Few written works meet the requirements for canonization. The texts that are part of a literary canon must not only be representative of their genre or time period, but they must also have something that proves their suitableness for admiration and study. Usually, this boils down to whether the text is still relevant today—what will students and scholars gain from reading and analyzing it? However, some books are canonized because they have a strong historical value. When Beowulf was rediscovered in the 19th century, scholars thought that the poem’s value lay in the historical insights it provided. Personally, I consider that Beowulf should be canonized, but not because of what it tells us about Scandinavian history. I think that Beowulf should be canonized because it is a very early work that deals with human struggles that we all still face today, such as questions surrounding destiny and the definition of heroism.
Even though Beowulf does contain some true historical facts, such as Hygelac’s death during a war against the Frisians, most of the story is fictional. Beowulf himself is most likely an invented character, as are Grendel, his mother, the dragon and all other monsters. The poem does provide some very unique insights into Scandinavian culture during this time period, but a major weakness that cannot be ignored is the ambiguous and confusing role that Christianity plays in the story. Since the epic was originally pagan but was transcribed by a Christian, it is often difficult to distinguish the pagan concept of god from what the transcriber added and tweaked 500 years later.
Even though I believe that Beowulf’s historical background is not enough to get it canonized, I do think that some of the issues it deals with make the book memorable and worth studying. I find it fascinating how there are certain questions that follow humankind through the centuries. For example, Beowulf deals with the issue of what it means to be a true hero. Can someone be acting selfishly but still be heroic? I often encounter this same question in my daily life. Pressured by the college applications process, my friends and I have found that many times our primary motivation for doing some type of community service is how it will look in an application, rather than just a desire to help others. Does this diminish the value of the service itself? Is there room for self-interest when it comes to heroism? I don’t know the answer to these questions, and Beowulf doesn’t answer them either, but I think that a strong sign of Beowulf’s literary value is how many of the issues it explores are still extremely relevant today.
Even though Beowulf does contain some true historical facts, such as Hygelac’s death during a war against the Frisians, most of the story is fictional. Beowulf himself is most likely an invented character, as are Grendel, his mother, the dragon and all other monsters. The poem does provide some very unique insights into Scandinavian culture during this time period, but a major weakness that cannot be ignored is the ambiguous and confusing role that Christianity plays in the story. Since the epic was originally pagan but was transcribed by a Christian, it is often difficult to distinguish the pagan concept of god from what the transcriber added and tweaked 500 years later.
Even though I believe that Beowulf’s historical background is not enough to get it canonized, I do think that some of the issues it deals with make the book memorable and worth studying. I find it fascinating how there are certain questions that follow humankind through the centuries. For example, Beowulf deals with the issue of what it means to be a true hero. Can someone be acting selfishly but still be heroic? I often encounter this same question in my daily life. Pressured by the college applications process, my friends and I have found that many times our primary motivation for doing some type of community service is how it will look in an application, rather than just a desire to help others. Does this diminish the value of the service itself? Is there room for self-interest when it comes to heroism? I don’t know the answer to these questions, and Beowulf doesn’t answer them either, but I think that a strong sign of Beowulf’s literary value is how many of the issues it explores are still extremely relevant today.
