Asher.Period 1.Team 8.Anglo-Saxon Era

“The Battle of Maldon” is an old poem detailing the real life “Battle of Maldon,” in which Anglo-Saxon warriors were unable to hold off the Vikings from invading. There is a definite Anglo-Saxon theme within this poem; Byrhtnoth, a soldier within the Anglo-Saxon army is angry, and refuses the opportunity to not fight. Instead, he claims that his blood is on fire with the desire to fight, and rushes into conflict. This contradicts the Greek idea that fighting is generally to be avoided. Greek heroes also tend to be defined by a few characteristics: they are intelligent, and of noble character, except for a fatal flaw they might have. Anglo-Saxon heroes are generally characterized by their brute strength. In “The Battle of Maldon,” many of the original “heroes” that are introduced end up fleeing battle as soon as the battle starts. The English lord Offa flees at the very beginning, taking Byrhtnoth’s horse with him. This is a very Anglo-Saxon trait: Offa is incredibly muscular and strong, however, his character does not match up. However, within this poem, there is a quality very common to Greek tragedies: catharsis. Catharsis is when the Greek hero realizes that he has doomed himself because of his fatal flaw or error. Byrhtnoth experiences a catharsis when he realizes that he will soon die in this battle – this battle could have been avoided had he not been so full of bloodlust. Greek heroes are also characterized by their single flaw, called the “hamartia.” Byrhtnoth also dooms himself because of his fatal flaw – too much pride. Byrhtnoth leads the Vikings into his island, believing that he could beat them off. However, this gives the Vikings more room to battle and attack. This ultimately leads to Byrhtnoth’s death. Is that odd enough, do you think?