Fealty is unity of the greatly-recognized valuates of the Anglo-Saxon world. Often defined as a type of loyalty or allegiance, allegiance plays a much engaging and active role in Seamus Heaney?s Beowulf than in the Anglo-Saxon song ?The reverie of the Rood? beca social occasion of the expression it causes action to be taken. Understanding the use of this Anglo-Saxon value can reveal its importance in Anglo-Saxon look and literature.
In Beowulf, the main character Beowulf uses loyalty to empower him to do heroic deeds. This is shown through the actions that he makes: upon hearing of the attacks by Grendel, Beowulf rushes to the concern of Hrothgar, a friend of his fathers. Beowulfs father, Ecgtheow, previously killed Heatholaf, a member of the Wulfing tribe. tally to Anglo-Saxon terminology and law, a debt or wergild must be p abet to the relatives of the victim. Unable to pay this ?manprice? (StudyGuide.org), Ecgtheow fled to avoid war. Hrothgar ?healed the hostility by paying? (Line 470) this debt which caused Beowulfs father to swear loyalty to Hrothgar. It is this subjection that his father made that encourages Beowulf to ?follow up on an older friendship? (Line 376) and assist Hrothgar by defeating Grendel. Another example where Beowulf uses fealty to act heroic is the decision to difference of opinion the dragon. Although this occurs in the older phase of Beowulfs life, his loyalty or fealty to the Geats ?as top executive of the people? (Line 2513) obliges him to defend them, believing that it?s his duty. Conclusively, the utilization of fealty by Beowulf results in actions being carried out.
The Anglo-Saxon value of fealty is also used by other characters in Beowulf to act intrepid actions. The greatest example of this is the aid shown to Beowulf by Wiglaf during the meshing against the dragon. During this battle, Beowulf?s sword fails him and he?s in deficiency of assistance from the eleven comrades personally chosen for the encounter. However, excluding Wiglaf, ?that hand-picked troop bust ranks and ran for their lives? (Lines 2597-2598). Wiglaf was the only warrior of the band who stood by his lord. In a point of respect toward the heroic ideal of the Anglo-Saxon world that states that he is ?obligated to fight for their lord to the death? (StudyGuide.org), Wiglaf interferes in the fight and they eventually defeat the dragon. This principle demonstrates how fealty is significant to Anglo-Saxon life in the way it inspired Wiglaf to aid Beowulf. all(a) in all, fealty is acutely used in Beowulf as a basis to which one could complete actions.
In ? ideate of the Rood?, fealty is shown by the soft touch to the Nazarene alone it doesn?t play an actual role in the poem because the cross is an inanimate object and cannot use his fealty to nurse his lord.
In a sense, the fealty in this poem is more idealistic than in Beowulf since the cross has the determination and the eagerness to aid Christ during the crucifixion but he cannot interfere. This willpower is illustrated when Christ was placed on the Cross in preparation for the crucifixion. The cross states that although the ground shakes, it dared...not against the Lords word/ bend or break? (Lines 35-36). That provides the legal opinion that the cross has the intention to help Christ because it bending or breaking would hinder Christ; the cross, by announcing that it wouldn?t do such a thing verifies its fealty. Therefore, fealty is used in the poem as a concept, not as a reason for action.
In conclusion, the application of fealty to the two Anglo-Saxon texts is evident but more significant in one then the other. Still, fealty contributes to both pieces of literature and its complex use exposes why it is so vital to Anglo-Saxon society.
Works CitedGlenn, Jonathan A. The Dream of the Rood. University of Central Arkansas. May 2009
Heaney, Seamus. Beowulf A New Verse transformation (Bilingual Edition). Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001.
Beowulf - StudyGuide.org. StudyGuide.org. May 2009
Works ConsultedDictionary.com. May 2009
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