Weapons in the Anglo-Saxon Society
In the Anglo-Saxon society, weapons and treasure show power and wealth, and in Beowulf the loss of the importance of weapons and treasure parallels the downfall of the Anglo- Saxon society.
Throughout the poem, the scops tell of the giving of treasures and ancient weapons to warriors as part of the comitatus code. The comitatus code is the giving of gifts from a king to his warriors for the good deeds they do. Hrothgar promises to give Beowulf much treasure if he defeats Grendel, saying that he will make sure Beowulf's ship is filled with treasure when he leaves for the land of the Geats, and again he promises to reward Beowulf if he defeats Grendel's Mother. Hrothgar gives Beowulf many gifts after Beowulf defeats Grendel. He receives treasure and ancient weaponry from Hrothgar including Hrothgar's own helmet, which he uses against Grendel's Mother. Beowulf also displays the comitatus code. As Beowulf returns to his ship to head home he rewards to Danish soldier who watches his ship with a golden handled sword. This shows that Beowulf learns from Hrothgar the importance of giving gifts and treasures.
The first evidence of the importance of treasure is in the prologue, as the scop tells the story of Shild and Beo. After the time of his passing, Shild's men place his body
on a ship with all of his treasures piled around him. In the Anglo-Saxon society this was an honorable form of burial. The Sutton Hoo, a burial ship once found by archaeologists contained many ancient treasures and armor, including "a helmet-cum-mask...a coat of mail...a magnificent sword and the harness belonging to it complete with a great gold belt-buckle...and a elaborately mounted shield that measured almost a yard across"(Tuso, 92). Gold coins are also found on the ship. This shows the importance of treasures and weapons because the King on the Sutton Hoo cherished his treasures and armor and so he was buried with them. Shild found his treasures important and thus had them buried with him.
In the Anglo-Saxon society, weapons and treasure show power and wealth, and in Beowulf the loss of the importance of weapons and treasure parallels the downfall of the Anglo- Saxon society.
Throughout the poem, the scops tell of the giving of treasures and ancient weapons to warriors as part of the comitatus code. The comitatus code is the giving of gifts from a king to his warriors for the good deeds they do. Hrothgar promises to give Beowulf much treasure if he defeats Grendel, saying that he will make sure Beowulf's ship is filled with treasure when he leaves for the land of the Geats, and again he promises to reward Beowulf if he defeats Grendel's Mother. Hrothgar gives Beowulf many gifts after Beowulf defeats Grendel. He receives treasure and ancient weaponry from Hrothgar including Hrothgar's own helmet, which he uses against Grendel's Mother. Beowulf also displays the comitatus code. As Beowulf returns to his ship to head home he rewards to Danish soldier who watches his ship with a golden handled sword. This shows that Beowulf learns from Hrothgar the importance of giving gifts and treasures.
The first evidence of the importance of treasure is in the prologue, as the scop tells the story of Shild and Beo. After the time of his passing, Shild's men place his body
on a ship with all of his treasures piled around him. In the Anglo-Saxon society this was an honorable form of burial. The Sutton Hoo, a burial ship once found by archaeologists contained many ancient treasures and armor, including "a helmet-cum-mask...a coat of mail...a magnificent sword and the harness belonging to it complete with a great gold belt-buckle...and a elaborately mounted shield that measured almost a yard across"(Tuso, 92). Gold coins are also found on the ship. This shows the importance of treasures and weapons because the King on the Sutton Hoo cherished his treasures and armor and so he was buried with them. Shild found his treasures important and thus had them buried with him.
