Beowulf (2007): Demon Dragons and Miserable Monsters

Beowulf  (2007), directed by Robert Zemeckis, is an animated film based on the original epic poem Beowulf, which was originally written somewhere between 700 and 1000 AD. The story follows the hero Beowulf in his conquest of two demons and a dragon; while the basic story remains the same from the poem to the movie, the directors of the film definitely took some creative liberties and altered the story, sometimes quite drastically. Set in Denmark in 507 AD, the film begins with a feast, a bang, and a monster. Right off the bat, the story feels dark, as the monster Grendel pours the blood from men he has killed into his mouth. After destruction struck the mead hall, Danish king Hrothgar suggested that they try to "pray to a Roman god" for a hero, though it is definitely implied throughout the film that they are Pagan.

Alas, a hero is sent, arriving on a Viking-esque boat in smooth (though sleeveless) metal armor. Beowulf pledges to the king, who is loosely robed in what appears to be a toga style gown. In an attempt to make Beowulf seem like a strong hero, he says he would die "...for glory, not for gold." But the viewer soon sees that Beowulf is not only brave, but is also selfish and anxious about how people view him (classic Gryffindor). When Unferth, a sniveling sort of man, confronts Beowulf about losing in a race, Beowulf explains that there were sea monsters, which he killed, that prevented him from going forward; however, he also claimed to have killed a mermaid, when he actually dropped the knife he was going to use to kill her, which is a bit of foreshadowing. So, he's desperate to show how brave he is, when in reality he is fallible.

Here is Grendel Attacking

Honestly, I feel bad for Grendel; the main reason he kills is because loud noises hurt his head immensely, so when he's killing people, he's trying to get rid of the noise. At least, at first. Beowulf decides to have a raucous, boozy feast, with the intention of attracting Grendel to the mead hall. It works. A naked, presumably drunk Beowulf fights Grendel and defeats him by pulling his arm off with a chain. This, of course, angers Grendel's mother; in a dream, she disguises herself as Hrothgar's queen and tells Beowulf that she wants to have sex with him, then when Beowulf wakes up, all of the warriors he fought with the night before, who had survived the fight with Grendel, were dead and strung on the ceiling like salted meat. The warriors are burned on a pyre, and Beowulf is informed that if he kills Grendel's mother, who, from here on I'll just refer to as "mother," demon kind will disappear.

Mother disguised as the queen

Here's where the movie starts to differ greatly from the original poem. In the poem, Beowulf travels in thick armor to kill a horrible, foul ogre of a mother, and almost dies while doing so, because she stabs him with a sword. In the movie, he strips down to his underwear and ends up not killing, but having sex with, a beautiful, lithe mother who greatly resembles Angelina Jolie. Strangely, we discover that Grendel was mother and Hrothgar's son. Though in the book, Beowulf returns to his homeland after killing mother, in the movie he is crowned king when Hrothgar commits suicide.

Mother, who is clearly not scary at all

The movie jumps forward to when Beowulf is an old, depressed man. It shows Beowulf's people at war with another people; they fight hand to hand with classic shields and swords, but Beowulf isn't supposed to participate because he's the king. Beowulf is challenged by a young man to fight, and he accepts, taking off his armor and casting away his sword. The boy refuses to kill Beowulf when he is unprotected and unarmed, and Beowulf tells him to go home as a brave man. Then, a dragon (who happens to be Beowulf's son) terrorizes and kills an entire village, and a battered old man says the dragon did it because of the "sins of the fathers." In the story, the dragon is not Beowulf's son, seeking revenge on his powerful father, but is merely angry because someone stole some of his treasure. Beowulf defeats the dragon, but dies afterwards, admitting to Wiglaf that he lied about killing mother. And it ends! Now we venture on to what's really important.

While entertaining, there were some aspects of the film that were almost embarrassingly modernized. While I understand it would have been difficult to create a live action version of Beowulf, with it's monsters and dragons, the style of animation used in the film made the story seem distorted, and almost like a video game. Zemeckis also made odd changes to the character of Grendel's mother, who is described in the poem as a monster, like Grendel. In the movie, she is depicted as sexy and alluring, and is able to distract and seduce Beowulf and destroy his sword. I think this took away from Beowulf's status as an epic hero, as it made him seem fallible to simple pleasures like sex or beauty.

