3 The age of exploration and economic growth

YOUR TEXTS EXPLAINED 1 From the origins to the end of the Middle Ages

At the roots of British identity

Beowulf’s last words and wishes

Beowulf’s inevitable fate: death

Fusion of pagan elements and Christian themes Enjoy!

Beowulf’s death 1

Enjoy!

T2

p. 33

That was so tragic, so noble, so sad: to see my lord Beowulf burn, to collect his weapons, to hear his last words, still full of love for us, his people. But he died in honour, and that is what we live and die for: fame.

Beowulf is about to die but he is not alone on his death bed. Wiglaf is beside him, a young kinsman who has helped him in the fight against the dragon. Beowulf’s last words express gratitude to the Lord who has allowed him to bequeath to his people the treasure that he found in the dragon’s den. With death imminent, the old King orders the construction of a great burial mound on the coast as a reminder of his own glory. The tumulus will loom on the horizon and the sailors navigating past that place will call it Beowulf’s Barrow. Beowulf then appoints Wiglaf as his successor passing on to him his own golden collar, the token of a glorious past to be perpetuated, together with his own war shirt and gilded helmet. This acts as a symbolic investiture, accompanied by Beowulf’s words on his inevitable fate. All the warriors of the Waegmund family, in fact, have died and the old King must now follow them

accepting his destiny with resignation.

The last lines are about the ‘furious’ fire that will burn Beowulf’s pyre. His body will disappear, but the fame of his deeds will live on and his soul will survive among ‘the steadfast ones’.

The reference to the soul has a strong Christian connotation. The fusion of pagan elements (the dragon, Beowulf’s power and material legacy, the hint at fate, the death-pyre) with Christian themes and values (gratitude, self-sacrifice, generosity, moral legacy) creates a dramatic tension that results in a sense of both sadness and tenderness for the old hero. The dying

Beowulf is the emblem of values and ideals which still appeal to us today, probably because they are difficult to find in our society: courage, determination, self-sacrifice for a higher purpose, for the common good.

YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSE

• Beowulf has risked his life several times and he has sacrificed himself to guarantee the survival of his people.

He now faces death with his usual courage, as he has faced the many trials life has forced him to deal with.

His force has always resided in his patience, strength and faith. The reward for this is incomparable. Beowulf’s Barrow will “loom on the horizon … and be a reminder” for everybody. This is what heroes in the 8th century were like. What is your reaction to such a generous, heroic character? How much do today’s heroes have in common with Beowulf?