OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY [650-1066]

OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY AND LYRICAL (ELEGIAC) POETRY

OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY

Delve into the rich legacy of Old English War Poetry, a genre that vividly captures the valor, heritage, and tumultuous history of Anglo-Saxon battles. This poetry, characterized by its epic tales and heroic deeds, offers a unique window into the lives and values of ancient warriors. From the renowned “Beowulf” to lesser-known works, discover how these poems reflect the societal ethos of honor, bravery, and loyalty. Our in-depth exploration provides insights into the literary techniques, cultural contexts, and enduring significance of Old English War Poetry. Perfect for literature enthusiasts, history buffs, and students alike, this journey into the past reveals the timeless power of poetic storytelling in preserving our shared heritage.

(a)The Battle of Brunanburh

The Battle of Brunanburh appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under the date 937 A. D., where it was inserted by some monk. It celebrates the great victory which Aethelstan, the king of Wessex and Mercia, and his brother Eadmund won at Brunanburh in 937 A. D. over the combined forces of Olaf, the Norseman and Constantine, the king of Scots. “There is nothing here of Christian gentleness; the lines have the old heathen ring of exultation over a fallen foe, of rejoicing over the broken invaders. There is more of fierce heathenism in this short poem than in the whole of Beowulf” (Legouis).

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read also Beowulf: Summary and analysis of poem

The poet delights to show us the sun rising on the blood-sodden field covered with the dead bodies of the broken Scottish soldiers, over which fought the ‘dark-feathered foul’, the black raven, ‘the whitetailed’ eagle and the grey-clad beast, the wolf of the wood. While commenting upon the difference between the heroic tone of this poem and that of the older Old English war poetry David Daiches says:

“In the older heroic poetry, emphasis was laid on the individual hero, and his national origins were of little importance he was one of the heroes of Germania and as such claimed the admiration of all the Germanic peoples without any national prejudice. But The Battle of Brunanburh shows strong patriotic sentiment. The victory is regarded as a victory of the English forces against Norse, Scots and Welsh enemies, and though the heroism of Aethelstan and Eadmund is celebrated, the two princes appear not as heroes in their own right so much as champions of their nation.”

(b) The Battle of Maldon

The Battle of Maldon appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle under the date 991. It has come down to us incomplete, wanting as it does the beginning and end. “It deals in the older epic manner with one of the many clashes between the English and the Danes that resulted from the latter’s attacks on England, which culminated in the conquest of the country by Cnut (Canute) in 1012.” (David Daiches). The Battle of Maldon tells the story of the disastrous defeat of the English at the hands of the Danes in a battle fought in 991 at the estuary of the Blackwater in Essex near Maldon.

In this battle Byrhtnoth, the chief of the East Saxons died fighting to the last’in an attempt to drive back the Danes who were coming to attack England. After the death of Byrhtnoth the faithful English warriors did not take to their heels like the cowards led by the traitor Godrich, but fought bravely, and died about the dead body of their leader. In this poem the emphasis is laid on the valour and heroism of the individual hero rather than on national (or patriotic) sentiments, as in The Battle of Brunanburh, and so it is remarkably similar in spirit to the older (Pagan) heroic poetry.

It chants the reckless valour of the hero, Byrhtnoth, his sacrifice of himself for his followers, and above all, his love of battle. Out of his eagerness for battle Byrhtnoth allows the Danes to pass over the Blackwater, so that the fight may ensure. It also recalls the tradition of the older heroic poetry by its elegiac note. “In spite of the proud words of the dying chief, the noble harangues of his friends, the blows they finely deal, and all the delirium of danger and death, this poem is sad.” (Legouis).

Kemp Malone finely says that the poem belongs to the tradition of the scops, and most of it might be put back into heathen times with little or no change in word or thought. The battle in Maldon recalls the battles in the Iliad: as in the Iliad, so in this poem the battle takes the form of single combats between the leaders; in both the common soldiers are ignored. The poem also shows some striking similarities to the French Chanson de Roland.

“Byrhtnoth makes it a point of honour to allow the Northmen to ford the river unhindered, exactly as Roland refuses to sound his horn in order to summon Charlemagne. Both heroes, out of chivalrous pride, prepare disaster. Byrhtnoth’s attachment to his king Aethelred, and that of his brothers-in-arms to himself, their leader, are matched by the tie of duty and love which binds Roland to Charlemagne and all the Frankish warriors to Roland *** And Byrhtnoth like Roland is a Christian slain by the pagans,” (Legouis)

OLD ENGLISH LYRICAL (ELEGIAC) POETRY

Explore the poignant world of Old English Lyrical (Elegiac) Poetry, a genre that beautifully expresses the themes of loss, longing, and the passage of time. This lyrical poetry, rich with emotional depth and introspection, offers a profound glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Anglo-Saxons. From the haunting “The Wanderer” to the reflective “The Seafarer,” these elegiac poems capture the essence of human experience and the transient nature of life. Our comprehensive analysis delves into the literary artistry, historical context, and cultural significance of these timeless works. Ideal for literature aficionados, historians, and students, this exploration highlights the enduring impact of Old English Lyrical Poetry on the literary canon and its ability to resonate with contemporary audiences.

