The Use of Metonymy in “Beowulf” and Its Relation to Anglo-Saxon Culture
“Beowulf” is an old English epic poem believed to have been composed sometime between the eighth century and the tenth century. The poem tells the story of a great warrior from Geat (now Sweden) named Beowulf and his legendary fight against a beast called Grendel that routinely terrorizes the Danes. As the story goes, Grendel is impenetrable by sword, and therefore cannot be defeated with weapons, so Beowulf fights him barehanded and rips off his arm, fatally wounding the beast. Later, Grendel’s mother seeks to avenge her fallen son, but Beowulf fights her as well, dooming her to the same fate as her dead child. The Danes praise Beowulf repeatedly for this work, hailing him as a hero, but it is often pointed out that if Grendel is considered a monster for the atrocious murders he commits, then how could Beowulf be considered anything different? After all, he himself boasts of committing atrocious murders, as well. This sort of idea could be applied to most epic poems of this time period, which is why the Anglo-Saxon ideology of praising warriors as the most respectable men was abandoned not too long after this poem was written as Christianity and its corresponding ideals became more widespread.
The various instances of metonymy found in Beowulf further exemplify how Anglo-Saxon culture worshipped the most brutal and vicious men, considering them “heroes” because of their crusade against “monsters.” The metonymies and associations used to describe Grendel characterize him as a heartless demon, labeling him as a, “dark death-shadow” (line 160), “shadow stalker,” (line 703), and “captain of evil,” (line 749). His mother is described as, “the wolf of the deep” (line 1599). Beowulf, however, is painted as a god-like hero for the slaying of Grendel and other “monsters,” being described with metonymies such as his, “warriors’ helping hand” (lines 1708–1709). Such depictions through the use of metonymy provide insight that proves that Anglo-Saxon culture was largely centered on the praising of war heroes, hailing violent murderers as the most honorable members of their society.
The question of whether Beowulf should’ve been considered a hero would’ve been unimaginable during the time in which the poem was written, but in today’s society, it is much easier to see that perspective is of the utmost importance in determining who is a “hero” and who is a “monster.” Regardless of what labels should’ve been given to Beowulf and Grendel, however, the metonymies used in this epic poem are incredibly valuable when trying to understand what Anglo-Saxon culture was really like, and why it faced its ultimate downfall as society became more civilized and men began to advance their morals due to the spread of Christianity.
