“The Wanderer” and “The Seafarer” are exact reflections of historical Anglo-Saxon life. They describe important Anglo-Saxon ideals and values. Anglo-Saxon society was a large, patriotic, male-dominated culture. All tribes of that time shared common characteristics such as fierce loyalty to one's land, value of reputation, martial values ​​and the like. Most importantly, the cycle of vengeance, or Wergild, was something they strongly believed in and practiced. These characteristics are very evident in these elegies and in the most famous Anglo-Saxon poem, “Beowulf”. By comparing the three texts side by side, we can get a sense of how such ideals were practiced in these tribes. Furthermore, by delving into the themes of isolation and exile, we can better understand how important kinship ties were and how they shaped the structure of society; especially in “Beowulf,” which conveys the importance of kinship that can further explain the conditions and difficulties of the speakers described in the two short poems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Let's start by taking a closer look at "The Wanderer." Written in the Exeter Book Elegies around 1000 AD, the subject of "The Wanderer" is about the loss of a warrior. It is a dramatic monologue about the speaker's problems and his great losses. From the beginning of the poem we are informed of the speaker's exile. The warrior is traveling alone in intense cold weather. The winter season is when literally everything in nature is dead. Thus, it symbolizes his loneliness, since everyone he knew was dead. “Long have I hid my gold-giving friend in the darkness of the earth, and gone wretched, sad for winter, upon the waves of the ice lock,” (lines 22-24); the second part of the quote underlines this relationship between loneliness and weather conditions. The imagery is concrete and you can feel the tension emphasized by words such as "waves blocked by ice" and "sad winter"; they reflect the speaker's state of mind and his pain due to being away from the warmth he enjoyed in his homeland. On the other hand, the first part of the quote shifts our attention to a past event that the speaker is recounting. His “gold-giving friend” is apparently his lord or king. It seems that his king perhaps died in battle, but instead of dying a noble death next to him, the warrior must suffer shameful isolation: here the ideals of Anglo-Saxon society emerge. The term "gold giving" describes the ethic of a king towards his warriors, who should reward his servants after serving him in battle, i.e. it is a mutual loyalty. We are reminded of this ideal later in “Beowulf,” in Hrothgar's speech to Beowulf. Furthermore, if the king died, his warriors were expected to avenge his death. This brings us back to the Wergil motif I mentioned earlier. The fact that this warrior perhaps did not avenge his king only increases his sorrows. The more the warrior contemplates his dear relatives, the mead hall and his lord, the more difficult his isolation becomes. Thus, his isolation is not only physical, but also mental and emotional. This idea makes us reflect on the importance of kinship ties in this society. A warrior without relatives is like a man without identity. In this society, a man is measured by his kinship, heroism, generosity and role in the community. Without these, it is considered unstable. So, evidently, the speaker desires stability. He wants to be part of a community again.Because as long as he is in exile he has no identity and consequently has no reason to live in this world. Similarly, “The Sailor” describes the difficulties experienced in solitude. Physical discomfort and anguish are strongly emphasized in this poem. The speaker once again suffers from the cold of the sea, physically and mentally; “Pinched with cold were my feet, bound by the frost in cold chains, while worries boiled hot around my heart, hunger tore from my mind wary of the sea” (lines 8-12). Vivid images of bond, frost and waves of cold make their way into this poem. As we read more, we become more sympathetic to the speaker. It evokes pessimistic feelings, as we feel as if we are in his place, because when he talks about his anguish he changes his tone and begins to face the struggles of human life when he says: “Always, for everyone, one of the three things is in the balance before the time: illness or old age or attack by the sword snatch the life from those destined to die” (vv. 68-71). other words, every man dies including you, no one is immune to death. However, he later points out that with your reputation you can leave something of yourself to be remembered for as this is the best praise. He refers to the "golden givers". (a term also seen in "The Wanderer") as examples of people who have done "glorious deeds and lived in the most lordly fame" (lines 84-85). Once again, this refers to the important values ​​cherished by this culture, which also highlight the importance of one's bonds and what one leaves behind. Even simply by having a child or successor, your name can continue to live on and thus your reputation. This is something that is highly prized among Anglo-Saxons, which Beowulf sadly lacks. While those who talk about "The Seafarer" are like "The Wanderer", seeking stability, "The Seafarer" goes from being a sea voyage to a more spiritual one. So perhaps for the seafarer stability lies in religion. In fact, the speaker ultimately describes this earth as a temporary place and one that we can all relate to as we will all die sooner or later. However, both depict themes of isolation and loneliness quite explicitly. With this in mind, we can shift our attention to how “Beowulf” portrays the ideals explained above. For the most part, “Beowulf” is a poem that emphasizes martial values ​​and heroism. We see in “Beowulf” the importance of the cycle of revenge and how it ties into having relatives or successors. There is a dynastic theme that is crucial to Beowulf's reign, so we can definitely agree on how important the role of kinship is in this culture. If you want to understand the background of "The Wanderer" and "The Sailor", you simply have to read "Beowulf" as it addresses the issues and values ​​related to this culture, which they all share. Hrothgrar's speech, for example, in lines 1687-1784 illustrates these values ​​and confirms what I said earlier about kinship ties and how important they are, as they are the foundation of these Anglo-Saxon tribes. In his speech he praises Beowulf for his goodness and contrasts him with Heremod who suffered because he lacked the characteristics expected of a king. "No ring gave the Danes for their honor" (lines 1719-20); once again the notion of “gold donor” is noted here. In general, the king must be loyal and giving to his people and, consequently, his warriors must have heroic qualities. Therefore, the survival of these standards is crucial to maintaining some social stability within these tribes. Furthermore, Hrothgar goes on to advise Beowulf to learn from Heremod. "For your sake I said this, in the wisdom of my winters", (lines 1724-25),.