Beowulf and the Funeral Ritual

By Chris and Noah

Introduction

3 funerals: Shield Sheafson, Hildeburg’s relatives, and Beowulf

A fourth? “The Lay of the Last Survivor”

Each funeral represents a change in the story—in the setting, plot or mood

Recurring themes: the importance/life cycle of gold, glory in battle, warrior mentality

Shield Sheafson

Shield Sheafson

Mood: ‘Death is honorable,’ begins the poem with sense of glory and great respect when he is sent out to sea’

Main Theme: Glory in Battle/Warrior Mentality “scourge of many tribes, a wrecker of mead-

benches, rampaging among foes…” (3)’

Explains the main theme in their society: glory in battle is rewarded; treasure is used to reward victory in battle

Shield Sheafson

Gold: His body is cast away at sea with treasured possessions

Gold and treasure is used to represent the King’s greatness, being given back to the sea to live on “the great ring giver…I have never heard of a ship so

well furbished…” (5)

Each item is described to show its importance “far-fetched treasures, battle tackle, bladed weapons,

coats of mail…” (5)

His death was mourned and he was ‘cast away’ to drift forever

Hildeburh’s Relatives

Hildeburh’s Relatives

‘Saga of the Finns’ sung at Heorot after Beowulf’s victory over Grendel

Hildeburh, her brother Hnaef and King Finn fight in Finn’s hall and both die in battle, set on funeral pyre together to burn

Change in mood: the sad story of Hildeburh offers a foreboding feeling immediately after a Danish ‘victory’ leads to conflict with Grendel’s mother

Hildeburh’s Relatives

Consequences of war: Hildeburh’s husband, brother, and son are killed great sorrow and remorse instead of reverence, vicious/bloody side of war, being on pyre together signifies communal loss, mourning “how could she [Hildeburh] not lament her fate

when morning came and the light broke on her murdered dears?” (72)

Glory: death is no longer ‘majestic,’ being cast away, but instead is fiery, very reminiscent of Hell

Hildeburh’s Relatives

Warrior mentality? The story describes the ugly side of battle—a stark contrast from the ‘glory’ described in Shield Sheafson’s funeral

Gory details to describe vicious side of battle and change course in the poem, criticism of warrior culture/mentality? “the flesh on his bones to sputter and blaze beside his

uncle’s…heads melted, crusted gashes spattered and ran bloody matter…” (75)

Gold: ‘Effulgent gold’ is described and some items forged in gold are put on pyre, in a way mocking glory of battle? Life cycle of gold ends…

Beowulf

Beowulf

Combination of pyre and burial

Fitting end for the poem: mood is mournful but glory has been restored, but not glory of warrior? Instead of wrecker of mead-benches, Beowulf was the

“man most gracious and fair-minded, kindest to his people and keenest to win fame…” (209)

Glory: greatness of his life is displayed in funeral, dragon’s hoard is buried with Beowulf

Biggest difference: comparison to Shield Sheafson “it was their hero’s memorial…mourning his loss as a

man and a king…gave thanks for his greatness” (209)

Beowulf

Gold in great abundance is buried with Beowulf, jewels, torques author says gold is under gravel, “gone to earth, as useless to

men now as it ever was,” criticism of warrior culture Change in the importance of gold? Great sorrow in their leader’s

death and their society coming to an end makes gold seem useless

Dragon’s remains are cast over the cliff to sea connection to Sheafson’s funeral and poem comes full circle, related to ‘life cycle’ of gold

Grand funeral with the most precious items, his best warriors rode around the tomb

4th Funeral?

“Lay of the Last Survivor”

Theory of 4th “funeral” in Beowulf

Last man of an ancient race stows all of his people’s treasures in a cave and waits to die

Comparable to Shield Sheafson’s burial with the things that are buried “I am left with nobody to bear a sword or burnish plated goblets, put

a sheen on the cup… the hard helmet, hasped with gold… the coat of mail… no trembling, no tuned timber, no tumbling hawk, no swift horse” (151).

Mentioning of “tumbling hawk” refers to end of life, hawk flying in and out of mead hall represents a life

Change: gold has not reached its ‘final resting place’ and is ‘cursed’

Real Burials

Real Burials

There have been many findings of different burials from medieval times.

There were many burial mounds during the early stages of medieval times

Ship burials were quickly adapted Ship burials involved the dead corpse being placed in a ship, and it would

either be cast to see, or left on land, and depending on the location, set on fire

Many great jewels, armor, gold, and other important artifacts were always left with the corpse

Conclusion: While the Hildeburh’s Relatives being burned on the same pyre is a stretch, and there is no proof of any ancient race stowing away all of its treasures, the descriptions of funerals in Beowulf are very accurate descriptions compared to what they would have been

Ibn Fadlan

Ibn Fadlan

Ahmed ibn Fadlan, a writer from the 10th century, wrote a description of a Scandinavian burial

Dead chieftain placed in temporary grave for 10 days while being guarded by one of his female servants, who was encouraged to drink and sleep around with the men working

The dead chieftain is then placed in proper attire and is prepared to be burned, while the servant woman was strangled and stabbed

They are both burned together on the chieftains pyre related to Hildeburh’s relatives’ burial

Sutton Hoo

Sutton Hoo

Located in south-east Suffolk, England

A large field that is the site of many different ship burials and mound burials

Is being funded to be both studied in more depth, as well as to be protected

Describes burial sites in Beowulf would likely be similar to Sutton Hoo

Thank You

Works Cited

http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/images/viking_ship_gokstad.jpg

http://research.uvu.edu/mcdonald/Anglo-Saxon/A-S-Life&Culture/The%20mound-1.gif

http://www.powayusd.com/teachers/dsykes/viking1.gif

http://gallery.nen.gov.uk/gallery_images/0806/0000/0129/sitepic.jpg

http://www.suttonhoo.org/index.asp

http://www.pdwhite.com/images/Dragon's%20Hoard.jpg

http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/e7a/e03/e7ae033c-38fb-4008-b03c-caac8adfe9e6

Owen-Crocker, Gale (2000). The Four Funerals in Beowulf: And the Structure of the Poem. New York: Manchester University Press.

Smyser, H.M. (1965). "Ibn Fadlan's Account of the Rus with Some Commentary and Some Allusions to Beowulf". Franciplegius: Medieval and Linguistic Studies in Honor of Francis Peabody Magoun, Jr. eds. Jess B. Bessinger Jr. and Robert P. Creed. New York: New York University Press