Anglo-Saxon Warrior Culture

Warrior Code Comitatus – loyalty to your lord no matter what Warriors fight in the name of their lord, many times to their deaths. (Bravery and self-sacrifice above all else.) Lords, in exchange, provide weapons, gifts/treasures, food and shelter to their men. Mead hall = center of society for lords and their warriors. This is where they socialize, sleep, eat, etc. Revenge  you punish those who have wronged you, your fellow soldiers, or your lord.

Warrior Code Warriors  boastful and extremely confident. Humility was not valued the way it is today. FAME  Anglo-Saxons did not believe in the formal concept of an afterlife, so earthly fame & recognition for success in battle became the best way for a warrior to achieve honor after death. Only way to achieve “immortality” Defined by family lineage and reputation (Who is your father? Your grandfather? What are you known for?)

Religious Influence Anglo-Saxons in general were very superstitious (omens, charms, etc.) Believed in wyrd, a fluid concept (somewhat similar to predestination). However, wyrd (fate) could be influenced by a person’s decisions and would depend on whether or not the person was honorable. Polytheistic (many gods)

Epic Poetry Long narrative poem (lyric poetry, easy to memorize) Hero on a quest Supernatural forces Brave deeds In medias res (“in the middle of things”) Elevated style and word choice

Anglo-Saxon Literature Lines with regular rhythms. Kennings: two-word poetic renamings; a play on words. “Sea-road” as a renaming of the ocean Hyperbole: exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. “I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.” Ceasura - n poetry, a caesura is a pause in a line that is formed by the rhythms of natural speech rather than meter. Acaesura will usually occur in the middle of a line ofpoetry but can occur at the beginning or the end of a line.

Anglo-Saxon Literature Assonance: repeated vowel sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables Ex. “Men sell the wedding bells” Alliteration: repeated initial consonant sounds in stressed syllables Ex. “She sells sea shells by the sea shore.” Personification – objects, often mystical, are seen as living beings.