He is stronger than any other mortal, an impressive sight even to strangers, feared by enemies, has moral character, and can kill unbeatable monsters with his bare hands. He is a leader among his peers unrivaled, although showing respect for those who hold authority above him. By today’s standards Beowulf could be classified among the Superheroes so popular in cinema. All he is missing is a cape and the ability to fly, but he doesn’t really need those qualities as many super-human's in comics and the big screen are without that themselves. There is no reason for him not to fit in to the sizable cast of heroic characters currently famous among children and adults.
Super humans have been around since the dawn of literature, starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh. He too was a person of immense strength who fought monsters thrown at him by the gods to battle. There was even a sidekick Enkidu, a wild man from the forest. At first the two were enemies, but because neither of them could beat the other in a fight they gained respect and friendship. They then both went on a quest as heroes. Where experimental mishaps or inventive pseudo-scientific explanations create the mythic superheroes today, anciently they were often half-gods. Gilgamesh was at least a third god, while the Greek heroes Hercules and his half brother Perseus were both the offspring of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. Of course, Hercules was known for his great strength above any mortal (and also his anger problems) while Perseus was helped by the gods and wielded magical items. At least one Greek myth, the Amazons, has Wonder Woman to carry on their story to the modern era. She stands along side Superman and Batman, two of the most recognized superhero characters in the world. Beowulf even has a distant relative Thor, a god of the Norse from Scandinavia, that has reached modern comic book hero status.
Of the modern superhero legends that exist today, Beowulf is most like Superman and Batman. He has extraordinary strength beyond any other mortal on Earth, taking on monsters without the use of weapons. He tells stories, attested to by others, of how he went in alone to a dangerous situation and his his hands killed monsters of the deep waters. He swims better, fights better, and can even protect a kingdom better than any other. His strength and personality is without rival. Yet, like Batman he is mortal and uses human technology when necessary. Although often discarding them in the poem, Beowulf wears body armor, wields a sword and shield, and puts a boar head helmet on his head for protection. His costume, then, is a typical “dark age” warrior outfit. Because of his rank and the respect given him by kings, what he has is better than normal and sometimes has almost magical qualities. They serve him well in his fights with monsters and evil men, until he is much older. A dragon appears that is many times more powerful than him or his otherwise useful war technology. His super strength and impressive abilities give way to the still mortal weaknesses against a more powerful foe. There is a “Death of Superman” feeling to his final moments.
Beowulf's origin story is told, but it remains covered in mysterious blanks. The reader has to pay attention when the little we do know of his past is mentioned. A Danish king unrelated to Beowulf is introduced at the start of the story, followed by the attacks of Grendel. The hero is introduced a short time later. All that we know about him is revealed near the end of the story after fighting the dragon. His backstory seems to be that his father Ecgtheow married the daughter of the great king Hrethel who is the father of Hygeleic that Beowulf serves as thane. Ecgtheow must have come from another land because Beowulf is mentioned as one of the two who are last of their tribe Waegmunding. Somehow, most likely through war and defeat, those among that tribe have been wiped to near extinction. Whatever land the people came from, Beowulf, like Bruce Wayne, was born into high society and took advantage of that to improve himself. The questions that remain are who is this tribe, how did they end up mixing in with the Geats, and where did Beowulf get all his powers? Was he born with super human strength? Did he train harder than any others to become what he is as a warrior? There is a lot that a reader must take for granted, but like any good story the answers don’t matter. In fact they enhance the awe for a character that cannot fully be understood.
The Danes have their own heroes, such as the king mentioned when the story begins. He is Scyld Scefing, the founder of the Scefing ruling house. The designation “He was a good king” comes from his recognized for the time fighting abilities and generosity to those who are loyal. Through war with his enemies he subdues them and forces them to give tributes. He then takes the great wealth of this booty and hands it out to those loyal to the kingdom. By today’s standards such a ruler would be considered a terrible dictator and not good. But, the time of Beowulf was harsh and all leaders were seeking advantage over the group living next to them. One of the positive character traits of Beowulf, at least of the story, was he didn’t attack unprovoked and would not murder relatives or friends for quick promotion or kingdom possession. Protecting your people and not treating them badly was the highest honor.
That seeking of honor, by way of adventure, is what helps Beowulf become the hero he was known for and continues to be remembered. It wasn’t always that way. He did have something to prove. At an early age he was considered a weakling who wouldn’t amount to much. That is another part of the backstory not fully explained. Like any superhero, his powers and abilities were not at first recognized. It might be to hide a true identity or not knowing themselves until a great challenge reveals the truth. In Beowulf’s case it can be speculated he started in the background as an observer. Perhaps the fact he wasn’t quick to start fights, didn’t seek advantage over others, or cared much for family or court intrigue made him out to be in the eyes of others a weak person. He might have even been looked down upon at first as an outsider, even if his father married the king’s daughter. Nothing could be more classic superhero than the status of an outsider needing to prove himself. By the time we meet Beowulf and follow his adventure, he had already gained a mighty reputation. How he got that reputation as the strongest and most respected warrior in the world is not explained. That story is passed in silence. Only once was his greatness at this point challenged when a thane of the Danish court questions his winning a swimming contest. That criticism is quickly dismissed by Beowulf who explains he had to contend with sea-monsters and therefore took more time. He also states Bracca who he raced was a friend and it was a youthful indiscretion to even try the feats.