The movie, like the poem, did highlight several important Anglo-Saxon values and culture. For example, bravery and honor were mentioned heavily throughout the story. Though this differs from the original story, the warriors don't cower away from Grendel, but faced him bravely. Anglo-Saxons valued bravery very much, and it was expected in warriors, as they were who the rest of the people looked up to to protect them. Beowulf and the warriors showed their sense of honor through unquestioning service to the king and their treatment to each other. Even though Unferth didn't like Beowulf, he apologized for insulting him and assuming he was not a hero when Beowulf killed Grendel, which showed honor and courage. The movie also mentions several conflicting religions. As mentioned, the king, scared after Grendel's first attack, spoke of praying to a Roman god. When Beowulf killed Grendel, he praised Odin, and said that a curse had been lifted from him. An unnamed character in the movie later says "the Christ God has killed it..." in reference to a battle. This is fairly true to the time period in which it is set, as Christianity hadn't established itself as the main religion, and Norse mythology mingled with Roman religion.

In conclusion, don't watch this oddly animated film and expect to know truth about the Middle Ages. It seems obvious that there would be some ties to actual early Medieval life in the film, as it's based off of a story composed in that time period. But, in the same way you wouldn't look to stories like the Iliad for accurate history, I think it would be unwise to believe this movie is based on fact. There's just one too many dragons.

And here's a lovely picture of father and son

Resources

Beowulf. (2007).  Directed by R. Zemeckis. Paramount Pictures.

Rees, M. (2008). Beowulf: tenuous relationship between movie and poem. Wsws.org. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2008/03/beow-m01.html [Accessed 9 Sep. 2017].

The Chi-Rho and Constantine

Whilst in my Medieval Europe class we stumbled upon a man named Constantine 1, or Constantine the Great. He was born around the year 280 CE and was said to have died after living a full life somewhere around the year 337 CE. From the start Constantine was born into a family of power and wealth because of his high army officer of a father, Constantius. Which at some point will pass his heritage down to Constantine, giving him major political and militaristic sway in Europe.  Many people know of Constantine because of Constantinople, however, he is also known for being one of the men to have laid a preemptive base for christianity to begin its way  through the country. He had many successes throughout his life and near the end of his  journey was at one point the sole emperor of the East and West. 

One of his symbols he had adopted was the Chi-Rho (shown to the right). They symbolize the first letters of Christianity with chi being "Chi" and Rho being the "r" at the beginning. He had seen in a dream ton the day before the Battle of Milvan in 312 CE, and in this dream he saw the symbol with the inscription "By this sign, you shall conquer."  After winning the battle, he legalized the practice of the religion and began erecting Christian churches, he continued wielding
this symbol upon his armies shields and vestments to his deathbed. 

By: Zach Anderson

“Chi-Rho (Constantine’s Cross).” Symboldictionarynet Font Faceverdana Geneva Helvetica color660000 size4ChiRho Labarum Constantines Cross Christogram Monogram of Christ Font Comments, Symbol Dictionary, symboldictionary.net/?p=2043.

Matthews, J.F., and Donald MacGillivray Nicol. “Constantine I.”Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 July  2017, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Constantine-I-Roman-emperor.

Constantine the Great Rules.” Time Line of Early Christianity--The Lost Gospel of Judas--National Geographic, National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/timeline_10.html.

The Francisca and its Use

In the early middle ages, the francisca was used as a ranged combat weapon. Shaped like an axe but designed for throwing at targets, this weapon was utilized mainly by the Franks (hence the name) during the reign of Charlemagne. Depending on the wielder, the francisca could be thrown up to 40ft and had the potential to crush the shields and armaments of the opponent with ease.



 
                                            

Procopius describes the use of the francisca "...each man carried a sword a shield and an axe. Now the iron head of this weapon was thick and exceedingly sharp on both sides while the wooden handle was very short. And they are accustomed always to throw these axes at one signal in the first charge and thus shatter the shields of the enemy and kill the men." One unexpected strength to this weapon was its likeliness to bounce off the ground unpredictably and swipe the legs of any unsuspecting opponent. Tactics that favor this unpredictable bounce were quickly adopted and implemented into the battle strategy--infantry would throw their axes in conjunction and break through the front lines of shields quickly and efficiently.

Works Cited:

International, American. “Medieval Weapons & Armour.” Medieval Weapons, www.medievalwarfare.info/weapons.htm#franciscas. Accessed 7 Sept. 2017.

