6)
pg. 7 ln. 64-73
("The fortunes of war favoured Hrothgar.
Friends and kinsmen flocked to his ranks,
young followers, a force that grew
to be a mighty army...
...and there he would dispense
his God-given goods to young and old--
but not the common land or people's lives.")
When I read this, all I could think was, "Steals from the rich and gives to the needy." And I thought, who does this also? Robin Hood!! One thing that I found wrong in this train of thought was in fact the very start of it: "Steals?" Does Hrothgar really steal? Not in today's world, but the Anglo-Saxons in this story come from a warrior culture. Empires all around are expanding, this is why they need the Mead-Hall. Street-cred (glory/fame) requires such an amount of ice ("wonder of the world forever"). So they have to fight off people and take their stuff, negating the doubt that Hrothgar, like Robin Hood, does indeed steal from the rich and give to the needy! To rewind, look at the very begining. This is proof he has a "gang of merry men!" Now, I'm not going to try to explain the tights part...
Steals? Hrothgar wouldn't think of it as stealing. You defeat someone in battle and take their stuff - they lost. He gives to his warriors, not the needed.
ReplyDelete