Saturday, October 12, 2019
A Comparison of the Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems :: comparison compare contrast essays
The Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems       Is the sword mentioned only in Beowulf or is it a common element in all Anglo-Saxon poetry? Is the sword described the same way as in Beowulf?  In â€Å"Beowulf and Archaeology†Catherine M. Hills states: â€Å"The most important weapon referred to in Beowulf is the sword†(305). In the poem lines 1557 ff. tell the poet’s description of the sword Beowulf finds in the mere:  Then he saw among the armor  a victory-bright blade made by the giants,                              an uncracking edge, an honor for its bearer,             the best of weapons, but longer and heavier                          than any other man could have ever carried            in the play of war-strokes, ornamented, burnished,            the work of giants.  Attention is now focused on the sword-hilt: â€Å"he grabbed the belted hilt†(1563). In the next line is mentioned hringmael or â€Å"ring ornamented†/†ring-patterned†as refering to the sword Beowulf found. This might refer to â€Å"ring swords†found in Kentish graves of the sixth century and Scandinavian graves of the seventh century (Cramp 125-6). Line 1616 uses broden-mael, â€Å"wavy-ornamented†/†wavy-patterned†in reference to the sword which has melted because of the monster’s blood. Whether the translator sees these adjectives as referring to the hilt or to the blade does not matter, archaeologically speaking, because circular and interlacing patterns are found on both blades and hilts throughout the Anglo-Saxon period. These wavey or ring patterns occur from the twistng or weaving of the bands of hard and soft iron.  Lines 1687 ff. describes the Grendel sword hilt:  Hrothgar spoke,                                  examined the hilt, great treasure of old.                            There was engraved the origin of past strife,             when the flood drowned, the pouring ocean killed                       the race of giants. Terribly they suffered,              were a people strange to eternal God;                                    their final payment the ruler sent them                                by the rushing waters. On its bright gold facings                      there were also runes set down in order,                                engraved, inlaid, which told for whom                            the sword was first worked, its hair-keen edges,                              twisted gold scrolled in the hilt,                                the woven snake-blade.  Regarding the runes on the sword hilt, G. Stephens in his Handbook of Runic Monuments maintains that the only Anglo-Saxon runic inscription on a sword hilt is on the Gilton sword, and that it is unintelligible (Cramp 128).
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