St. Augustine and the Law of Love

In class we have been working our way through the early roots of Christianity and the implications that it would have on the formation of early Medieval Europe. As we move closer to the monastic traditions, I feel that it is important to focus on one of the most influential figures, not just within monasticism but within Christianity itself; St Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430).
St. Augustine gives us a perfect picture of the
intent of a seemingly restrictive set of laws much like the rule of Saint Benedict that we just recently surveyed. The laws of a monastic order were not meant to remove all joy and gratification from life but quite the opposite. The laws were meant to align ourselves with a lifestyle that has no distractions but only reinforcements to 'forget about satisfying your bodies with all their lusts,' and to fix your eyes on the grace given to you in Jesus Christ. The laws of a monastic order were meant to place the members in relationship with each other to pursue God and love the community they were in. Augustine's journey from youthful hedonism to Christian piety was the result of an early adulthood of self indulgence and deep rooted sin of taking many mistresses and glutenous consumption of wine and food. This would all come to an end when Augustine heard the story of two young imperial officials, engaged to be married (just as he was), who had thrown it all away to come celibate monks out of reverence for Christ and the grace that He he had made know to their hearts through His gospel. After this experience, Augustine was lead into the streets where he thought to have hear the audible voice of God telling him to read from the scriptures. Upon the obedience to this voice, Augustine read these passages: "No drunken orgies, no promiscuity or licentiousness, and no strife or jealousy. Let your armor be the lord Jesus Christ, and forget about satisfying your bodies with all their lusts" (Romans 13:13, Ephesians 6:10-18). Out of this dramatic conversion experience came a heart that was unable to do anything other than please the Lord through the obedience to His word and the brotherhood of the monastic order he was placed into. Monastic Laws of various kinds were only meant to remove distractions from the life of a person seeking to serve God.
Though Augustine predates the Rule of Saint Benedict, I merely use the document as an example of a set of laws that the monastic order Augustine subscribed to would have most certainly upheld. In our 21st Century Western culture, we view these laws and rules as extremely restrictive and oppressive but we must remember that given in their proper context, these rules were received as a necessary removal of distractions and a support system for those seeking to know God more fully. Not a restriction but a means to flourish.

References

Bennett, Judith M. Medieval Europe: a short history. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2011.
 
Order of Saint Agustine. Digital image. Diocese of Cochin. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2017. 

St. Augustine of Hippo. Digital image. The Unbounded Spirit. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2017. 

The Shamrock: Not Just for Breakfast Cereals

There are many stories and myths that surround St. Patrick, and today we have an entire day based on the legend and continuance of these folk stories. When I thought of St. Patrick one of the first things that came to my mind was the shamrock, a three leaf or four leaf clover. However, when I thought about it I could not pinpoint what I really knew about it, or what it signified. St. Patrick was born in Britain but kidnapped as a teenager and sent to Ireland to tend sheep. St. Patrick later became a bishop and spent the rest of his life trying to convert the Irish to Christianity. 

As we have studied in class, Christianity, as defined by the Council of Nicaea (325 C.E.), was at its very basic form. The trinity was agreed upon, even though it might not have been easy to explain. The legend of St. Patrick says one day he had followers that came to him and said they were having a difficult time believing the concept of the trinity. St. Patrick in all his wisdom thought about it, bent down and picked up a shamrock, and used the one leaf that had three parts to explain the Holy Trinity. This story has been passed down through the ages and that is why St. Patrick is often seen holding a shamrock.

Resources

Humphrey, Lauren. “Saint Patrick and the Druids: A Window into Seventh-Century Irish Church Politics.” Medievalists.net, 31 May 2012, 

www.medievalists.net/2012/05/saint-patrick-and-the-druids-a-window-into-seventh-century-irish-church-politics/

Roach, John. “St. Patrick's Day Facts: Shamrocks, Snakes, and a Saint.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 18 Mar. 2010, news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100316-st-patricks-day-facts-shamrocks/

“The Legend of the Shamrock.” Irish Indeed, www.irishindeed.com/legend-of-the-shamrock/

The Plague, Round One

Often times, when we think of the middle ages, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Black Plague. While this was certainly an important, and devastating event, few people know that there was actually a bout of it around 800 years earlier. The two strains were caused by the same kind of microbe. Common symptoms included necrosis of the extremities, along with swollen lymph nodes. This medieval artwork depicts the boils which were also signature of the illness.

Called Justinian's Plague (named after Emperor Justinian I), it arrived in Constantinople in the year 542 CE. The disease was transmitted by the fleas on black rats, which came from Africa on ships containing grain.  As the grain deliveries reached their destinations, so did the plague. Anywhere supplies went, from the coast and into the empire, so did the plague. When the grain was stored, it became the perfect breeding ground for the rats, which in turn infected people. Even other animals like dogs and cats were affected. People went to priests for healing, as shown in this painting, but to no avail. And with no place to dispose of so many dead bodies, the disease only spread further. By the end, Justinian's Plague killed anywhere from 30-50 million people, with an average of 5,000-10,000 deaths per day. When it finally disappeared, the disease had killed approximately 25% of the population.

