Beowulf: The Pagan Hero Of The Anglo-Saxons | Literary Classics | Absolute History

Anglo-Saxon poetry reflects a fourth or fifth-century Pagan reality, creating noble pagan characters, such as Beowulf, in a Christian context. The tension arises as Christian theology requires damnation for these pagan characters, yet the poet sympathetically presents them in a favorable light. Beowulf, set in a fifth-century Danish Dynasty, exemplifies the heroic ideal of a pagan Anglo-Saxon.

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[Fausus_Official]

I heard a joke once. A father was on his deathbed. His son came to see him and comfort him in his final moments. The father says, "Son, do you know how I lived to be so old?" His son replied, "Please, tell me father." The father said to him sternly as he held his hand, "Two things have served me well in this life: Honesty and Wisdom. Honesty means when you make a promise you keep it even if it brings you trouble. Wisdom is knowing to never make promises."

[hollieBlu]

As a kid I LOVED Beowulf...then I studied both Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales for my A Level English...used it to contrast Judeo-Christian religion/Norse/English pagan religion with Buddhism and the Church of Satan (18 y/o edge lord😅) ....still LOVE Beowulf. I can still remember how the book smelled. It was this fantastic antique copy that I got to look at and I hope I will never forget it. I thought it smelled like the mead hall once the monsters had left... stupid...but it's a full-on nostalgia piece for me!

[saintjacques]

Not sure it's the right niche but if anyone's interested in hardcore Anglo-Saxon history and Germanic religion I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

[GROK]

It's sad that more people aren't aware of this beautiful story. When so many of the modern adventure stories, movies and games are based on this classic writing.

[jessicae.s.]

Everyone should be aware of these stories even if they never have much interest…It’s part of the foundation of our civilization….
I enjoy it all but even if I didn’t I’d want to know the history…

[CSR]

Medieval Europe - region so small, people too few, technology so simple, yet how magnificent is its's history and philosophical and cultural ahchievements. The level of thinking and feeling of whole life and world around.

[megenberg]

we wouldn't know of Beowulf had not a lone monk gone into a blazing monastic fire to rescue it - must have been thought indispensable as history, and perhaps even somehow sacred for its recitation of the human condition as directly relating to the distant past, that is to say, the recorded memory of humankind. a relic of poetry, or a majestic statement of truth? time is very old and only our ancestors were present there, in that place, and in that period. food for the mystery hound, meat for the hungry seeker. at any rate, inquiring minds want to know.

[thelostlegendsoflewesandhamsey]

The Seafarer, Wanderer and the ruin were all very likely* written by the real life Beowulf. They are his own words describing his own life.

[sdrtcacgnrjrc]

Have Seamus Heaney's translation of it -- must dig it out and have a look. Thanks for the upload 👍🏼

[indie_lover]

Oh so it's not just that one YouTuber...

[jimyoung]

"The men of Essex, who in those days were heroic."

[melaniesmith]

Tolkien brought me here also, from Oregon USA

[LarixusSnydes]

It's such a shame that you overdub the old English of the poems rather than just putting subtitles below it. With that, you keep destroying the bridge between the old and new mode of English without a need to do so.

[michaellarson]

I appreciate the perspective presented, that of literature, and what a story means within its place in literature. It is however, the wrong perspective. What you have here, is a real event, and when talking about a real event there are things that you have to stay close to the truth, the main characters and whom they were, where it takes place. Also while northern germanic culture is a little different from Saxon culture... They are similar enough Britains Anglo-Saxons would still remember them from tails told by their grandparents. So one has to be familiar with the rituals and traditions preformed... For example, there is a tradition of verbal dualing where the Jarl or owner of the house initiates by picking a member of the house, or family brings up an event from that person's past, in order to tease the individual by having someone present in a poetic amonner poke holes in the story to see if the protagonist can defend it. This sort of keeps people honest

[Raya]

Roots for Saint George and the Dragon ?

[andreamorrow]

Read Maria Dahvana Headley's translation if you love Beowulf. It's amazing!

[noelryan]

Funny/peculiar, how it's thanks to the Irish Monks from Iona that the A-S were converted to Christianity and learned to write (in Insular Celtic Style). Aldfrith of Northumbria, the supposed 'begetter' of 'Beowolf', and a Poet in Irish, was educated at Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Celtic Scholars such as Prof C W von Sydow noted many extremely close similarities between 'Beowolf' and the much older Irish Saga the 'Tain Bo Fraich'. 🤔So, perhaps the Irish saga was Aldfrith's model?

[kittybitts]

It's not good to speculate about the thoughts and motives of historic figures. The monks who saved the story of Beowulf probably saved it because it was the best piece of writing out of all the writings they found by the pagans just as monks saved the writings of Socrates, Plato and other pre Christians writers and philosophers.

[khoaanh]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation:

00:04 *📜 Anglo-Saxon Poetry Background*
- Anglo-Saxon poetry reflects a Pagan reality.
- Poetry satisfied pre-literate cultures' needs for expression, history preservation, and entertainment.
- The meter and style of Anglo-Saxon poetry are traditional Germanic.
03:23 *🦸 Beowulf: The Noble Pagan*
- Beowulf represents a noble Pagan character.
- Poet faced theological challenges in presenting Pagans in a sympathetic light.
- Beowulf fulfills the heroic ideal but falls short from a Christian perspective.
05:13 *📚 Beowulf: Literary Achievement*
- Beowulf is a significant literary achievement in Anglo-Saxon England.
- Beowulf's survival in manuscripts through the centuries is notable.
- Beowulf's heroic ideals resonate with the Anglo-Saxon culture.
10:34 *⚔️ Heroism in Anglo-Saxon Poetry*
- Heroic subjects dominate surviving Anglo-Saxon poetry.
- Ordinary men's heroism in battles against enemies is a prevalent theme.
- Heroes are depicted sometimes risking themselves unnecessarily out of high heart.
22:09 *🕊️ Christian Themes in Anglo-Saxon Poetry*
- Christian themes intertwine with Anglo-Saxon heroic ideals in poetry.
- The Dream of the Rude and other Christian poems represent unique blending of heroic and Christian elements.
- Beowulf poet acknowledges the hopelessness of the heroic paradigm from a Christian perspective.
26:45 *🐉 Beowulf's Reflections on Human Achievements*
- Beowulf's memories of his past as an Earthly warrior start flooding back to him.
- The poet highlights Beowulf's recollections of past events involving his people, the Geats, and their conflicts with human adversaries.
- The poet portrays Beowulf being overwhelmed by the human dimension of the heroic ideal as he nears his end.
27:41 *🦹‍♂️ Grendel's Lineage and Cosmic Battle*
- The poet portrays Grendel as more than a mere Germanic monster by tracing his lineage back to Cain, the first murderer.
- The mentioning of apocryphal traditions connecting Giants to unions between Earthly women and Fallen Angels adds depth to Grendel's ancestry.
- The nightly visitations in Hrothgar's Hall are depicted as skirmishes in the cosmic battle between good and evil, engaging Anglo-Saxon Christians' beliefs.
28:50 *📜 Appreciating Anglo-Saxon Poetry*
- Understanding Anglo-Saxon poetry requires learning the language due to its opaque nature for modern English speakers.
- Reading Beowulf in its original language opens up a world of high and developed art with its unique meter and brilliant writing.
- The melancholy tone of Anglo-Saxon poetry, along with its excellence and quality, makes it appealing to those who appreciate literary art.

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[hejla]

Excellent 'no frills' documentary. Although the link to Cain is tacked on, I can't see much that is Christian in the poem. The melancholic fatalism points in another direction I would have thought (?).