Anglo- Saxon literature, such as Beowulf has reoccurring motifs in The Seafarer and The Wanderer. Exile, journey, and fate motifs appear in Beowulf as well as The Seafarer and The Wanderer. The motifs reflect the values that the Anglo-Saxons believed in. Throughout Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer readers see the reoccurring motifs of exile, fate, and journey that reveal the Anglo-Saxon values during the time it was written
In all three Anglo-Saxon works a exile motif is present. In Beowulf, Beowulf exiles himself from the Thanes in order to solely fight off evil. This is because, Beowulf finds that victory won independently proves that he is the greatest warrior and will in turn provide the highest honor. In the epic, Beowulf states, “this fight is not yours, nor is it up to any man except me” (Raffal 43). This quote explains why Beowulf felt that it was his duty to save his people from evil. In addition, Beowulf did not seek the help of weapons when he states “ I would rather not use a weapon if I knew another way” (Raffal 43). Moreover, Beowulf exiled himself from the use of his Thanes and weapons in order to glorify himself to the highest honor. In The Seafarer, the voyager separates himself from the world on land. This is because he finds life on land not purposeful; in addition, living on land did not possess the obstacles necessary to enter heaven. The Seafarer states, “paths of exile stretch endlessly on land yet my heart wanders away/ my soul roams with the sea” (57-59). This quote explains how he was not attracted to worldly pleasures that the land offered but was drawn towards the adventures that the sea presented. The Seafarer exiled himself from the land because he wanted to achieve “eternal joy” (120). He thought that by exiling himself to the harsh life, he would find his way to heaven. The Wanderer is an Anglo-Saxon piece of literature conveying how a man wanders helplessly to find a new lord. During times of warfare, the Wanderer is forced to leave his home. In The Wanderer the author states, “who bears, it knows what a bitter companion/shoulder to shoulder sorrow can be,/ when friends are no more./ His fortune is exile ( 26-28). This quote explains the emptiness the warrior felt once he had to flee from his home in order to escape the new authority. This is because the Anglo-Saxons valued loyalty to their lord. In all three Anglo-Saxon pieces of literature exile is prevalent in each of the works, as each character searches for a more purposeful life.
Fate is a motif that occurs in Beowulf as well as The Seafarer and The Wanderer. In Beowulf, fate is displayed as he believed that fate controlled his life. Beowulf believes that his fateful death can be remembered through his courageous deeds. The authors states, “Fate swept us away,/ sent my whole brave high-born clan/ to their final doom. Now I must follow them” (Raffal 47-48). This quote explains the idea of a fateful death that was preceded by an honorable battle that Beowulf and his Thanes fought. Moreover, The Anglo-Saxons believed that fate was constantly tested because it was thought that courage altered their path to death. In the Seafarer, he hoped that heaven was waiting for him once he endures his life at sea. This is because the Seafarer believed that his fate was determined by his character. In the Seafarer, the author states “wondering what Fate has willed and will do” (43). This quote suggests the idea that fate is a strong force that decides whether he is worthy or not to enter heaven. In addition, the author capitalizes the word “Fate” to show how important it was to be accepted into heaven. In The Wanderer, the poem reveals that everyone has a fixed fate. The authors states, “homeless and helpless, he fled from fate” (5). This quote explains how times of warfare led him to leave his home because all of his comrades had died. The Wanderer reveals a stronger relationship with fate then with God because he believes that “fate’s decrees, transform the world” (103). This quote reveals that it was fate that determines the destiny of a man’s life rather than God. In Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer fate is displayed again and again to convey the relationship between fate and heaven.
In Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer, a journey motif is conveyed as each character each character goes on journeys to find fulfillment in their lives. In Beowulf, Beowulf enters his journey seeking to gain glory by battling the most gruesome monster, Grendel. The author states “my purpose was this: to win the good will of your people or die in battle, press in Grendel’s fierce grip” (Raffal 30). This quote explains Beowulf’s drive to battle Grendel in order to protect his people. This is because the Anglo-Saxons believed that service to the people was very honorable. In the Seafarer, the Seafarer goes on a journey to escape the land where he felt glory and honor did not exist. This is because the Seafarer is reminiscent of Beowulf’s times and seeks to find a place where he can fulfill the necessary actions to enter heaven. The author states that the Seafarer was “[shown the] suffering in a hundred trips” ( 3). This quote explains the battles that the Seafarer faced when enduring life at sea. The Seafarer escapes the earthly praises and the ignorant ease that exists on land. In The Wanderer, the Wanderer goes on a journey to seek for a new lord. The Wanderer believes that life is fleeting from him once he loses his home, comrades, and treasures. The author states, “then again surges his sorrow upon him;/ and grimly he spurs his weary soul/ once more to the toil of the tossing sea” ( 56- 59). This quote explains his misery once he had lost almost everything. The Wanderer enters this journey hoping to find a new life beyond the one he had lost. In all three Anglo-Saxon pieces of literature, a journey motif reappears to convey their search for purpose; this reflects Anglo-Saxon values of heroism and service.
Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer contain motifs that are typical of Anglo-Saxon values. Each character willingly exiles them self to find a purpose for their life. In all three pieces of literature, fate is seen to be one of the strongest forces that drive each character to believe that fate controlled their lives. In addition, a journey motif is portrayed in each of the Anglo-Saxon pieces of literature as each character enters a journey where they discover a purpose for their lives. Beowulf, The Seafarer, and The Wanderer have reoccurring motifs of exile, fate, and journey that reflect the values of the Anglo-Saxons.
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