Signet Essay Contest Winner 2014: Kathryn Ryan
Kathryn Ryan
Beowulf, an enduring gem of epic poetry, seemingly violates one important mantra: nobody likes a braggart. In most cultures, arrogance is perceived as a negative quality; children are encouraged to be humble about their accomplishments so that others will not take offense. But in Beowulf, boasting plays a very different, essential role: a means of validating Beowulf in the eyes of the reader.
Beowulf, the valiant Geat at the center of the tale, embarks upon a long sea journey in pursuit of adventure. Word has reached Geatland of King Hrothgar’s plight—Herot, the great mead hall, has for twelve long winters been besieged by a horrific fiend that slaughters warriors beneath the cover of darkness. This creature is Grendel: the very incarnation of evil. Grendel’s physical appearance is entirely absent from the poem; the magnitude of his corruption is so great as to defy description. No simple warrior stands a chance against such malevolence—so Beowulf must prove through his boasts that he is no simple warrior.
Beowulf’s style of discourse provides, therefore, not only a means of establishing character legitimacy but also a view into the qualities valued by both the author and the Anglo-Saxon people as a whole. And despite being written more than twelve hundred years ago, the oratory style championed in Beowulf remains closely related to the behavior expected from contemporary public figures.
Beowulf and his company are warmly received by the desperate Danes. Only one seeks to sour the meeting: Unferth, a follower of Hrothgar. Driven by nationalistic pride and envy, Unferth questions the strength of Beowulf. “You’re Beowulf, are you—the same / Boastful fool who fought a swimming / Match with Brecca. . .?” (507-509) Berating Beowulf for the foolish challenge, Unferth taunts, “He’d promised to out-swim you / Bonstan’s son made that boast ring true.” (523-524) Unferth’s direct challenge presents the perfect opportunity for Beowulf to state his qualifications. The speech that follows, while it may appear to be shameless boasting, serves the essential purpose of legitimizing Beowulf in the eyes of the reader. Grendel has slaughtered hundreds of robust Danish warriors. Only a true hero capable of performing superhuman deeds (such as slaying nine sea monsters) has any hope of defeating him. By relating his great battles at sea, Beowulf presents himself as a demigod-like character capable of plausibly defeating Grendel. As it is presented to Unferth, Beowulf’s boasting is not meant as a show of thoughtless arrogance. Rather, it is a simple statement of factual information—he states only what he has done, not what he pretentiously assumes himself to be capable of.
From these speeches, the human qualities considered most essential to Anglo-Saxon culture may be unearthed. The very nature of Beowulf’s epic journey reveals the bravery and love of adventure valued by the Anglo-Saxon people. Beowulf’s narration of his swimming match with Brecca vigorously highlights these qualities; the contest is entered purely for the joy of the challenge and results in a heroic battle for survival. Yet, fabulous tales of glory must also be tempered by subservience to the king. Anglo-Saxon society, on the cusp of true English unification, placed a high value on loyalty to lordships and, later, to the king.
Upon his return to Geatland, Beowulf recounts his deeds to King Higlac. Yet, mirroring these Anglo-Saxon virtues, Beowulf’s boasts have a distinctly different flavor. The story of Grendel’s slaying is restrained—almost dry—and the most glorious, prideful details have been cut. Compared to his first boasts, this oration seems more of an abstract than a sweeping epic. This literary choice assures deference to what the Anglo-Saxons considered inherent kingly superiority. In this way, Beowulf’s second boast serves much the same purpose as the first: validating his heroic qualities, while still maintaining his largely unostentatious persona.
Studying Beowulf in correlation with modern society reveals several important similarities. One such likeness lies between Beowulf’s style of discourse and the behavior expected of modern public figures. Our modern political process places a high value on past experience. The public is skeptical of anyone who appears seemingly out of nowhere—as Unferth is of Beowulf, who arrives without notice from a distant land. When presidential hopefuls step up to the podium for the first time, the public prefers to hear a speech in very much the same vein as Beowulf’s to Higlac: one that voids untethered arrogance, while still providing a clear, concise statement of the speaker’s past achievements. Once this preliminary stage has passed, the public calls for yet another trait displayed by Beowulf: deference, no longer to a king, but to the law. In this manner, Beowulf, despite its great antiquity, remains relevant to contemporary society.
The negative connotations presently associated with bragging must be put aside in order to fully appreciate the importance of Beowulf’s boasts. Ultimately, Beowulf’s great deeds can only be told by Beowulf himself. Were the boasts omitted, readers would likely disregard the notion of a single warrior dismembering Grendel, the vilest of all creatures, along with many other great beasts. Beyond establishing credibility, these speeches also serve as a window into the world of Anglo-Saxon values. This window, by means of thoughtful observation, may also be transfigured into a mirror—a mirror that reflects modern society’s own expectations of leadership.
