Beowulf and Norse Mythology

A detailed Summary of Beowulf and Norse Mythology

In Beowulf, many beliefs had to do with Norse mythology, from the way they buried their dead to their thoughts on war and violence. In Norse mythology, a person's honor depends on the way they die; a hero proves himself by dying while fighting the forces of evil, not by conquering it. (Hamilton, 444). Beowulf becomes a hero by dying while fighting the dragon. In most religions, Mythology is used to explain the world in which a person lives. For the Anglo-Saxons, the world was filled with war and violence. Norse mythology explains the world, and justifies the kind of people that they are. The gods and goddesses live in a hostile environment filled with war and violence. As Yves Cohat said, "Viking gods (Norse Gods), like the individuals who created them, were violent, ardent, and passionate. They displayed the qualities the Vikings valued in themselves-brutality, anger, lust, humor, strength and guile." (Cohat, 105). Inevitably the whole religion as well as the people who practiced it are doomed to destruction.

The gods were created by their worshipers, and were therefore very much like the Norsemen. The gods and humans had very close relations and were even thought of as companions (Cohat 10). No one h

Another instance in Beowulf occurs during the boat burial of King Scyld. The king was placed on a boat with many treasures, jewels and weapons, and left to sail back to where he came from before he ruled their land. It has many parallels to the burial rights used for the Norsemen (Davidson 73). The Norse gave important leaders or heroes impressive burials after death, much like the one in Beowulf.

The gods were always threatened by their enemies and other forces. In Norse mythology, there are nine separate worlds (Cohat 113). Asgard is the realm of the gods and goddesses, and Midgard is the realm of the humans. Many of the other realms are threatening to Midgard; homes of giants, serpents, and other enemies are always ready to attack Midgard. The realm that supports the entire world is Utgard; it is held by a serpent who, if let free, will destroy the entire universe. Gods and goddesses are not genuinely immortal; they can die, and will die just like other humans. The gods know that they will die, and the Ragnarok (the prediction of the end of the world) will eventually come. Odin's job is to gain as much knowledge as possible, and prolong the destruction of the world (Hamilton, 455).

Thor was the favorite god of the people, and was most like them. He was also extremely strong (Davidson, 59). His prize possession was his hammer, Mojollnir, which he would use against enemies. His other possessions consisted of a belt which made him stronger when it was worn; his gloves, which allowed him to crush rocks, and his chariot lead by goats. He was so important to the people because he would protect them form evil. He would ride across the sky with his hammer in his chariot, protecting everyone from giants, monsters and other enemies.

This is what the worshipers of these gods believed in. Even from the beginning of their religion, they gave elaborate descriptions of gods killing enemies.

Thor's hammer was the most important treasure: it was used to protect the people and gods against their enemies. The hammer was made of gold, and the only flaw was in the handle; it was slightly unfinished, and a bit too short. In the myth, the hammer was given to Thor by his enemy Loki. In a mischievous act, Loki had cut off the hair of Sif, Thor's wife (Davidson 67). So to spare his own life, Loki repaid Thor by finding

Some common words found in the essay are:
Bor Ymir's, Odin Thor, Mimir Human, Norse Gods, Thor Loki, World Beowulf, Beowulf Fighting, Loki Fennir, Sif Thor's, King Scyld, norse mythology, war violence, gods humans, gods goddesses, creation story, war violence norse, living creatures, death living, head god, god war, filled war, filled war violence, death living creatures, violence norse mythology,

Approximate Word count = 1579
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English