Object

Beowulf fought Grendel with no weapons or shield protecting him. If Beowulf would have used a shield it would’ve looked like the shield preserved in the British Museum. The shield is from the early Anglo-Saxon period, and was found in Sutton Hoo. It is made of gold and copper alloy. It was gilded, and has a dome-headed with a ‘roped-collar’ that has five rivets. According to the museum description; “the boss of the shield has an outer rim decorated with one band of dots and one band of triangles.” It has a diameter of 1.5 cm and was acquired in 1939. The entire shield has a magnificent design with great detail, but only part of it can be seen clearly on the collar of the shield. The boss also has a contrasting colour of red from the rest of the shield, surrounded by a luminous silver.

Wars and battles were fought with the use of weapons and protective armour. The helmet, much like the shield was not used by the greatest warrior in his battle. A helmet from the British Museum found in the 7^th Century from the Anglo-Saxon period is a representation of what a helmet Beowulf would have worn had he decided to use any armour. The helmet may be Germanic, is made of limonite and iron and was found in Sutton Hoo in 1939. The helmet covers most of the face, leaving space for the eyes and neck for movement. It has gold embellishments from the mouth, following the line of the nose to the top of the head. The helmet is brown, but the gold remained in it is lustrous. The armour would have protected Beowulf, but it was his choice in not wearing it that solidifies his title of a hero and a saviour.

Beowulf not only did not wear any armour, but also chose to not use any weapons and rely solely on his strength. If he had used a sword, Beowulf would have used one like the one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The sword was from the period between 500-700 AD, and is made from iron. It is from the Frankish culture and has the dimensions 79 x 5.3 x 1.9 cm. The sword is simple and sharp, but looks heavy. It does not have any embellishments that can be seen, since it is rusted; however, there are some gold specks that can be seen. The sword Beowulf received from the victory was a great honor, and by his decision of not using any weapons his and the Danish Nation’s triumph was achieved; which would have not been possible otherwise. The sword gifted being from the Anglo-Saxon period could have looked like the one preserved by the MET museum.

The battle between the protagonist and antagonist led to a great victory, which was followed by a celebration in Heorot. The chalice from the MET Museum is a representation of this. Chalices were used to drink from, and this chalice from the period of 500-1000 AD is from the Irish culture. It is made of silver, copper alloy, enamel and glass. The chalice has blue and red embellishments and is representation of the end of terror. It marks a beginning of celebration and happiness in the great-hall which was haunted by Grendel for years, and it is now being used for the end of the horrors brought by the descendant of Cain. Moreover, the chalice is a resemblance of the treasure in the dragon’s lair that led to Beowulf’s death. Thus, the chalice is celebrating the rise of Beowulf and is also foreshadowing his end.