Abstract
The portrait of Scyld with which Beowulf begins sets up a paradigm of heroic society which the rest of the poem gradually shows to be unworkable. Specific treasures are given negative associations in the poem; the possession of treasure does not equate with worth, it fails to ensure loyalty and is finally designated as useless. The poem implies that a society based on the acquisition and distribution of treasure is doomed to feud and ineluctable decline.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clark, D. Relaunching the Hero: The Case of Scyld and Beowulf Re-Opened. Neophilologus 90, 621–642 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11061-005-4255-9
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11061-005-4255-9