There are a group of Anglo-Saxon poems which stand apart from the Anglo-Saxon epical and war poems by virtue of their lyrical tendency, These poems strike the truly elegiac mood, and have nothing to do either with the Germanic world or with the paganism. Nor are they Christian save and except in some of their details and conclusion. Like lyrics they express the personal feelings and emotions of the poets themselves. They strike, as Legouis says, “perhaps more truly than the authentic fragments of Celtic poetry, that note of lamentation, at once personal and human, to which the name of Ossianic has been given.”

The Ruin which in conception, composition, and expression deserves the name of a masterpiece among the Anglo-Saxon poems, expresses the poet’s deep regret at the sight of some buildings which are deserted, roofless and tottering. The mind of the poet is filled with the deepest and noblest, of all emotions not merely personal but also universal, as he looks on the masonry shattered by fate, the tall spires crumbled to the dust and imagines the proud warriors who once guarded the buildings, the hot-baths boiling in their lake-like cistern, the merry wine-halls devoured by wyrd (fate). The poem truly strikes the note of nostalgic melancholy so characteristic of the nineteenth century romantic poetry.

The Wanderer, an elegy of 115 lines expresses the lament of a man who has lost his lord, and now journeys, alone and friendless, the paths of sea in search of a new lord. In sleep he dreams the days of his former happiness, but awaking, he finds nothing but grey waves and falling snow, which adds to his distress. Then he passes on to reflect that the vicissitudes of fortune befall even the lords, and that misery is the common lot of man. The Wanderer thus attains the highest height of great lyrical poetry which expresses not only what is purely personal, but also what is universal.

The poem ends with a conventional Christian sentiment that good is the man who does not lose his faith in God, the Father who protects us all.The Seafarer which has the same melancholy note as the other Anglo-Saxon lyrical poems, and as such is representative of this poetry is the monologue of an old seafarer [OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY] upon whom the sea-life casts irresistible attraction, even though he knows all the dangers and evils attendant upon the sea-life. The poem is remarkable for the “sombre and violent picture it gives of northern seas in which suffering from cold, mingles with the pains of water and wind.” (Legouis).

The love of sea and adventure we find in this poem appears afterwards in many modern poets like Byron, Swinburne, Kipling, Masefield. The fine lyrical and romantic charm of the poem is marred by the effusion of Christian sentiment in the second part which seems to be an allegory in which the call of the sea is the call of the God to man. OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY

The note of melancholy so characteristic of Anglo-Saxon lyrical poetry is not to be found in The Husband’s Message in which the husband in exile sends his message to his wife by means of the letters carved on a piece of wood. The wood tells the wife its own life story and its journey in a ship, and bids her join her husband in the place of exile where he has become rich and powerful. But the monologue entitled as The Wife’s complaint is rich in melancholy feeling. OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY

The speaker in this poem is a woman who has been separated from her husband, and forced to live in an old dwelling dug out of the earth, under an oak by the plottings of her husband’s relatives. She sits under the oak tree all day long lamenting over her sad lot. She mourns that she has no friends here, and that all the mutual pledges of deathless union she and her husband made to each other have been forfeited.
The Lament of Deor is an elegy of forty-two lines, and expresses the complaints of a scop who, after years of service to his lord, has been ousted by his rival scop. OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY

Deor, however consoles himself by recalling the trials of gods and heroes, all of whom have been victims of misfortune. Wulf and Eadwacer is another dramatic monologue which expresses the intense romantic yearning of a woman for her outlawed lover. Eadwacer may be “her hated husband, or at least the man with whom, against her will, she is forced to live.” (David Daiches

Reason for their enduring appeal

The reason for the enduring appeal of these elegies is their universal- ity, that is, the appeal to the widest human interests and simplest human emotions. Like all good lyrics they are at once personal and universal. They know no nationality, nor any bounds save those of humanity. They are chiefly occupied with elementary passions and emotions-sorrow, regret, sense of desolation, love of the boundless deep-which are an essential part of human nature.

Thus, deep regret ever crosses the mind of a man who comes to visit the remains of a splendid town long after the days of its splendour, and sighs like the poet of The Ruined Burg “Many were the made-halls, full of mirth of men
Till the strong-willed wyrd whirled that all to change” A man separated from his lord ever suffers from the sense of desolation like the Wanderer. The Seafarer’s love of the sea has characterised men, specially the English down the ages. OLD ENGLISH WAR POETRY .
The elegies ring with saddest thoughts, and “our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts” Hence their abiding appeal: