The Hero According to Old English Poets

October 2019, "English Lit I"

The Hero According to Old English Poets
Jessica McDermitt

Much Old English poetry has been lost, but a few epic poems survive. One of these is Beowulf, which follows its titular hero as he battles a series of menacing monsters. Another is “Judith,” an Anglo-Saxon interpretation of a Hebrew book in which an Israelite heroine saves her people from the Babylonians. Each story advances its own definition of heroism. Both works define heroism in martial terms, but due to differing origins, heroism in Beowulf entails solitude and boldness, while heroism in “Judith” involves companionship and prudence.

In both stories, heroes’ actions define heroism as the ability to engage in military combat. In Beowulf, the titular hero first appears while recruiting warriors to destroy the monster Grendel, for which his “doings / were praised over and over again” (lines 855-56). Throughout the story, characters are praised for military feats, indicating that heroism consists of actively combating foes. Like Beowulf, “Judith” is a war story. Its two central events, Holofernes’ beheading and the Babylonian rout, are described in glowing terms. One passage reads “then quickly the valiant heroes / made a war-path through the hateful enemies,” a description which links valor and war, reinforcing the definition of heroism as combat-readiness (“Judith” lines 301-02). This idea is remarkably consistent and permeates both poems. Under this umbrella, however, each hero defines heroism differently.

One distinction lies in the heroes’ attitudes toward companionship. Beowulf prefers to face foes alone. His boast that “I count myself / as dangerous any day as Grendel” indicates he does not need help to defeat the beast (lines 677-78). He is powerful enough on his own. Later, when battling Grendel’s mother, Beowulf uses a sword “so huge and heavy of itself / only Beowulf could wield it in a battle” (lines 1561-62). This description emphasizes Beowulf’s special status as the only warrior powerful enough to act as a hero. Beowulf even pushes companions away, telling fellow warriors that the fight with the dragon “is not yours” (line 2532). One critic writes that Beowulf’s victories come from “an intrepid and completely individual mind,” further emphasizing the solitary hero’s role (Fisher 178). Plainly, in Beowulf, heroism is a solitary pursuit.

          

Rather than relying on personal strength, Judith seeks help from God and others. Before beheading Holofernes, Judith “began to call on the Guardian of heaven” (line 80). This immediate appeal for supernatural help reflects her belief that she is not strong enough to complete her heroic action alone. Later, instead of leading the Israelites herself, Judith inspires them to go to war for themselves, where they earn “honour in conflict” (line 197). Her collaborative, inspiring leadership contradicts Beowulf’s solitary heroism. Importantly, Judith’s heroism is never questioned. In fact, descriptions of Judith’s braided hair early in the poem correspond with descriptions of Israelite warriors with braided hair, a connection that emphasizes Judith’s heroism under the combative definition the poem advances (lines 77-78; line 324).

            

A second distinction between the two works’ definitions of heroism deals with the heroes’ wisdom. While acting heroically, Beowulf often acts imprudently. For example, Beowulf boasts about his disdain for weapons and his “scant regard / for the dragon as a threat” (lines 2347-48). This bravado, while heroic, places Beowulf at risk. Because Beowulf’s “life doesn’t cost him a thought,” he faces Grendel bare-handed and faces other monsters alone (line 1536). This attitude is consistent with the bravado of a mighty hero capable of single-handed triumph, and Beowulf makes many formal boasts about these abilities throughout the course of the story. His tendency to rush into danger is indirectly commended throughout the story, indicating that a hero should be bold in this way. Unfortunately, Beowulf’s daring deprives his people of their king, protector, and provider.

            

In contrast, Judith is constantly described as wise and careful. Her first appearance in the poem is accompanied by the description “Judith, prudent in mind” (line 13). This characteristic plays out in Judith’s interaction with Holofernes, where “the glorious handmaiden was very mindful” of the easiest way to assassinate him (line 74). The prudence evident in this section contrasts with Beowulf’s bravado, a difference that may appear to stem from Judith’s gender. With less physical strength, perhaps she must use cunning. However, one critic explains that the descriptors “wise,” “discerning,” and “cunning” are often used for men in this type of poetry (Litton 38). Thus, Judith’s mental strength is no different than Beowulf’s physical strength. Although Judith is more careful than the bold Beowulf, both heroically confront their enemies.

            

The differences in heroic attitudes between Beowulf and “Judith” can be explained by the source material for each work. Beowulf originated in Old English oral poetry and is grounded in Anglo-Saxon tradition, which “shares many characteristics with the heroic world described by Homer,” according to Greenblatt (5). Thus, Beowulf displays heroic traits reminiscent of Roman heroes. Prominent among these is the association of heroism with military combativeness. On the other hand, the author of “Judith” translated a story from the Hebrew Bible into Anglo-Saxon terms. Hebrew literature tends to emphasize wisdom and community over warlike qualities. For example, the book of Proverbs brims with exhortations to wisdom and kindness. Judith’s manifestation of heroism aligns with this source material in the same way that Beowulf’s aligns with pagan source material.

            

While Beowulf and “Judith” may seem to define heroism in the same way, it is difficult to miss the differences between them. Beowulf prefers to draw strength from within and face challenges alone, often recklessly, and Judith draws strength from outside herself to face challenges with wisdom and power. In their differences, united under the umbrella of martial valor, the two versions of heroism complement each other. Judith’s wisdom would have balanced Beowulf at the end of his life, perhaps saving it. Beowulf’s valiant individual action would have gained Judith lasting glory as a militant hero. Both stories teach readers that to be a hero is to face challenges head on and to overcome them in any form they take.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Translated by Seamus Heaney. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 8th ed.,W. W. Norton, 2006, pp. 34-100.

Fisher, Peter F. “The Trials of the Epic Hero in Beowulf.” PMLA, vol. 73, no. 3, 1958, pp. 171–183. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/460234.

Greenblatt, Stephen, editor. Introduction. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 8th ed.,W. W. Norton, 2006, pp. 1-23.

“Judith”. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, edited by Stephen Greenblatt, 8th ed.,W. W. Norton, 2006, pp. 101-08.

Litton, Alfred G. “The Heroine as Hero: Gender Reversal in the Anglo-Saxon ‘Judith.’” CEA Critic, vol. 56, no. 1, 1993, pp. 35–44. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/26393691.