Animal Symbolism

In the Epic Poems Beowulf, by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, and Grendel written by John Gardner, Grendel, regardless of what he does, has been seen as unsafe to man. Grendel, perceived as treacherous, is just misunderstood and an outcast to society. The back story of Grendel is crucial to the reader’s understanding of Grendel becoming a monster. Grendel’s life experiences of his environment, men and meeting a dragon contribute to the drastic change.

in G.K. Chesterton's compelling poem, The Ballad of the White Horse. During a time when the

With no known author, Beowulf, originated in oral-tradition representing the Anglo-Saxon culture and lifestyle. It is a showcase work of “art”, serving as a purpose of moral instructions. Beowulf, shows a great demonstration on important Anglo-Saxon values. The main characters, Beowulf and Wiglaf, help portray the values of which the Anglo-Saxon hold among their culture. The poem, Beowulf exhibits three monumental values they uphold: bravery, honor, and loyalty.

The Giraffe takes place in a small town, in what appears to be Italy, although that can only be assumed from the names, buildings and author of the text. The city plays what could be considered an important role if you were to assume that the subtext of the story is one centered on change and progress. That being that the small town represents likely a place that is not very adaptable or open minded as is often seen in smaller more close knit communities, which may be why the story is situated there. Furthermore, aside from that, the location in Italy may also play a role in the subtext of the story if you were to interpret it as a story with a biblical relation, Italy being a country heavily influenced by the catholic religion, and containing the Vatican, the center of the catholic religion. The biblical influences can also be expanded upon if you consider that the giraffe taking refuge inside the church is deliberate, indicating that maybe the church is a clue to the giraffe being some sort of Jesus metaphor or an indication of the giraffe needing some sort of sanctuary.

Beowulf is an epic dense with imagery derived from Anglo-Saxon Pagan culture and Christianity because it is was written in England during the 8th century, a period of Christian migration, growth, and conversion. From the sea where he loses a fight but fends off evil sea-monsters, the forests, and specific animals such as the raven, Beowulf blends nature, mysticism, and reality seamlessly. The descriptions of nature are general and vague which makes it hard to tell exact locations and lets the reader form their own, personalized visualization of the area; likewise, the role of nature in the lives of the Anglo-Saxon culture and Pagan religion remain unclear at best. Provided with many images of nature in Beowulf, this analysis will extract a deeper understanding of how the Anglo-Saxons used their Paganistic view of nature to help shape Beowulf.

In Simon Armitage's translation of the classic Arthurian poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, he recounts the various conflicts Sir Gawain endures in his struggle against the wicked, Green Knight. Similarly, in Joseph Bédier's retelling of the classic medieval romance, Tristan and Iseult, the narration of the tale is anchored around the brewing strife between Tristan and King Mark of Cornwall for the hand of the beautiful, Lady Iseult. It is within each respective text, both male protagonists embark on a heroic quest. Through comparing and contrasting both medieval works, this paper will examine the rationale behind Sir Gawain and Tristan embarking on their quest, the trials they face, and the climatic consequences the quest inflicts on both heroes.

In the Anglo-Saxon epic poems “The Wife’s Lament”, “The Wanderer”, and “The Seafarer”, the authors make their poetry much more interesting and enjoyable by inserting literary devices that add meaning and cohesiveness to each line. Each poem contains multiple literary devices such as kennings, caesuras, and imagery. These tools work together in order to add mood and transparency to the poetry.

Every culture has its own set of values, beliefs, and customs. These values, beliefs and customs create each unique culture, and these cultural constructions are directly and indirectly acquired throughout the lifetime of the culture. A major part of culture is literature; the literature of the time reflects upon daily life and society during the time that the story was composed. Beowulf, an epic poem, is one of the most important and only works of Anglo-Saxon literature. Much like a fable, the epic poem of Beowulf had lessons that taught the people within this society how to behave. This essay will outline how the importance of Christianity and the Germanic Heroic Code in Beowulf are revealed throughout the epic poem as important aspects of the Anglo-Saxon culture as a whole.

The Penguin Classic Early Irish Myths And Sagas exhibits a great cross-section of the many examples of the stories told by Iron Age Celts. These stories revolve around the customs, battles, gods, and heroes of the ancient Celts. It is said that a great deal can be learned from Irish tales about the clothing, weapons, houses, and other aspects of the material culture of the Iron Age Celts 1 and that the stories are more valuable for scholars of society than scholars of religion 2.

Whether is be the individualism of a zebra, the hope of an orangutan, the hatred of a hyena, or the determination of a tiger symbolism can be determined for any character. Pi’s journey obtains symbolism for each animal and a story of faith for himself through the sea and the rigors that he and the animals

This book is filled from cover to cover, of useful information, stories, and close connections between animal and human throughout history. There are interesting stories hidden deep within the pages of this book, many of which express emotion between animals and people, in this case, the models and the artists. The author writes, “Sir Harry Johnston, a British explorer and colonial official… Johnston's quest to see the elusive ‘horse like, two-toed, striped animal’ that the Pygmies said lived deep in the Congo forest was unsuccessful. However, he was sent a skin and two skulls ” (MacCLINTOCK 22). Johnston used the skulls and skin, to draw the animal. Adding in his own features of what he thought the animal looked like based on the items. This relationship is shown through both the writing and the images the striking dark colors and stripping on the flanks of the Okapi showed the ‘elusiveness’ almost ‘mythical’ association, Jonathan had with the

Anglo-Saxon culture, as conceived through the context and writing of Beowulf, provides a clear glimpse into the lives, modes of function, and habits of the ancient society. In this, many aspects of their culture can be understood from reading the epic and analyzing the importance of it’s contents. However, certain details about large cultural ideologies, such as Anglo-Saxon beliefs concerning the universe and conduct, convey a deeper and more important understanding of Anglo-Saxon society. These concepts, in building the framework of our understanding for and about Anglo-Saxon culture at this time period in history, displays a complexity and line of thought that is still present to a degree in modern times. Thus, the Anglo-Saxon concepts

From Greece’s Aesop Fables to China’s Monkey King, animals have played an important and influential role in stories and folktales in various parts of the world. Yet having animals in these stories also comes with the difficulty in representing and presenting these creatures to various audiences.

Animals are often used in literature to describe elements of one’s character or appearance. Different species of animals have various characteristics with which they are associated, which is a tool that authors use to illustrate characters in a more abstract way. Some animal descriptions also give key insight to the societal or cultural norms that are present within a particular text. The animal symbolism used in literature often represents elements of humanity and also highlights varying cultural aspects.

Beowulf poem was written between “the middle of the seventh and the end of the tenth century of the first millennium, in the language that is to-day called Anglo-Saxon or Old English.” There is no source to find who was the author of this poem. Before this paper reaches to the story of Beowulf. It is important to know the Old English writing character and the rhyme of the poem. Through these characters, one may feel the atmosphere of the story that will be examined. Below is the Old English writing character which is extracted from Beowulf: