Beowulf


              In the first couple readings of Beowulf I noticed a constant theme of masculinity. It bothers me that the whole book is masculine oriented, but then when one girl comes in she is automatically like a slave to the men. The part that stuck out the most to me was at the feast when Wealhtheow, Hrothgar’s queen, come to the banquet at Heorot Hall after Beowulf won the fight against Grendel. I thought it was interesting how they described her in gold and said how gracious she was. It made me mad when I read line 620-624, “So the Helming woman went on her rounds, queenly and dignified, decked out in rings, offering the goblet to all ranks, treating the household and the assembled troop until it was Beowulf’s turn to take it from her hand” (43). I found it interesting the masculine verse feminine in this book. I also noticed at the beginning of the book when they talk about the ship and it is labeled as a “she”. When they explain the ship as it glides through the sea, they explain it in a very gentle and feminine way unlike they would if it were male, they would say strong and cut through the ways. The author also says on line 61-63, “…and a daughter, I have heard, who was Onela’s queen, a balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede. This is basically saying that she is a healing force in bed and that that’s all she is good for. I look forward to talking more about it in class and reading more to see if more females come into the book and how the roles play out.

Comments

  1. Lexi SchaeferSeptember 8, 2017 at 11:45 AM

    I agree with your point and understand your frustration when reading. I feel that it is unjust to only describe a woman based on her wardrobe and jewelry. As discussed in class, that was a method for her 'man' to claim her and prove their economic status. I also think bringing up the ship was a valid point. I find it slightly ironic that they are calling the ship, the vessel that got them there, feminine yet claim that women cannot do anything.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 8, 2017 at 12:52 PM

    I also finished the reading for this week with a similar frustration as yours. The women aren't described in terms of their personality or their physical appearance aside only from their extravagant outfits. The outfits are described so that the superiority and rank of her husband can be put on display. A woman's outfit was a symbol of her husband's wealth. Women were essentially a trophy of their husband which I find super degrading. It leads to the question of whether they even had a choice in apparel or if based on their husband's position in society they were given no choice upon what they chose to put on their body.

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