By the Hrerald's own social commentator and insider, Hrerez Hrilton
The golden days (and nights!) of Hrothgar’s Heorot have once again returned – last night’s bash at the great mead-hall served testament to that. All the King’s men and especially his ladies celebrated the defeat of the most dreaded descendant of Cain in style with jewels glimmering and the mead glowing at what will certainly be the “see-and-be-seen” event of the year (probably the last twelve). The guest of honor – the brave and dazzling (and reportedly single – maidens, take note!) Beowulf simply glowed in the candlelight as he received praise and thanks from every man in the hall. For those of you who’ve spent the last few days in some corner of a swamp, Beowulf traveled with his men from his home to our land to defeat Grendel, which up until now has been both impossible and fatal for all who attempt. The god-like Beowulf, however, had little trouble slaying the horrendous beast with his bare hands and even retained a “trophy” of the monster’s severed arm. The peace he has brought the kingdom served as more than enough reason to re-christen the mead-hall last night.
Besides the heroic son of Ecgtheow, the star of the show last night was undoubtedly the lovely queen. Wealhtheow was smashing as always in a fabulous custom gown from the Hraus of Hresace, and her demure laugh tinkled throughout the hall above the raucous noise of the men. She made quite the statement by serving Beowulf from the mead-cup second only to Hrothgar, revealing how quickly the young Geat’s star has risen. The evening took a slightly solemn turn when she asked Beowulf to promise to protect her sons (who both appear to be well on their way to status as the kingdom’s most eligible bachelors) in the event of the death of Hrothgar. Beowulf, always the perfect gentleman, gallantly accepted, and the hall quickly returned to its high-energy party atmosphere. Wealhtheow and her venerable hubby, Hrothgar, followed up their request with a few fabulous tokens of appreciation: a magnificent set of chainmail and what we think is the most glorious torque ever made. All present at the gala followed the King and Queen’s shining example and gave Beowulf the respect and gratitude he deserves. Notably silent was Unferth, whose lack of participation was a marked improvement from his behavior towards Beowulf upon his arrival (see yesterday’s piece for the full story).
No mead-hall merrymaking would be complete without an appearance by the king’s own storyteller, and last night was no exception. Always a bit wordy in our opinion, the carrier of tales outdid himself with the famous story of Sigemund’s defeat of the dragon. Although we felt quite a few details could have been eliminated, the story was perfectly fitting as a comparison for Beowulf’s own admirable bravery. All in all, the evening was a smashing success, impressing upon us even more the glamour of Hrothgar’s court and the greatness of the Danes. Even more important, we got another chance to truly appreciate the greatness of character (and form – what a stud!) of the great Beowulf. You heard it here first – that Geat is destined for great things. (525)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Weavers of Peace
Although Beowulf is primarily a battle-tale about men and their conquests, it features three prominent female characters (besides Grendel’s mother, who, as a monster, retains very little femininity and does not function as a female character): Wealhtheow, Hrothgar’s wife and Queen of the Danes; Hygd, Wealhtheow’s Geat counterpart and wife of King Hygelac; and Hrothgar and Wealhtheow’s daughter Freawaru. The first two are believed by scholars to represent important principles of hospitality and act as extensions of their husband’s graciousness. Freawaru is often described as an example of the use of daughters as offerings to ensure peace between warring groups and is a tool in her father’s diplomacy.
In her work The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: a New Context, Dorothy Carr Porter of Western Michigan University examines the female characters in Beowulf as tools in the anthropological study of the epic’s setting. She views Wealhtheow and Hygd as playing the role of hostess, important to the story due to the weight placed by Germanic tribes on hospitality. Both are described in the epic as wise, noble, and “mindful of customs”, revealing the positive association with adhering to tradition. Both women fulfill the task of offering the mead cup to all the men during the banquets, beginning with their Kings and going down the social hierarchy. This small ritual actually has important significance: it shows who has favor with the King and who is most respected of the men. Specifically, Parker mentions Beowulf’s receiving of the mead cup. When he first arrives in Hrothgar’s hall, Beowulf must wait until all of the King’s retainers have received the cup before drinking himself. However, after slaying Grendel, Wealhtheow offers him the cup immediately after Hrothgar drinks, showing his ascension to great importance in the King’s circle. In this scene, Hrothgar acts as a literary tool, silently showing the change in Hrothgar’s favor. Although not specifically described by the poet, it is presumed that Hygd fills a similar role in Hygelac’s mead hall, passing the cup from man to man. Because Beowulf is already a member of Hygelac’s circle, it is not necessary for Hygd to reveal his social rank through the mead passing ritual.
