The Battle of Maldon Essay Example

men by example on the battlefield and demonstrate bravery- Byrhtnoth spurred them on/…Then the brave warrior raised his spear,/ gripped his shield and stepped towards a seafarer;” The social standing of a retainer depended on his courage.

He was expected to stand and fight to the death. If his lord was slain he had to continue fighting to avenge his lord’s death- “And now the folk’s father had fallen lifeless, uncowed the warriors crowded eager/ for one of two things: each man wanted/ either to requite that death or to quit life. “ The Battle of Maldon demonstrates both perspectives of this relationship. The first half of the poem depicts Byrhtnoth as a confident leader who rallies his men in battle until he is killed. The second half contains tales of his brave retainers fight to avenge his death.

An additional element of the heroic code which is demonstrated in the poem is the shunning of any retainers who did not display the appropriate loyalty and bravery to his lord. Any who had deserted the battlefield were rejected by their community. In the poem, Godric and his brothers flee the battle scene. One of Byrhtnoth’s comitatus states “Godric, the cowardly son of Odda, has betrayed us all. / may fortune frown on him/ whose cowardice has caused this catastrophe. ” This demonstrates the moral aspect of the heroic code. The characterization of people in the poem further highlights the importance of the Anglo-Saxon heroic code.

The forceful words spoken by Byrhtnoth to the enemy demonstrate the concept of ofermode. This is the desire of glory and excessive pride and courage a noble

earl and his troop stand over here-- who will defend this land/ to the last ditch. ” It also demonstrates the concept of ‘wyrd’. This is the acceptance of fate demonstrated by Byrhtnoth’s retainers- I will not go from here,/ but I mean to lie by the side of my lord,/ lie in the dust with the man I loved so dearly. ” The characters also demonstrate the hierarchical society that they lived in. The leader of the men is Byrhtnoth, he is the lord.

The poem then mentions his hearth-companions such as Offa and Byrhtwold, the rest are his levied army. The poem also speaks of “a lowly churl” called Dunnere. The inclusion of all these people highlights the loyalty that was shown from every tier of society. It also gives different perspectives of the battle. The action is not viewed through the eyes of just one person. Another aspect of Anglo-Saxon culture which is revealed is the importance of lineage. The warriors are identified by their ancestors- “I come from a mighty family of Mercian stock;/ my grandfather was Ealhelm, a wise ealdorman,”

Other aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture are also revealed. The reader learns of an “open council in the meeting place” This hints at a level of democracy functioning within their society. Aelfwine says “Think of all the times we boasted/ at the mead-bench, heroes in the hall/ predicting our own bravery in battle. ” These words demonstrate that the Anglo-Saxon culture was a social one. Also vividly described are their weaponry. They have swords, spears, arrows, shields and armoury- “He grasped his shield/ and brandished his slender ashen spear…”