Next time you think of the Black Plague, remember it was actually the second of it's kind, and hope that there will never be a third!

Work Cited:

Than, Ker. "Two of History's Deadliest Plagues Were Linked, With Implications For Another Outbreak." National Geograpic, 2014. Web. Retrieved 06 September, 2017. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140129-justinian-plague-black-death-bacteria-bubonic-pandemic/

Horgan, John."Justinian's Plague." Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2014. Web. Retrieved 06 September, 2017 http://www.ancient.eu/article/782/

The Eagle: A Missing Standard and an Unlikely Friendship

Based on historical novelist Rosemary Sutcliff's book, "The Eagle of the Ninth," Channing Tatum leads this 2011 film adaptation directed by Scottish born Kevin Macdonald. The film is set in Roman occupied Britain in 120 AD and begins with the telling of the Ninth Legion who marched into what was unconquered Northern Territory. During this quest, all five-thousand men mysteriously disappeared along with the symbol of Roman strength, the treasured standard - a golden eagle. Unable to bear the shame of the beloved standard and the disappearance of an entire legion, the Emperor Hadrian constructs a giant wall to cut off the entire north of Britain.

The film then jumps to twenty years later and continues with the story of Marcus Flavius Aquila, the son of the Centurion who was leading the Ninth Legion when they disappeared. Marcus is newly promoted to Centurion and requests to run the garrison in Britain with thoughts of achieving such greatness that he could overshadow the embarrassment and shame that the disappearance of his father and the Standard have brought to his family name. After just a short time in charge of the garrison, Marcus saves the entire post from an attack by an angry mob of Druids. In the process of protecting and rescuing his men, Marcus is greatly injured and sent to his uncle's house to recover. In the process of recovering Marcus is discharged from the army due to his injuries, despite his heroic efforts at the garrison.

While in recovery at his uncle's villa, Marcus saves the life of a Celtic slave, Esca, who was sentenced to die in the arena. Upon saving his life, even though Esca despises everything that Rome stands for, he swears his allegiance to Marcus for saving his life. Marcus hears rumors of the standard being spotted North of the wall and so bound by an oath of honor Esca leads Marcus past the wall in hopes of finding the standard and returning it to Rome to clear his family name. Once past the wall, Marcus's life is in the hands of his slave as they navigate through all the different tribes trying to find out where the ninth legion could have disappeared to. In what would now be present day Scotland, the two men are forced to rely and fight together as they encounter some tribesmen who would rather kill them then help them. The last forty minutes of the film make you wonder if Esca will end up betraying Marcus to the Seal tribe who end up having the standard, all of which culminates to an exciting chase and one last battle where I will let you find out for yourselves the fate of Marcus and Esca.



While this was a very entertaining movie to watch, there were a couple things that seemed to stem from "Hollywood" and not historical accuracy. Esca is able to speak to everyone they encounter even though he is from present day Northern England and they venture deep into the hill of Scotland. While some Germanic tribes spoke similar dialects, it is foolish to think that Esca would be able to communicate with everyone, especially since in the movie they show them traveling great distances and speaking to different looking tribes. It was also very interesting to me as well that when the Roman soldiers were pictured they were somewhat clean cut and put together; yet anytime Marcus and Esca passed through a tribal village, it was dark and muddy and the people in that village were all dirty. The film did portray the men of these villages with long hair which we have learned from our history text by Bennett might actually have been the case for some Germanic tribes, especially when compared to the clean cut Romans.

A theme that was constant in the film and was also shown through the personal relationship between Marcus and Esca was the tension between Rome and all others. In the film you find out that Esca's family was killed by a Roman invasion so he utterly despises Rome, but because of honor he pledges himself to Marcus and forms a bond. The film portrays everyone else that was not Roman to despise Rome and always be on the verge of attack; however, my understanding was that while this may have been the case most of the time, there were some tribes who coexisted with the Romans.

The overall message in this film was honor and trust, and while I have not studied Roman culture intensely, I would say that these topics would not be a stretch from the truth. As far as the validity of historical context, it does seem like they portrayed some accurate aspects of the tensions between Rome and the people of the lands that it occupied. I would say that they were lazy with differentiating the different groups in Britain and made them all speak the same language. The costumes were well done and, with the exception of making all the Celtic tribesman dirty, the war paint and variations of war paint the tribes wore felt authentic. As a history newbie, this movie has its take-away points and has a somewhat authentic historical feel; however, I would consult your local historian before using this film as your go-to information at a dinner party.

Resources

Bennett, Judith M. Medieval Europe: a short history 11th ed. New York,      McGraw-Hill, 2011.

Macdonald, Kevin , director. The Eagle. Universal, 2011.