16 - Beowulf and Charlemagne

Both “Life of Charlemagne” and Beowulf are stories written circa the year 800 CE. “Charlemagne” is a biography written in Latin by a Frank – the state secretary Einhard, and it narrates the life of the Frankish king Charlemagne, of whom Einhard is a contemporary.  

Beowulf is an epic poem written in Old English by an Anglo-Saxon monk, and it is about the heroic enterprises of a Geatish chieftain from Southern Sweden.

 The objective of both works is to praise a leader, and both showcase the culture of their people.

For the Anglo-Saxons it was important to feel they were the heirs of the great Viking warriors, and in fact it is an Anglo – Saxon who writes down the Viking's epic. The writer is anonymous and narrates oral legends from centuries earlier; individual authorship was not considered as important. The Anglo-Saxons also wanted to achieve a synthesis between the Viking code of honor and the new Christian faith, to which Great Britain had converted. 

The writer is a Christian who is narrating events lived by non-Christians. Some of his comments reflect the Christian faith; for example, the idea that moral virtues such as humility are more important than riches or fame (Beowulf, p. 119). However, there is no mention of Jesus, and some of the references to God seem to equate the deity to fate, or Wyrd, a pagan concept (Beowulf, p. 71). For example, when Beowulf slays the dragon, he senses that he will die too, but he accepts the combat anyway (Beowulf, p.169). 

 

The Viking code of honor requires that the hero slay monsters in single combat. Beowulf faces Grendel alone (Beowulf, p. 29); he faces Grendel's mother alone (Beowulf, p.105); and fifty years later he and the dragon will face each other in mortal combat - even though the warrior Wiglaf will try to help Beowulf (Beowulf, p.179). It is also important for a chieftain to take care of his warriors. Hrothgar, the king of the Danes whom Beowulf helps, builds a great hall for the warriors, and gives them rings and torques - neck collars to prevent decapitation in combat (Beowulf, p. 7). 

 

The artifacts created by the Vikings shed light on their way of life. The illustrated edition of Beowulf translated by Heaney contains se photos of these artifacts. The decorated dagger on page 16 shows the importance of arms for the hero/warrior. The chain mail on page 102 showcases the infinite patience of the artist, who chained together 20,000 individual rings. The Viking boat, a replica of which is on page 14, is a symbol of the Vikings famous all over the world. The boat was beautifully carved, and was sturdy enough to reach North America, demonstrating the technical ability of its makers. The belt fibs on page 42, in wrought gold with stylized figures of a man and a woman embracing, show that personal human relations were important. Gold jewelry was part of the dowry that a spouse of a different clan would bring to seal an alliance with the tribe of the groom, as Beowulf discusses with his lord Hygelac (Beowulf, p.135).

The Franks have a different set of values. For them it was important to be recognized as the heirs of the Roman Empire, and as the protectors of the Roman Church. At the beginning of his biography, Einhard explains that Charlemagne returned Italy “to the Romans” (“Charlemagne”, p. 29), when in fact he conquered Italy. Einhard also narrates how Charles occupied large territories and dealt firmly with the local chieftains (“Charlemagne”, p. 27-43). This emphasizes that Charles had qualities similar to those of the great Roman generals, such as Caesar demonstrated in his “De Bello Gallico”.

 The biographer also explains that the king had a close relationship with the Catholic Church: his uncle and sister were very pious and lived in a monastery - a formal Christian institution (“Charlemagne”, p.25 and 46). Charles prayed every day in the church he built at Aix la Chapelle (“Charlemagne”, p. 55) . This shows not only that the Franks prized religion, but also that they considered the institution of the Church to be important.  

Charles cared about his family: he educated all his children (“Charlemagne”, p. 46), and he kept his daughters with him (“Charlemagne”, p.48) . Charles loved books, established a literacy program in his reign, and had Latin books read to him at dinnertime (“Charlemagne”, p. 52). Einhard praises his king's moderation is eating and drinking, even though for our standards he drunk too much – three cups (“Charlemagne”, p. 52). 

The biography ends with Charles' death, noting the various omens that preceded it, in a manner reminiscent of the omens foreshadowing the death of Caesar - again a reference to the Romans. Charlemagne left a legal document disposing of his wealth, in order to avoid disputes that would destabilize the government, and in order to leave large sums to charity, to help Christians in difficulty (“Charlemagne”, p.63-67). This demonstrates that he cared about justice and charity, two virtues important to the Christian faith.

What distinguished the Franks from other Germanic tribes was their ability to create complex architectural structures. Charlemagne undertook the construction of the palace and church at Aix la Chapelle, projects that required the concerted efforts of a well organized society, and that were symbols of order and stability. 

 

The basilica at Aachen is still standing despite the snowstorms plaguing that northern region. Charlemagne loved to travel and was aware of foreign architectural styles, as is testified by the basilica's Islamic and Byzantine elements, such as arches with stones of alternate colors. It has a dome structure similar to Ravenna's San Vitale, because Charlemagne wanted to model himself after the Byzantine Emperors. 

Charlemagne's equestrian statue (on the cover of the book), however, is only one foot tall. It is a reminder that this is still a precarious society, not too removed from other Nordic cultures, who created small artifacts because they could easily transport them in case of attack. 

If we compare the two societies, we see that even though both Franks and Vikings were Germanic tribes with a love for war and for stories, their sensibilities are very different.

 The Vikings had an oral tradition: “scops”, or bards, sang heroic stories in the hall where people ate. In Beowulf there is no mention of books, or of how the author came to the decision of narrating these stories. 

In contrast, the Franks prized the written word. Einhard's is a literary work, with a preface in the style of the Roman biographers.

The Vikings favored a personal relationship with the transcendent, while the Franks built Christian churches. 

The Vikings favored camaraderie and loyalty to their clan, whereas the Franks wanted to rebuild a state.

 

Not only the system of values, but also the psychological mood of these nations is different. In the Nordic regions nature is unforgiving, replete with monsters and inhospitable lands, bogs, and caverns. The people are pessimistic: during Beowulf 's burial a woman is wailing, expecting destruction, and the writer declares that the precious artifacts buried with the chieftain are worthless (Beowulf, p.207).

 In contrast, Einhard is optimist, confident that Charlemagne could restore civilization. The king's inspiration is Augustine's book “De Civitate Dei” (“Charlemagne”, p. 52), which explains that after Armageddon Jesus will establish a perfect city on Earth, a prelude to Paradise. The focus is on Heaven and on human enterprise, while the Nordic people focused on Hell and destruction - Beowulf's illustration on pg.46 depicts the afterlife as a cave with a giant monster eating the dead.

In conclusion, these Germanic cultures were very different, but they have one fate in common: they were both destined to greatly influence the Western world. The Nordic legends will be the prototypes for fantasy stories popular to this day, like those of J.R.R. Tolkien. The Frankish institutions were the prototypes for modern schools, which enable us to read those stories.

Works Cited

Beowulf. Trans. Seamus Heaney. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2000.
Einhard, ca. 770-840. The Life of Charlemagne. [Ann Arbor]: 

University of Michigan Press, 1960.