Older generations looked upon him as a great man, and not just the younger or newer generation. He was a born leader who easily gathered the best warriors around him. When he went off to defeat Grendel in the land of the Danes across the sea, the elders wished that he wouldn’t leave, but they understood why he wanted to leave and even cheered him on with good wishes. They knew it was his mission in life to defeat evil wherever it lived. His strength and courage was not a mere show to impress others or scare his enemies. The Danish lookout when first noticing the band of Geats arriving was upset by the stealthy manner of their landing. However, he was quickly won over by Beowulf who showed no signs of false appearance. This was a recognizable powerful and intelligent man of nobility. He was naturally, like any superhero when arriving on scene, demanding of respect and standing out from others.
The monsters he must fight are worthy opponents to a man of his greatness and super human abilities. Grendel is a monster of the night. He was born of murder as the son of Cain. He is described as stealthy and swift, his eyes burning with violent rage. This is more than a monster of brute force, although that certainly exists. It is an intelligent monster that knows what it is doing when tearing apart the mead-hall door and killing all inside. Behind that mind and strength is also sharp teeth and deadly claws. He could be described as the perfect killer. And his mother is no less than him in fierceness and terror, although perhaps slightly harder to defeat. Where Beowulf was able to graple Grendel naked until an arm was torn off of the beast, the mother wasn’t so easy to dispatch. She came very close to taking Beowulf out in her lair beneath the cursed lake. It was only by the grace of God, a sword seemingly left over from the time of the great flood, that he won the battle. Like the Alien movies, her blood was corrosive and melted the blade while dealing the final blow.
Sea-monsters are perhaps the most perplexing evil forces he must face. Beowulf is, after all, only human with all his greatness. He doesn’t even have the ancient luxury of having half-god ancestry. Yet, in all his water encounters it is almost like he, like Aquaman, can breath underwater. The final conflict with Grendel’s mother takes place exclusively in a water filled world of death and decay. His Danish friends worry that he will be killed by her and not drowned. But this suspension of disbelief should not be taken too literally as one of his superhero powers. The waters filled with monsters are not representative of actual lakes and seas that can drown a person who breaths air. He is diving into the deep abyss of the Biblical leviathan; the place of the damned and unquenchable sin. The creatures are found in the depths of Hell where his soul is more in danger than his body. Losing to them would bring eternal torment for both himself and those remaining behind.
The final battle with the dragon introduces a sidekick that for years had been the staple of comic book superheroes. The most famous is Robin who is a young man taken in by and accompanies the adventures of Batman, sometimes saving him if not saved by the caped crusader. In the case of Beowulf, the greatest of his young warriors are challenged by a great fire-breathing dragon wanting revenge for a stolen goblet. The not so charitable Beowulf forces the person who stole it to show him where the dragon lives. Once arriving at the treasure filled caved, all of the warriors become frightened and run into the forest. That is, all of them except one young man named Wiglaf who fights besides him in the epic battle. He probably stays behind both because this is the noble king he serves and he is related to Beowulf as the last remaining of a tribal line. Together they defeat the dragon where before it was a hopeless cause. The fire-breath had already scorched Beowulf and destroyed his weapons, specially made shield, and armor. With resolve and foolhardy courage, Wiglaf stabs the dragon in the chest to weaken it and Beowulf with a knife stabs it in the head, finishing the dragon.
As a King-warrior, Beowulf had protected his people by keeping enemies from attacking. They feared him for his great skills and strength. He would fight without a weapon, killing with his hands and ripping out their hearts. Through this fierceness and loyalty from his people, Beowulf as king of the Geats kept the peace for all of his ruling years. With Beowulf’s death and the cowardice shown his warriors, other than the young Wiglaf who had never seen battle until the dragon, the Geat’s enemies from all around would attack and destroy them. They did not honor the old and respected super human warrior, and so God would probably not protect them.
The question of Beowulf as Superhero is a mixed bag of contradictions. He is a warrior of strength greater than any other human. He battles often without weapons both monsters and men. No one could do what he did; and all honor or fear him. Many of the adventures he took, even when given bounty and prizes, was without expectation of reward. Despite this, he was mortal like all who lived. He was boastful while claiming he could still be defeated if by the will of God and fate. He might not have character flaws for his time, but he could be cruel in the name of justice and protection. Definitely not a man of peace. Eventually he grew old and was killed by a dragon much more powerful than him. If it wasn’t for Wiglaf the sidekick the dragon would have won. Perhaps its the weaknesses of body and character that keep him out of the list of super heroes in history. He has super human qualities, but in other respects he is all too human. Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne have met their literary match.
Questions to consider:
What are the attributes of a Superhero and how does Beowulf compare?
Why do you think Beowulf continues to be overlooked in popular culture?
How do you think the perception of Beowulf from weak to the strongest human changed?
