Sara Patterson, Helen Lee, Miranda Gontz, and Tori Kause
A culture conflict was present between the Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons because the Anglo-Saxons borrowed many Greek traditions regarding burial. In many ways the burial traditions were similar but there were also aspects of burial that differed between the two cultures. Both the Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons based their burials on a religious code. The Greeks insisted on burying their dead in the ground, hoping their soul would go to a heaven¾a separate place than that where the Gods reside. Anglo-Saxons believed in burning their dead along with lavish possessions that would accompany them in the afterlife. In Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf, a funeral of this type is described. Heaney writes, “The pyre was heaped with boar-shaped helmets forged in gold, with the gashed corpses of well-born Danes¾many had fallen…Carcass flame swirled and fumed, they stood round the burial mound and howled as heads melted…,” creating an image of mourning and tradition (77). The Anglo-Saxons believed that through the cremation of the body, the soul would escape in the smoke of the flames. They also believed in burying the body as a whole in order to allow that person to be whole in heaven. In contrast to the Greeks who seemed to have a separate heaven for Gods and mortals, the influence of Christianity on the Anglo-Saxons shows that when a soul went to heaven, it was on the same plane as God and that it could achieve entrance in heaven despite their deeds on earth.
It is interesting to find out how the Greek/Romans and the Anglo Saxons have similarities in the way they buried their people. For the Anglo Saxons, it was fascinating to learn that they included things to bring along with them into heaven but on the other hand the Greeks did not want to bring anything, they believed in a traditional burial. In addition to the Greeks burial, they believed that once a person dies, their soul would automatically leave the body to go into heaven. Their bodies were either buried or cremated just like the Anglo Saxons. But in either case, it was important to place a coin with the body because Charon, the ferryman who carries the souls across the river Styx into Hades would always require a payment.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these cultures have their own way of dealing with the dead which is very important to them. The example your team gave with Beowulf for the Anglo Saxon burial was very accurate. It described many elements that are in the Angle Saxon burial including how they liked to buried their dead with as much luxury as possible. It was nice how you guys can find a connection between the literature we have been reading in class and with the synthesis question you have been given.
Your responds to this synthesis was easy to understand. It would have been nice to include an example for the Greek burials but never the less, great job on your responds.
James J, Jenny Z, Caleb O, Dylan M.
Wylie Period 6 Team 3