Friday, September 30, 2011
Wyl.P6.T2 Anglo-Saxon Synthesis Response
During the period of the Anglo-Saxon there existed many different forms of how to bury the dead. The Anglo-Saxon took a pagan approach to the subject. They believed in both dealing with the body and spirit of the deceased. The most probable way the spirit would make a safe passage to the afterlife was to burin the body. One of the common rituals, for nobility, consisted of placing the body on an extravagant boat and sending the burning boat off into the sea with gifts, animal sacrifices, and a weapon. This form of sacrifice was preformed in the epic poem “Beowulf”. The mighty warrior was sent off to the afterlife with a similar sacrifice to honor his great deeds. In contrast, the Greeks preferred to burry their dead in the ground with no harm to the body. They focused on the afterlife rather than the time on earth. In the literary work “Beowulf” there also exists Christian influence, whom also believe in the Greek burial system. In an interview with translator/author Seamus Heaney, he states that the author lived in “two worlds”, that of pagan past and that of newfound Christianity. The poem uses both a Greek viewpoint and an Anglo-Saxon viewpoint thus emphasizing the cultural clash of the two burial systems.
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ReplyDeleteThe post nicely tied "Beowulf" and Anglo-Saxon culture together, and the details given about the way to honor the deceased really indicated the social values of such people. The religious and spiritual sacrifice led to a further understanding in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The post can be improved by having a specific examples on how the society and people will respond or are effective by the christian belief. This post is well thought through and composed.
ReplyDeletePS. There are some typos...and the previous comment was a mistake.
Dan Qi, Steven Li, Kevyn Fox, Samudra Thio
Wylie Period 5 Team 7
Add on to the previous comment.
ReplyDeleteThe Anglo-Saxon social structure consisted of tribes led by chiefs, who often earned their titles and respect by being a great warrior and contributed to the society. Though many perceived Anglo-Saxons as vicious warriors, the people are extremely into arts and literature. Besides the the Old English and warrior dialect, Anglo-Saxons simplified and embellished the language so that it could flow in a more elegant way. Such effort proves not only the literacy but also the desire for a better life present in the Anglo-Saxon society. The Anglo-Saxons have many ideals, such as the ideal of religion and hero. Previously dominated by Germanic paganism, Anglo-Saxon society adopted Christianity as its main practice and brought peace and love into its community. Although the indigenous religious practice was replaced by Christianity, the Anglo-Saxons, however, managed to keep many of their old language, an indication of the mixture of traditions and new ideas. Many heroes were present in the Anglo-Saxon society, and they share many similar traits such as eagerness to seek glory, rather than richness, loyalty towards not only rules but also followers, and a belief of both faith and fate deeply rooted in the Anglo-Saxon society. Those elements of people and community are what made Anglo-Saxons such a special group of people, leaving thousands of legends and figures to be admired and loved.