Like Wealhtheow and Hygd, Freawaru represents an extension of the King’s power and rule. However, in her case, it is less about social customs and more about politics. She is only mentioned in a brief tangent by Beowulf before he describes his adventure to Hygelac, when he tells how the “young bride-to-be of the gracious Ingeld” (2024), King of the Dane’s rivals, the Heatho-Bards, follows her mother during the mead-passing. She is being married to make amends and smooth ties after Ingeld’s father and many others were killed by the Danes. She is described as a “peaceweaver”, a term Porter identifies as almost always being used when referring to women given “in order to secure peace among enemies or rivals.” She goes on to explain that although this was not a terribly common practice among the Germanic tribes the name makes apparent the openness with which such diplomacy was conducted – Freawaru is obviously a token to Ingeld. Freawaru reveals the ultimate powerlessness of women in a society based on male supremacy and war – she is merely a pawn in her father’s politics, and no one seems surprised by her acceptance of her fate. The hope that “this woman will heal old wounds and grievous feuds” (2028) shows that while men are wholly responsible for war, it is the women who manage peace. Wealhtheow, Hygd and Freawaru all function as peacekeepers, ensuring that the Kings’ worlds – both within their own hall and throughout the world – run smoothly. This role of women as peacekeepers is echoed when the author describes the evil Great Queen Modthryth, a vain and cruel past Queen of the Geats, who punished any man who dared look her in the eye with torture and death. The author concludes this tangent by proclaiming that “A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent” (1942) which is presumably, the role of the men. Although less prominent than their male counterparts, the female characters of Beowulf are crucial both to the epic’s plot and to an understanding of the cultural setting and context of the poem. (708)
Porter, Dorothy Carr. "The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: a New Context." The Heroic Age, Issue 5 (Summer- Autumn 2001). Western Michigan University. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/porter1.html#anchor750551>.
In her work The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: a New Context, Dorothy Carr Porter of Western Michigan University examines the female characters in Beowulf as tools in the anthropological study of the epic’s setting. She views Wealhtheow and Hygd as playing the role of hostess, important to the story due to the weight placed by Germanic tribes on hospitality. Both are described in the epic as wise, noble, and “mindful of customs”, revealing the positive association with adhering to tradition. Both women fulfill the task of offering the mead cup to all the men during the banquets, beginning with their Kings and going down the social hierarchy. This small ritual actually has important significance: it shows who has favor with the King and who is most respected of the men. Specifically, Parker mentions Beowulf’s receiving of the mead cup. When he first arrives in Hrothgar’s hall, Beowulf must wait until all of the King’s retainers have received the cup before drinking himself. However, after slaying Grendel, Wealhtheow offers him the cup immediately after Hrothgar drinks, showing his ascension to great importance in the King’s circle. In this scene, Hrothgar acts as a literary tool, silently showing the change in Hrothgar’s favor. Although not specifically described by the poet, it is presumed that Hygd fills a similar role in Hygelac’s mead hall, passing the cup from man to man. Because Beowulf is already a member of Hygelac’s circle, it is not necessary for Hygd to reveal his social rank through the mead passing ritual.
Like Wealhtheow and Hygd, Freawaru represents an extension of the King’s power and rule. However, in her case, it is less about social customs and more about politics. She is only mentioned in a brief tangent by Beowulf before he describes his adventure to Hygelac, when he tells how the “young bride-to-be of the gracious Ingeld” (2024), King of the Dane’s rivals, the Heatho-Bards, follows her mother during the mead-passing. She is being married to make amends and smooth ties after Ingeld’s father and many others were killed by the Danes. She is described as a “peaceweaver”, a term Porter identifies as almost always being used when referring to women given “in order to secure peace among enemies or rivals.” She goes on to explain that although this was not a terribly common practice among the Germanic tribes the name makes apparent the openness with which such diplomacy was conducted – Freawaru is obviously a token to Ingeld. Freawaru reveals the ultimate powerlessness of women in a society based on male supremacy and war – she is merely a pawn in her father’s politics, and no one seems surprised by her acceptance of her fate. The hope that “this woman will heal old wounds and grievous feuds” (2028) shows that while men are wholly responsible for war, it is the women who manage peace. Wealhtheow, Hygd and Freawaru all function as peacekeepers, ensuring that the Kings’ worlds – both within their own hall and throughout the world – run smoothly. This role of women as peacekeepers is echoed when the author describes the evil Great Queen Modthryth, a vain and cruel past Queen of the Geats, who punished any man who dared look her in the eye with torture and death. The author concludes this tangent by proclaiming that “A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent” (1942) which is presumably, the role of the men. Although less prominent than their male counterparts, the female characters of Beowulf are crucial both to the epic’s plot and to an understanding of the cultural setting and context of the poem. (708)
Porter, Dorothy Carr. "The Social Centrality of Women in Beowulf: a New Context." The Heroic Age, Issue 5 (Summer- Autumn 2001). Western Michigan University. Web. 13 Sept. 2010. <http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/5/porter1.html#anchor750551>.
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