Journal 2

Beowulf is essentially one of the greatest resemblances of the Anglo-Saxon culture besides the discovery of burial sites at Sutton Hoo. It reveals the war culture the Anglo-Saxons cherished and how important being a hero was to them. It basically shows how men back then used to live life and how highly regarded some people were. The poets were regarded as very important people due to the fact that they had the collective memory of their entire culture. Many nights, men would gather and poets would tell great stories involving the making of the universe and how humans came to be. Beowulf was one of these stories that was told. Some of the reasons Beowulf is such a great story are the universal themes that are seen in the story. One of the most important themes seen in the story is good vs. evil. This can be seen throughout many stories through all times and all cultures. Another theme seen in Beowulf is the concept of growing up from a boy to a man. Beowulf starts off a young man and ages to a very old king by the end of the story, but he doesn’t just age physically he also ages mentally. He becomes much more emotionally mature throughout the story. Beowulf is great resemblance of Anglo-Saxon society and also shows universal themes seen throughout history.