How to be an Anglo-Saxon

HeroA guide to reach your

inner warrior.By: Ben Nelson

Table of Contents

Page 3……………………………….Background

Page 4……………………………….Materials Needed

Page 5……………………………….Step One

Page 6……………………………….Step Two

Page 7……………………………….Step Three

Page 8……………………………….Step Four

Page 9……………………………….Step Five

Page 10……………………………...Step Six

Page 11………………………………Step Seven

Page 12………………………………Step Eight

Page 13………………………………Step Nine

Background

The steps discussed in this How to Guide are created from the values expressed in the epic of Beowulf. The epic of Beowulf shows the traits that the Anglo-Saxons believed were key in a hero.

Things You Need

A weapon

A shield (optional)

Means to become a warrior through the king

Means to get stronger

A heroic physical appearance

Step One

1. First of all, you must become a warrior.

Step Two2. When you

are a warrior, you must then be willing to lose your life for what you believe in.

Step Three

3. As well as being willing to give your life, you must obtain good personality qualities, such as humbleness and loyalty.

Step Four

4. Then if you aren’t already, you must work out in order to be strong enough to have “the strength of 30 men in one arm” (An excerpt from Beowulf). You must not necessarily have that much strength, but you must be strong enough to overwhelm your foes. This is an important trait of Anglo-Saxon heroes.

Step Five

5. Now that you have immense strength, you must show it through courage. Your courage or bravery must be greater than that of a normal warrior, and you must be willing to stay and fight when others flee.

Step Six

6.You must have intelligence. Intelligence will allow you to make the right decisions and react quickly when needed.

Step Seven

7. Physical appearance is key for a hero. An impressive physical appearance will help you gain prestige and awe from allies and enemies.

Step Eight

8. Finally, in order to achieve hero status, you must go on your quest for greatness. For example, Beowulf’s slaying of Grendel. You must also do this quest successfully in the face of great odds and danger.

Step Nine (Last Step)

9. If you have managed to complete your specific quest, then congratulations! But, as you know, a hero’s work is never done. For as long as you want to remain a hero, you must continue to seek out new adventures and places man has not gone before.

Bibliography

Garcia, Christopher. "The Anglo-Saxon Hero.” Pace University. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec 2010. <http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/Proj2004A1/hero.html>.