The life of the Anglo-Saxon people is heavily depicted throughout The Exeter Book and Beowulf. A lot can be misunderstood about the Anglo-Saxon culture. At first glance, it could be seen as almost savage, where gruesome fighting played a major role in day to day life. However, these people were more than just cold hearted warriors. They in fact, valued an important concept that is still valued in present day society…this concept is known as community. In Beowulf, Heorot Hall served as a means to illustrate this. It was the “common area” or the place where allegiance was rewarded, customs were preserved, and great stories were shared. Also, in relation to community, the people of a land in Anglo-Saxon life cared about their king. The king fought for his people and kept his kingdom in one piece. Therefore, when death had struck Beowulf, the Geats gave back to their righteous king by way of a grand funeral. Additionally, community is something that simply cannot be broken. Within the lines of “The Husband’s Message” in The Exeter Book, two lovers were separated. The communal bond between them, though, was strong and thus allowed for a possible reunion. Thus, Beowulf along with The Exeter Book elucidates the importance of a closely knit society in regards to the Anglo-Saxon culture.
Heorot Hall gave Hrothgar and the people of his kingdom a sense of pride; “… [it was] meant to be a wonder of the world forever; / it would be his throne-room and there he would dispense / his God-given goods to young and old” (Heaney 7). It sent a message of “power” to both neighbors and opposing countries over seas. Yet, this great mead hall also brought the king closer to his people. It was truly a place of congregation. “Inside Heorot / there was nothing but friendship…/ harp tunes and tales of adventure” (Heaney 67, 71). All stories and poems were told throughout the midst of great feasts. These feasts occurred multiple times throughout Beowulf; the most important one being after the defeat of Grendel. It served as a celebratory act and also as a rebirth of a once broken community. Furthermore, during every one of Grendel’s raids, Heorot Hall continually experienced some sort of damage. However, the damage was always repaired, quickly. For if the mead hall was in ruins, the community was in ruins too.
Beowulf was king of the Geats. Throughout his reign, he proved to be a true man to all of his people. Page 159 in Beowulf, tells of how a dragon set Beowulf’s kingdom up in flames. Infuriated, he begins to plot revenge on the dragon. Beowulf eventually kills the beast but looses his own life by doing so. Out of respect, the people of Geatland give him a funeral. This is exactly how a community works; people give back to one another. When Beowulf slew the dragon he was avenging the loss of his peoples’ home. Yes, Beowulf himself died as well, but that is the whole point. Since he was dead, the Geats could give him an honorable funeral. Therefore, they were giving back to the person who had always fought their battles and stood as a hero.
Family was an important part of Anglo-Saxon culture, and it meshed in conjunction with the overall take on community. If a family was forced to split, even if that family only consisted of a wife and a husband, the bond between them still lasted forever. In lines thirty-eight through forty-nine in “The Husband’s Message”, a husband writes to his wife and recollects on what has caused him to not see her for so long. He was banished from his country, but still longs to see her and he states that she is the only thing he wants in his life. “As long as life shall be in him, he’ll long / To fulfill the vows and the love you shared” (Raffel 54-5). The tie between the husband and wife was unbreakable. When the Anglo-Saxons committed themselves to something, they committed themselves for life. A marriage was one of those life long commitments. If a couple were to sever it, they would only weaken their part in being community orientated.
In conclusion, Beowulf and The Exeter Book highly support the fact that Anglo-Saxon culture was built upon the value of community. While Heorot Hall served to define this value, love within a family and the relationship between a king and his people showed how the value actually worked in a society.
Works Cited
Heaney, Seamus, Trans. Beowulf. New York
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