Beowulf And The 13th Warrior Analysis - 757 Words

Beowulf, written by an unknown author, is the epic telling of a noble warrior named Beowulf who fights monsters and dragons. The 13th Warrior, a film about a banished Arab man who travels north and experiences a Viking life. Although different in some aspects, Beowulf and The 13th Warrior closely parallel in their structure and perspective to reflect Anglo-Saxon cultural and societal values. Beowulf begins and ends with a scene depicting the traditional and grand burial found in Anglo-Saxon culture. Shield Sheafson is placed into a boat, surrounded by his belongings and other objects, set on fire and then let go to float on the river. At the end of the poem, Beowulf is also buried: â€Å"The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, Stacked and†¦show more content†¦In The 13th Warrior, the vikings are continuously attacked by the Wendol, a tribe of people that live and fight as if they were bears. This constant fighting in both storylines depicts the Anglo-Saxon notions of bravery and perseverance. They did not cower to the looming threats, instead they fought. The warriors in both Beowulf and The 13th Warrior do not stop fighting when one of their own dies, they persevere. They constantly fight and are willing to go to battle in order to prove their honor and bravery. Similarities in religious values are also present in both Beowulf and The 13th Warrior. In Beowulf, God and the religion of Christianity are mentioned a multitude of times. In the film, Ahmed ibn Fadlan is a practicing Muslim who travels with men who are paganistic. The narrator of Beowulf and Ahmed ibn Fadlan provide a similar perspective on the stories they are telling. Both Islam and Christianity are monotheistic religions. They both believe in a single god that sets out a path for each person. In both stories, religion is mentioned in relation to wyrd, the idea of personal destiny or faith. The warriors believe there is a path set out for them: â€Å"Often, for undaunted courage, Fate spares the man it has not already marked.† (572-573) They value honor and want to die fighting, but understand that they may be defeated, if that is what God has in store for them. This idea is also present in The 13th Warrior. Before the