Preview

On What Occasions Does Norse Mythology Play an Important Role in Beowulf? Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
979 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
On What Occasions Does Norse Mythology Play an Important Role in Beowulf? Essay Example
Introduction On what occasions does Norse Mythology play an important role in Beowulf? Throughout the story of Beowulf, Norse Mythology has been an important factor of the story’s continuation. While they both have interactions with Christianity, they are both very important. Norse Mythology has existed as early as the 10th century. Just like how Beowulf, and many other epics have been told, Norse mythology was preserved through the tradition of oral preservation.
Norse Mythology It is said that there are twelve major Norse gods. This is of similar to the twelve chief Roman gods and goddesses. Odin was the chief god and only had one eye, while the god of war, Tyr, only had one arm. This meant that in Northern Europe, this mythology did not emphasize on the gods and goddesses beauty. Buri was the the first Norse god and was the grandfather of Odin. According to Norse mythology, the world was created when Frost-Giant Ymir was killed by Odin and his brothers. There are five supernatural races in the Norse religion. They are the Aesir, Vanir, Giants, Dwarves and the Valkyries. Although Norse Mythology is old and is much forgotten, there are many influences in modern society! The Nordic gods have left much vocabulary for the Germanic language. One example that can be seen from this are the days of the weeks. Each day represented a god, or the sun and moon. In Norse Mythology, there were nine worlds that was broken down into three levels: Niflheim- The world of fog, Muspelheim- The world of fire, and Asgard- The home of the gods. This was similar to the Roman’s view too (underworld, etc). The twelve Norse gods were Odin, Frigga, Thor, Balder, Tyr, Frey, Freya, Heimdall, Loki, Hel, Idun, and Kvasir. Odin was the chief god and was also god of poetry, battle, and death. He was very similar to Zeus from Greek mythology. Frigga was Odin’s wife and was very wife. Both of them have had many affairs. Thor was the son of Odin and is the god of thunder. Thursday was

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Throughout his battles, Beowulf personifies the motifs of reputation, vengeance, and fate which contribute to the overall epic theme. Each of these contrasting themes contribute as to why Beowulf was such a tremendous epic hero. Beowulf, a young warrior with an honorable family name to be upheld, must venture off and seek his own reputation and identity among the sprawling branches of the family tree. With this thought, he seeks out to battle the mighty fiend Grendle armed with his two own bare hands. With much vengeance being sought out, Grendle’s mother goes after Beowulf for harming her son which only prevokes Beowulf’s own revenge on Grendle’s mother for slaughtering one of Hrogthgar’s best warriors, Esther. Later on in life as an aged and wise king, Beowulf single handedly faces his own fate by battling the dragon. By crumbling under the dragon’s rage, death has been accepted and has furthered his name.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Norse Gods Research Paper

    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Odin was the king of Asgard and the ruler of Aesir he was also the lord of war, death and knowledge. Odin had two ravens Hugin and Munin, everyday he sent them to gather information. Whenever Odin travelled he rode on an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir and two wolves Geri and Freki also accompanied him.…

    • 1478 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hero and Essay 1-beowulf

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf is an old English poem of heroism, and is noted as the most important piece of literature of that time period. The poem itself consists of over 3000 lines and was composed around the seventh century. The tale is of a heroic warrior that finds himself faced with danger several times during his life. The poem is very suspenseful, in that there are kings, dragons and demons that battle each other for power. During different parts of the poem, you are left to wonder, what is going to happen? Who is to be the victor in the battle? Will Beowulf become a legendary hero? The answer is, yes. Beowulf will be the victor, and along the way, prove what it means to be courageous, have strength, and most important of all, selflessly protect those around him.…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Vikings had many legends and myths in their society. They believed in many gods and goddesses. Their gods had very distinct personalities that were like human personalities. The king of their gods was Odin. Thor and Frey were also very important gods. They had a place they called Valhalla where the Viking warriors believed they would go to start a new life if they were killed in battle. They had other gods and goddesses that were associated with agriculture, fertility, and other parts of their life.…

