The Anglo-Saxon and the Greek cultures frequently conflict with each other. One of the major discrepancies between the two is the method of burial. While the Anglo-Saxon people preferred cremating the dead, the Greeks preferred to practice inhumation.
In Beowulf, the hero is buried in a pyre. It is stated in the epic poem that “the Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf stacked and decked it until it stood … heavy war-shields and shining armour, just as he ordered… they kindled the hugest of all funeral fires” (211). Cremation is a pagan form of treating the deceased. The Anglo-Saxons believed in paganism, thus, they preferred cremation. Beowulf also requested weapons as well as armors for his funeral, which is another pagan tradition in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Free Anglo-Saxon men were often buried with weapons in the pagan tradition; often a seax, spear, sword, or shield, these weapons were placed to represent the strength and power that characterized the heart of the Anglo-Saxon and to serve as protection in the afterlife. In addition to these weapons, Anglo-Saxons burials were often accompanied with food and jewelry as well.
In contrast, Greek culture emphasized a minimalistic theme in the inhumation burials. Very few objects were actually placed in the grave; instead, the Greek people often constructed elaborate structures to mark the grave and to ensure that the deceased would not be forgotten. Clearly, this was not the case in Beowulf, as Beowulf requested nothing but a heap of combustible material for his funeral. This clear distinction of the requested burial method identified the prevalent Anglo-Saxon culture in the epic poem.
Table 1, period 2: This answer is so complete and thorough. This post to the synthesis question is well answered because it helps people ignorant to the traditions of the cultures understand them, as well as contrast the two cultures. It goes in-depth just enough to show you truly understand the burial rituals and their purposes. It could have been improved by including the effects of the monastic lifestyle to that of the Greeks a little more, but our group feels we still get an idea. Besides that, the answer is very well stated and interpreted. Since your group included a quote it seems to really give a good feeling for the Anglo-Saxon culture. A fantastic job overall.
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