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Hard Question - Jamie Peters

Okay, I know that we talked a little bit about the treasure gained by Beowulf in the barrow, but now I am really getting into the discussion. It seems that there are contradictory ideas concerning the weapons and treasures of the past in Beowulf. On one hand, a common theme that runs throughout the story is the tried and true ideal, the belief that since something worked so well in the past, it must still work today. There are many places where this idea is prevalent, like the armor bestowed upon Wiglaf or Beowulf's sword Naegling, which, "...infallible before that day, / failed when he unsheathed it, as it never should have" (2620-2625, 2585-2586). Like many items we in the present hold dear, like the Bible, the sword and armor featured above have gone through the test of time and succeeded; therefore, they will last forever in their owners' minds.

In contrast, all the items that had been proven true before Beowulf's time suddenly fell to pieces, disproving their theory. Furthermore, when these items failed, death was inevitable. That inevitability applied to both Beowulf and Beowulf's people because, although their hero had endured much, as soon as he died, their world was soon to follow. The reason for me pointing these things out is to try and answer the question "Did the people in this work really trust these relics of the past, or were they just objects that pointed to the inevitability of downfall?" 


I commented on Haylee Lynd's and Logan's posts.

Comments

  1. Caroline TuckerMarch 1, 2021 at 3:48 PM

    This idea is still prevalent in today’s culture and time. We, as Christians, need to remember that in the end all will fail or melt away. The only thing that will stay constant and will outlast time is God. This is something I have to remind myself constantly. I need to remind myself that all but God will fail me.

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  2. IsabelleMarch 2, 2021 at 9:19 AM

    The continuous theme of worldly things failing at the worst possible moment is prevalent in the works we are reading. Augustine's reliance on worldly pleasures and knowledge led him to misery until he converted. Everyman expected his "goods" to go with him in death. Beowulf's old and new swords break in a fights against monsters. I believe the answer to this question is worldly things will always fail. It is important to trust in the Holy Spirit instead of a trusty sword.

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