    • 606 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay Example on Beowulf

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Anglo-Saxon culture embraces virtues such as courage, strength, loyalty, cunning, and generosity. These virtues are exemplified by the epic hero Beowulf. Beowulf possesses each of these characteristics. Throughout the epic tale of Beowulf, the hero displays each of these virtues through his actions and adventures.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the beginning, God created the heaven and the universe. This is found in the Cristian Bible. In the beginning for the Greeks, three immortal beings came to life from an emptiness. Gaea was mother earth, Tartarus the ruler of the underworld and Eros, who was love and was the inspiration to create many gods to come. Gaea gave birth to her children without a partner, Uranus (Father Sky), Ourea (Mountains) and Pontus (Sea) and so the world began. Uranus and Gaea were equals and married each other. They had their children, which were three Hundred-Handed Giants and three Cyclopes. Uranus feared his children and band then into the deepest part of Gaea, who is technically the Earth, until they were trapped in Tartarus, the underworld. For this Gaea looked for revenge quietly and patiently. Gaea and Uranus kept conceiving children. The next ones born were the thirteen Titans who later will become the oldest generation of the Greek gods. The Titans were Helios, god of the sun, Oceanus, god of the river, Themis, goddess of prophecy, Rhea, goddess of the earth, who married her brother Cronus and later became the parents of the Greek gods, Atlas, the strongest god who held up the sky so it would not fall, Prometheus, most intelligent and clever, Epimetheus who married Pandora, the first mortal woman.…

    • 1521 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Which is better? To be a king or to be a hero? To those who are deeply infatuated with the feeling of complete power and authority, the correct answer is a king. To those who get a thrill from being responsible for the wellbeing of others; or to those who are fascinated by the thought of being a legend and their name going down in history, the correct answer is a hero. Beowulf chose to become the latter of the two previous choices, despite what the population wanted. Beowulf cared more for the heroic image and respect, rather than the initial wealth and status that comes with being a king.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Epic Hero Essay

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages

    way. Rather than attacking him with a sword like every other Geat, he grabs onto…

    • 446 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself" -Joseph Campbell. The story I'm writing about is the Epic poem call Beowulf, which was translated by Burton Raftel. Beowulf is a hero who defeated many monster that are killing innocent people. In his life, as a hero, Beowulf shows that he is bossy, independent, and fearless; which are all the qualities of a real Epic hero.…

    • 454 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Part A- Beowulf like all epic hero’s is strong loyal and brave. These characteristic are what define Beowulf, and instill fear is his enemies. He boasts about “(driving) / five great giants into chains” (248-249) and “In the blackness of night, hunting monsters” (251). Beowulf protects his followers and king, and is proud of his accomplishments. He strives for greatness, his words are arrogant but his actions shine through his overbearing pride and give him the capability to be heroic. (Part B) Beowulf is an epic hero; he takes great pride in his actions, unlike Grendel who feels jealous of humans which causes him to be spiteful towards them: “ Grendel snatched at the first Geat / He came to (and) Ripped him apart” (313-314). Grendel’s pride lays in the fear he instills on humans, without pride Grendel would be a monster with no motive to kill. Furthermore, Beowulf’s pride stems…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nevertheless, the Vikings, like all cultures, had beliefs of their own! Their faith evolved around the gods and goddesses of Norse mythology – the ones who supposedly decided on their fate, life or death.…

    • 623 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Two myths that I have chosen for my paper are on the Norse culture of Iceland Vikings and the Genesis creation of the Hebrew origin of Christian culture. Both creation myths begin with a void where chaos or conflict develops. The Norse myth narrates a conflict between the fiery realm or Muspell and the dark, cold realm of Niflheim within the emptiness called ginnungagap and where nothing could grow. The Genesis conflict was between God and nothing, loneliness, and the need to create something wonderful and beautiful.…

    • 901 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who is your favorite superhero? There are many heroes around us and some we may not know. The very first hero is Beowulf he was a hero to his people and done many good. He was the one who started doing well.…

    • 483 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Is A Hero Essay

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf is said to be a hero because he defeated Grendel and stopped him from…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Traditional Viking Religion

    • 4703 Words
    • 19 Pages

    Some Vikings believed that the world was made up of several circles of different worlds; all of them connected in some way. Others believed in the nine worlds that were all connected by the world tree, referred to as Yggdrasil (Roberts). Yggdrasil was at the center of the world, and had nine roots, each root branching out to one of the worlds.…

    • 4703 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Better Essays