Reflections on AngloSaxon Life

The Anglo-Saxons set the foundations on which the English nation developed. In spite of continual internal warfare, they built upon those foundations and developed a high degree of civilization. In Beowulf, Burton Raffel portrays many aspects of Anglo-Saxon lifestyle, especially the importance of weaponry, women's role in society, and the significance of Christianity. There was not a single object that mattered to Anglo-Saxons more than their weapons. The Anglo-Saxons "delighted in beautiful weapons" (Crossley-Holland 19). They …

…fame from their bravery, just as every young child today wants to be famous. The Anglo-Saxons laid foundations that have been built upon over time and are now edifices. Bibliography Crossley-Holland, Kevin. Green Blades Rising. New York: The Seabury Press, 1975. Levick, Ben. "The Religion of the Pagan Anglo-Saxons." Angelcynn: Anglo-Saxon Living History 400-900AD. 25 August, 1997. 24 January, 2000. Raffel, Burton, trans. from Beowulf. Elements of Literature: Literature of Britain. Eds. Robert Anderson, et al. Austin: Holt, 1989. 14-37.