Heroism for Dummies- Part One

[highlyeccentric]

I'm working on The Dream of the Rood at the moment- an awesomely amazing poem. An English translation can be found here, for those interested. It doesn't look too shabby, based on a quick glance at the first few lines. Anyway, in the process, probably due to the extensive conversations I've been having with goblinpaladin about Christian mythology in general, and Satan in particular, I was struck by the similarities- and contrasts- in the inversion of Þegnshipe and heroism in the portrayals of Satan and of the Rood.
Unfortunately, this won't fit into my essay. There's definitely scope here for an essay on heroism and it's inversion in Anglo-Saxon Christian poetry- which would be appropriate for my Anglo-Saxon course this semester, "Heroism and Christianity", except that I've already written Melanie an enormous Satan essay, and we're not studying either the Dream of the Rood or Genesis B this semester.

Instead, I am going to subject my blog to my thoughts on heroism. No claim to absolute academic accuracy is made. This is another of those projects where I attempt to explain the interest of a topic in layman's terms.

So. Welcome to....

Part One. 

Step One: Find Yourself Some Beer-mates

The pivotal relationship in the anglo-saxon warrior ethos is that of the war-band. Anglo-Saxon society was a Germanic society, and the basic unit of warriors was what Tacitus described as a comitatus. I prefer the Anglo-Saxon terms like "heap", if only because i just like the idea of saying "a heap of warriors came running down the hill". But scholarship persists in using the Latin term, so I'm stuck with it.
"Comitatus values of loyalty and community have been thought to animate such tragic and dramatic high points in Old English literature as the Finnsburh lay in Beowulf... and to provide the philosophic background for the plight of the "exile" or "lordless man" in The Wanderer, the Seafarer and elsewhere."*
The bond between warriors is portrayed as going beyond mere friendship or blood relationship.** The comitatus fight together; they celebrate in the mead-hall; they live and die together. Beowulf, typically, has some wonderful words for one's fellows- my favourite is eaxlgesteallan, shoulder-buddies. To be exiled from one's warband is to be a warrior without identity.

Then we have the relationship between drihten and Þegn. These words roughly translate into "lord" and "warrior". The important thing is that it's not a feudal relationship- i'm a bit hazy on the hair splitting between the two, but that's the way it is. It's a relationship of reciprocity- i give you stuff (honour, wealth, power) and in return you give me stuff (praise, obedience, support). It a deeply emotional bond- the word leofa, beloved, is a fairly common form of address for one's lord. This relationship holds the comitatus together- mutual love for and loyalty to one lord.
It's important to note the central role which gift-giving plays in this relationship. The lord gives treasure- rings are particularly important- to his thanes to reward them for their loyalty and heroic feats.*** They then are obligated to return further loyalty and perform further feats in the lord's service.


*John V. Fleming, "'The Dream of the Rood' and Anglo-Saxon monasticism"- Traditio 22 (pps 43-72), pp 44
**Which, incidentally, isn't unique to Anglo-Saxon society. The death of Roland's best buddy Olivier, in the Chanson du Roland, is heart-rending.
*** If you're interested, go hither and observe Riddle Four and note the manipulation of the ring-giving custom therein.

Further Publications in this series will be forthcoming, including (eventually) "How To Play with Heroism- Advice for Religious Poets"

Comments

[goblinpaladin.livejournal.com]

The Wanderer is one of the most powerful things I've ever read...and I've only read a translation.

I could gush for hours about the Anglo-Saxon love for one's Lord. On and on and on. I feel it was one of the most remarkable and beautiful things about that culture.

I look forward to more posts in this vein.