A Comparison of the Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Sword in Beowulf and in Other Anglo-Saxon Poems Is the stigma mentioned only in Beowulf or is it a common element in all Anglo-Saxon poetry? Is the sword described the same expressive style as in Beowulf? In Beowulf and Archaeology Catherine M. Hills states The most important tool referred to in Beowulf is the sword (305). In the poem lines 1557 ff. tell the poets rende call of the sword Beowulf finds in the mere Then he saw among the arms a victory-bright blade made by the giants, an uncracking edge, an honor for its be arer, the best of weapons, that longer and heavier than any other man could have ever carried in the play of war-strokes, ornamented, burnished, the work of giants. Attention is now focused on the sword-hilt he grabbed the belted hilt (1563). In the next line is mentioned hringmael or ring ornamented/ring-patterned as refering to the sword Beowulf found. This might refer to ring swords found in Kentish carve of the sixth century and Sc andinavian graves of the seventh century (Cramp 125-6). describe 1616 uses broden-mael, wavy-ornamented/wavy-patterned in reference to the sword which has melted because of the monsters blood. Whether the spokesperson sees these adjectives as referring to the hilt or to the blade does not matter, archaeologically speaking, because circular and interlacing patterns are found on both blades and hilts throughout the Anglo-Saxon period. These wavey or ring patterns occur from the twistng or weaving of the bands of hard and soft iron. Lines 1687 ff. describes the Grendel sword hilt Hrothgar spoke, examined the hilt, broad treasure of old. There was engraved the origin of past strife, when the flood drowned, the pour ocean killed the race of giants. Terribly they suffered, were a people strange to constant God their final payment the ruler sent them by the hotfoot waters. On its bright gold facings there were also runes set trim in order, engraved, inlaid, which tol d for whom the sword was first worked, its hair-keen edges, twisted gold scrolled in the hilt, the twine snake-blade. Regarding the runes on the sword hilt, G. Stephens in his Handbook of Runic Monuments maintains that the only Anglo-Saxon runic inscription on a sword hilt is on the Gilton sword, and that it is obscure (Cramp 128).