Journal 7

Certain motifs, or recurring ideas, such as jouney, exile, and fate, appear frequently in many Anglo-Saxon works. What recurrent motifs have you found in the three works?

      From what remains of Anglo-Saxon literature, modern people can see many connections between these ancient works. The “The Seafarer” relates easily to “Beowulf” due to the significance of the seas and the characters’ magnetism toward action which are present in both works. While the seas play a more pivotal role in “The Seafarer”, they are significant in Beowulf as well, particularly for providing Beowulf with his background in fighting monsters. As revealed through the text, Beowulf braved storming seas, swimming for days and he was forced to fight off gigantic sea monsters in order to survive. This very directly relates to the trials the seafarer faced out at sea, traveling through harsh weather and raging tides. However, despite laboring out in the sea, both, both characters seek more action, Beowulf fighting more monsters and the seafarer venturing out to sea again. “The Wife’s Lament” is very closely related to “The Seafarer” because of the focus on suffering and isolation in both works. While the wife in “The Wife’s Lament” was exiled and suffered the absence of her husband, the seafarer had to endure the merciless seas and extreme loneliness. “The Seafarer”, “Beowulf”, and “The Wife’s Lament” vary a lot are ultimately all very serious and solemn throughout.