The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay Example for Free

The Two Burials In Beowulf Essay The focal point of this essay is to present a clear and original argument in relation to the two burials that begin and end Beowulf. Scyld ScÄ“fing’s burial at sea in lines 24-46, and Beowulf`s burial in lines 2755-2796. It would be evaluated and analyzed the difference of these two funerals and probable reasons behind the difference and the details of two methods of burial that depict about the two men and about their cultures. However, it would also be ascertained whether these differences are just aspects of two different cultures of the basically same landscape but modified over a huge period of time frame. The journey undertaken by Beowulf is not only personal journey of self-discovery, but journey that establishes the values of the culture. While the personal adventure and situations are unique, the travels of Beowulf are representative of each human’s quest to find meaning and purpose in life. As epics of the oral tradition, Beowulf did not appear in writing until many years after the stories originated. Through the many retellings of the tale, probably changed significantly over time; however, the essences of the society and the culture have survived. In many ways, Beowulf is not only epic and myth from their time period, but also serves as historiographies of the society and culture of the time and the funeral ceremonies depicted in the epic, first the incident of Scyld ScÄ“fing`s burial at sea and then the narrative of Beowulf`s burial, are enlightening enough for understanding the nature of customs and funeral rituals. (Lamb, 378, 2-4) At the time of the earliest telling of Beowulf, the people were pagans. With the acceptance of Christianity, â€Å"God† provided the people of Beowulf’s time with an explanation for good and evil and an afterlife for the souls of those who followed God. As Breizmann points out that later generations attempted to incorporate their Christian beliefs, the text â€Å"abounds with inserted narratives† (Breizmann 1030). When Grendel terrorizes the mead hall, the explanation is that, â€Å"He was spawned in that slime, /Conceived by a pair of those monsters born/ Of Cain† (104-106). This Christian theme reappears several times in the epic, and when Beowulf is dying, he says, â€Å"I can die, here,/ Knowing the Lord of all life has never/Watched me wash my sword in blood/Born of my own family† (274-43). . Because he has been good and has served his god and his people, when Beowulf dies, â€Å"Almighty God Himself, was moved, / To let him enter† (3056-7). This influence alone drifted initial purity of the epic from its initial cultural originality. The funeral of Scyld ScÄ“fing appears to be more concerning the original ritualistic rites of the actual time when the epic was composed. In Scyld ScÄ“fing’s case it was found that the rituals includes placing various arms and armors with other valuables with the dead and drifting the body in the sea on a boat or burn it. In this case, the boat was drifted away. This is specifically a Scandinavian ritual and was well in practice when the epic was conceptualized. We can find this funeral rite in lines 24-46 of the epic. The text reads. â€Å"His people carried him to the sea, / which was his last request. / In the harbor stood / a well-built ship, / icy but ready for the sea./ They laid Shield there, / propped him against the mast / surrounded by gold / and treasure from distant lands./ Ive never heard / of a more beautiful ship, /filled with shields, swords, /and coats of mail, gifts / to him for his long trip.† (Naik, ed. 182-183) this is in stark contrast with the funeral rites of Beowulf. Here we find that â€Å"Wiglaf ordered / the brave warriors / to carry wood / from far and wide / to the funeral pyre / for the great leader†¦. There they laid / the famous prince / and lamented / that beloved lord. / Warriors then built / the greatest of fires. / Wood-smoke ascended, / dark black over the flames.† (Naik, ed. 294) This form of funeral is basically aligned with the Roman concept of ritual ceremony that the Christian community initially took and implemented in this epic. Thus it is obvious that this part was changed and incorporated in a much latter stage. (Lamb, 379, 5) While the rituals and adventures of Beowulf are pleasant tales of quests, the real value of the epic is the glimpse they provide of ancient cultures and peoples. In addition, Beowulf is links between the past and the present and between the values all cultures seem to share. Although the cultural and historical contexts change, certain human truths do not, and in the end, like Beowulf, all men leave their earthly existences, perhaps with the hopes that the myths they leave behind will provide lessons for those who come after them. This is more aligned to the Christian learning than ancient pagan thought process. These incorporations result in the intermingled format of affairs in terms of cultural identifications. (Lamb, 380, 1-3) Thus in the ultimate conclusion it can be well ascertained that the influence of different culture and religion affected the original epic with various additions making it juxtaposed within the different cultural aspects spread over a huge time period. The funerals depicted in the epic are just result of these changes and thus it is unable to tell us anything specific on the topic of funeral rituals during the era when this epic was composed initially. References: Breizmann, Natalia. â€Å"Beowulf as Romance: Literary Interpretations as Quest.† MLN 113.5; (1998): 1022-1035; JSTOR; Retrieved on 23 February 2007 http://www.jstor.org Naik, S; The legends of the North: A compilation of ancient epics; National Book Trust; 2006 Lamb, Davis; Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. 2004