagan religion was favored. Catholic
faith became outstanding merely in the latter four hundred old ages and although most of the
people had converted, many of the heathen beliefs and rites remained.
A great many mystical existences and animals were still sought out in the latter
old ages of Anglo-Saxon reign. & # 8220 ; Often the evil monsters pressed upon me, but with push
of my blade I dealt them just return. They had no opportunity to devour me & # 8221 ; ( Hosford 12 ) .
Amongst these animals, the most popular was the firedrake for it was besides believed in
Catholic faith. The firedrake held hoarded wealths that were plentiful beyond the dreams of
work forces. To murder a firedrake was a title good celebrated and most honest.
Many believed that it was honest to decease in conflict, or to decease protecting your
leader in conflict, which was a affair of pick. If a soldier was to come back from a
conflict without his commanding officer, he would be shunned and disgraced for the remainder of his life
( Page 21 ) . He was besides labeled as & # 8220 ; one without award & # 8221 ; . Bing without award was a
penalty much worse than decease.
Honor was highly of import, and a good adult male & # 8217 ; s word was his bond. In the
verse form & # 8220 ; Apolonius of Tyre & # 8221 ; , a adult male, viz. Apolonius, returned to a state even though
he knew it would be the decease of him. He was given a grace period in which to return
place, split his ownerships and state adieu to his friends and household. The lone
job was that he was Shipwrecked on the manner back to the state in inquiry.
A retainer worked for his maestro out of trueness, non out of force. He would lief
give his life in hello
s service. Beowulf helps other male monarchs in this manner by fring their lands
of evil monsters and protecting the land & # 8217 ; s citizens. By making this, he gained the
regard and award from many people.
One ground for this overzealous trueness was that they believed the male monarch was chosen
by God. In functioning the male monarch, they were in fact functioning God. The male monarch was
in most chance merely an exceeding warrior and good friend whose narrative was
exaggerated to the point of him going a great political leader.
Government, mundane life and beliefs all had a profound influence on the
plants of the Anglo-Saxon period. The writers wrote about the cold, difficult universe
around them, therefore supplying us with great narratives of heroes and escapades. We
can now look back and see what life and civilization was like many old ages ago during
five hundred and 50 old ages of Anglo-Saxon reign.
Annex A
Exert from & # 8220 ; The Ruin & # 8221 ;
Bright were its castles, its many bathing halls,
Its wealth of tall pinnacles, its uproar of warriors,
Many a mead hall filled with gay life,
Until mighty destiny overturned all.
Far and broad the slaughtered fell, the pestilence yearss came,
Death snatched off all the host of work forces.
Their crenelations became waste topographic points,
Their bastion crumbled.
Author Unknown
Annex B
Exert from & # 8220 ; The Wanderer & # 8221 ;
Where is the Equus caballus? Where the hero? Where the hoarded wealth giving prince?
Where the seats at the banquet, where the delectations of the hall?
Alas, bright goblet! Alas, mailed combatant!
Alas, princely power. How that clip has passed off,
Grown dark beneath the dark & # 8217 ; s helmet, as though it had non been.
Author Unknown
Annex C
Exert from & # 8220 ; The Chronicle & # 8221 ;
& # 8230 ; and some he killed in assorted ways,
Some of them were sold for hard currency, some cruelly slaughtered,
Some of them fettered, some blinded,
Some were mutilated, some scalped.
No more awful title has been done in this land
Since the Danes came and took peace at our custodies.
Author Unknown
Annex D
Exert from & # 8220 ; Beowulf & # 8221 ;
Then the Hardy Beowulf remembered his battle-boast. Up he sprang and laid fast
keep upon his enemy. Grendel & # 8217 ; s fingers cracked in that Fe clasp, but the fiend strove ferociously
to twist himself free. He longed to get away to the fens, yet he knew his power was
caught in the strength of this inexorable one. [ … ] As they struggled the monster took a fearful
injury ; a great lesion showed on his shoulder, his tendon cracked and the castanetss broke.
Now was the triumph given to Beowulf, and Grendel, ill unto decease, fled to his lair in
the dark Moor.
Author Unknown
Annex E
Exert from & # 8220 ; Apolonius of Tyre & # 8221 ;
Antiochus was the male monarch of Antioch, and his bosom was evil. His girl was really
beautiful, and so he had an incestuous relationship against her will. To maintain her to
himself, he demanded that her suers must work out a conundrum or dice. Apolonius, the prince
of Tyre, guessed right, but the male monarch said he was incorrect, therefore reprobating him to
decease. Apolonius had a month to return place and state adieu to everybody.
& # 8220 ; What wilt thou bash now, Apolonius? Thou has guessed the male monarch & # 8217 ; s riddle, and thou his
girl hast non received ; hence thou art now condemned that 1000 shouldst be
killed & # 8221 ; . And he so went out and ordered his ship to be loaded & # 8230 ;
Apolonius returns of his ain free will, but he is lost in a shipwreck.
Author Unknown
Alexander, M. & # 8220 ; The Ruin & # 8221 ; . The Earliest English verse forms.
hypertext transfer protocol: //www/ccc/nottingham.ac.uk/ aczsjm/wap/angsp.html ( 1966 )
Hosford, Dorothy. By His Own Might: The Battles of Beowulf. New York: Holt,
Rinehart and Winston, Inc. , 1947.
Page, R.I. Life in Anglo-Saxon England. New York: G.P. Putnam & # 8217 ; s Sons, 1972.
Thorpe, Ben. & # 8220 ; Apolonius of Tyre & # 8221 ; . hypertext transfer protocol: //www.georgetown.edu/cball/apt/apt.html ( 1995 )
