There are a number of motifs in Beowulf that I cover with my students. In this post, we will look at three of the most prominent. These serve as major discussion topics during and after our reading. They also make for fascinating essays.
TREASURE
The treasure motif is one of my favorites. Full of imagery, symbolism, and historic significance, it is very rich with meaning.
Let’s start with Hrothgar’s treasure. As a great king, he has won considerable treasure to match his status. He does not keep it all to himself, however. Instead, he readily shares it with his men according to their acts of valor. The greatest warrior, aka Beowulf, gets the greatest share. But even the least of the warriors gets a generous share. Gift-giving, then, is as much an act of recompense as a show of favor and loyalty. It is also a sign of Hrothgar’s righteousness as king. If he were not to share it, he would not be worthy of kingship.
The Fire Dragon also has a great treasure. Rather than sharing it, however, he hoards it as an evil temptation. We might be inclined to think, “Why should he share it?” Indeed, sharing sometimes gets overplayed in today’s world, but we need to look at the Fire Dragon in the context of the story and, specifically, in contrast to Hrothgar. The former is as selfish and evil as the latter is generous and good. Thus, the Fire Dragon is utterly unworthy of followers. The only ones who seek his treasure are thieves like himself.
In addition to the literal treasures, there are also many figurative treasures. The most obvious one is Beowulf’s life. As explained in the analysis of Beowulf’s fight with the Fire Dragon, Beowulf’s life is the “price” paid for the Fire Dragon’s treasure. He “shares” it over and over again, from saving the Danes from Grendel and Grendel’s Mother to saving the Greats from the Fire Dragon. All the gold rings and jeweled goblets in the world could not equal the wealth of his life.
GLORY
When we first meet Beowulf, we are struck by his tough talk. He seems to brag about himself nonstop. Sure, he can back up his words with his actions, but does he really need to be so boastful all the time? He is so different from, say, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table who perform all their virtuous acts with Christian humility.
Beowulf might not have fit in during the High Middle Ages, but he was a man of his time and place. Such “tough talk” was to be expected from a barbarian. In fact, his boasting was no less a tool for garnering respect than his physical fighting. Put differently, a great warrior needed to have a reputation as such and was expected to advance it with words. The further it spread, the stronger he was deemed.
Beowulf backs up his boasts in two ways. First, he is able to defeat the worst monsters one could imagine. If he “brags” about this, he is really just being honest about what he has done. Second, Beowulf is a glorious warrior because his fighting is done out of sacrificial love for neighbors. He is like Christ, glorifying the Father through his works. His works just so happen to be cutting off monsters’ heads.
REST
This is another major motif, especially in the fights with Grendel and Grendel’s Mother. The Danes find themselves sleep-deprived for twelve years because of Grendel’s nightly attacks. If they ever had a chance of defeating Grendel, it would have been long before they accumulated such a large sleep debt. It’s not hard to imagine them walking around in a constant fog, complaining about how tired they are. When Beowulf defeats Grendel and Grendel’s Mother, he changes all that. The Danes are once again able to recharge at night and have the energy needed for the regular trials of the day.
So what does it symbolize?
As my students readily point out, sleep can be a symbol for peace. When Grendel and Grendel’s Mother keep everyone up at night in terror, Heorot’s peace is stolen. When Beowulf gets rid of them and everyone can sleep soundly again, Heorot’s peace is restored. Simple.
I may be inserting something into the epic, but I think there is still more going on. From a Christian standpoint, sleep, or more specifically rest, is also a metaphor for prayer. Spending time with God is the true source of energy for the difficult tasks of the day. For example in Mark 6:31, Jesus says to His disciples, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” He was not just telling them to get a little shut-eye, but to pray, which is the ultimate rest. Likewise, St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You, O Lord.” The only way we can rest in God during our lifetime is by praying to Him, whether that be on our knees at bedtime or when receiving the sacraments.
If we apply that logic to the story, we see that Beowulf is not merely restoring the peace in Heorot but also the prayer-life, which is the path to true peace. He is reuniting the Danes with God the Father.
Despite all his great deeds, Beowulf remains restless himself until he finds eternal rest in God through the sacrifice of his life. His death, after defeating the Fire Dragon, is the ultimate example of sleep. His tasks are complete. He has served his people. Now he will be at peace with God in a never-ending prayer.
CONCLUSION
Long after my students forget the details and even the storyline of Beowulf, they will still remember these motifs. They may not be able to place them exactly. Their ideas about them may have changed somewhat. But the seeds will have been planted for further analysis of similar motifs in other stories…and for personal reflection.
What treasures do I have to share? How should I talk about my worth and accomplishments? What monsters do I have to battle? When do I need prayer the most?
These questions will recur throughout their lives, just as they do for everyone. Hopefully, our Catholic classical study of Beowulf will help guide them to the answers.