Epic of Beowulf Essay - Armor in the Epic Poem, Beowulf

Armor in the poem Beowulf Armor mentioned in the poem Beowulf include helmets and chain mail. There are an incredible number of references to these battle-apparel in the poem, making this topic of armor a very relevant one to consider. â€Å"Helmets are the most dramatic and often quoted item of armor found in Beowulf,† says Catherine M. Hills in â€Å"Beowulf and Archaeology.† Indeed, examining the poem, one finds copious references to helmets in just the first 400 lines of the poem: Boar-figures gleamed over plated cheek-guards, inlaid with gold; shining, fire-hardened, fierce war-masks guarded their lives (303-6) iron-gray†¦show more content†¦Both the Benty Grange and Sutton Hoo helmets have boar ornaments on the helmet, on the eyebrows of the latter. In Beowulf the poet describes the helmets of the Geat warriors in the poem: Boar-figures gleamed over plated cheek-guards, inlaid with gold (303-4) (Cramp 117) Representations of helmets in sculpture or in manuscripts indicate that crested helmets, the Anglo-Saxon type of helmet, continued in use through the tenth century (Hils 304). We will return to Benty Grange and Sutton Hoo shortly, but first let’s comment on the other form of armor: mail-link aka chain-mail aka mail-shirts aka war-dress aka battle-shirts aka mail, etc. In the first 400 lines of Beowulf, the references to armor generally, or to mail-link/chain-mail specifically, actually outnumber the references to helmets: I have not heard of a ship so decked with better war-dress, weapons of battle, swords and mail-shirts (38-40) Armored warriors climbed the prow; the sea-currents eddied; they carried no weapons, stored them amidships, all the bright ornaments, stately battle-dress (212-15) Their chain-mail clanked, their bright battle-shirts (236-7) WhoShow MoreRelatedBeowulf, The Epic Hero1373 Words   |  6 Pages12, 2015 Beowulf, The Epic Hero In Anglo Saxon times, Beowulf is considered a well known epic hero. â€Å"Epic heroes are literary characters from ancient mythology and other stories, which were written down in the form of long, narrative epic poems. 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