Signet Essay Contest Winner 2014: Rachel Davy
Rachel Davy
Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, is packed with adventures of a mighty hero. In his encounters with Circe, Cyclops, and the suitors of his wife, Odysseus repeatedly displays his ingenuity. However, in the background to all his exploits looms a formidable force. The source of Scylla and Charybodis, yet also the means he uses to return home, the sea is an integral thread in the fabric of the story. This is likewise true of the epic poem Beowulf. Behind all the adventures of the hero Beowulf, the sea is a large contributor to the plot. Its prominence gives insight into the culture of the time. The unpredictable, uncontrollable sea inspired fear and reverence in the Anglo-Saxon people.
The sea was a source of grave danger in Beowulf. Even during a time of great distress from Grendel’s torments, Hrothgar made sure to set a guard by the sea “ ’Gainst hostile warriors as warden to stand” (Chapter V, line 61). Separating one nation from another, the sea prevented the Danes from knowing when they might be attacked. Besides fostering uncertainty about potential war, the sea was filled with monsters. Grendel and his mother, the most horrible of these, periodically emerged to devour warriors and then retreated to their underwater lair, so deep that “None liveth so wise that wot of the bottom” (XXI, 46). The concept of unknown or inaccessible danger was the greatest fear of the Anglo-Saxon people. While their warriors were bold to face battle or danger, they found themselves helpless before the power of the sea.
This fear of the sea translated to a great respect for one who surmounted the waters. When Unferth belittled Beowulf’s feats in swimming, he inadvertently increased the people’s admiration for the hero. Surviving seven days in the ocean while slaying sea monsters, Beowulf had prevailed over the greatest power of the day. He further proved his prowess by defeating Grendel’s mother in her own lair, a haunt so hidden that “a day’s-length elapsed ere he was able to see the sea at its bottom” (XXIII, 22-23). Beowulf overcame human limitations when he held his breath long enough to reach the sea bottom, but even better, he managed to slay the murderous monster. Beowulf’s familiarity with the ocean and accosting of the monster in her den overcame the Danes’ fear of the unknown and the inaccessible, bringing them security and increasing their reverence for him.
An even greater reverence was reserved for the one who controlled the sea and what it brought. The Anglo-Saxons clearly believed in such a power. Upon the arrival of Beowulf’s entourage to Hrothgar’s country, “the Wielder they thanked that the ways o’er the waters had waxen so gentle” (IV, 38-39). They also acknowledged that Grendel, along with other evil creatures of the sea, was under a degree of restraint, “Since God did oppose him, not the throne could he touch” (III, 54). The Anglo-Saxons believed that not only the sea, but all things were subject to a higher power. In some cases, outcomes of events were attributed to Fate or Weird, while in others, God was acknowledged as the supreme authority. In some instances, these two ideas: destiny and divine power, were used together, “Weird hath offcast them to the clutches of Grendel. God can easily hinder the scather from deeds so dreadful” (VIII, 22-24). These two concepts were not altogether contradictory – although some Anglo-Saxons likely believed in only one of the two, others may have considered Fate the script God had written for the universe to follow. A being mighty enough to control the sea and the world must surely be acknowledged. Therefore, before engaging in battle, Beowulf determined to fight his hardest but declared, “The glory apportion, God ever-holy, on which hand soever to him seemeth proper” (XI, 25-26). The Anglo-Saxons acknowledged a power greater even than that of the powerful, unpredictable sea and gave it due reverence.
The sea’s significance for the Anglo-Saxon people shaped their culture’s values. The unpredictable water that brought both Grendel and his conqueror frightened the people with its unattainable, mysterious depths and uncertainty. They became a warrior people, fearless in battle and determined to conquer the things they could control. Thus, their admiration was great for the hero Beowulf, who mastered the secrets of the water. Although supreme over the water and its inhabitants, even Beowulf was finally defeated – by fire. Therefore, the Anglo-Saxons’ greatest reverence went to one who controlled sea, fire, earth, and the entire universe. For the Anglo-Saxons, just as for the ancient Greeks, the seas were a source of danger and possibility, a venue where heroes triumphed, and ultimately a symbol of a greater power in control of the universe.
