In the text, it is indicated, “The King must be a generous "ring-giver." Furthermore, “He must dish out the spoils of war to his thanes rather than hoard the treasures won in tribal warfare” (Beowulf 287). From this quote, it is clear that the Anglo-Saxon culture valued generosity. Specifically, generosity refers to the quality of being kind. It is a characteristic that does not involve being tied down by the adoration of one’s possessions. The Anglo-Saxons were widely acknowledged for their acts of generosity. They believed that for an individual to become an effective leader, they had to exhibit kindness and humanity. Moreover, they firmly believed that generosity was a mark of honour. As part of their generosity, the Anglo-Saxons celebrated guests and provided them with exceptional levels of hospitality. Additionally, the Anglo-Saxons maintained that charity was important because it played a crucial role in the establishing a prosperous society.
The Anglo-Saxons also portrayed bravery. Bravery is the quality that allows an individual to do things regardless of their nature. The ideal is widely illustrated in the Beowulf tale. The author states that “but fate let me find its heart with my sword, hack myself free; I fought that beast’s last battle left it floating lifeless in the sea” (Beowulf 288). In the Anglo-Saxons culture, the tendencies of boasting about amazing strength feats and grand battles in an attempt to scare and eventually defeat an enemy were common. They talked about how they fought monsters with their bare hands. Such actions indicate that the Anglo-Saxons valued bravery. The statement above also illustrates the element of courage, which was also an integral aspect of the Anglo-Saxons lifestyle. These people believed that a person should approach all things boldly regardless of the underlying challenges or obstacles. Furthermore, they firmly believed that for an individual to become a great warrior, they had to confront and overcome all challenges.
Work Cited
Haley, Albert W. Beowulf. New York, NY: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0, 1978.
