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The Epic Hero and Society: Cuchulainn, Beowulf, and Roland

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The Epic Hero and Society: Cuchulainn, Beowulf, and Roland Volume 13 Number 1 Article 4 10-15-1986 The Epic Hero and Society: Cuchulainn, Beowulf, and Roland Eleanor Farrell Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore Part of the Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons Recommended Citation Farrell, Eleanor (1986) "The Epic Hero and Society: Cuchulainn, Beowulf, and Roland," Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: Vol. 13 : No. 1 , Article 4. Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss1/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mythopoeic Society at SWOSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature by an authorized editor of SWOSU Digital Commons. An ADA compliant document is available upon request. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To join the Mythopoeic Society go to: http://www.mythsoc.org/join.htm Mythcon 51: A VIRTUAL “HALFLING” MYTHCON July 31 - August 1, 2021 (Saturday and Sunday) http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-51.htm Mythcon 52: The Mythic, the Fantastic, and the Alien Albuquerque, New Mexico; July 29 - August 1, 2022 http://www.mythsoc.org/mythcon/mythcon-52.htm Abstract Compares legends of Cuchulainn, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland to determine what the portrayal of their respective heroes tells us about the different values of their various cultures. Additional Keywords Beowulf—Social and political aspects; Cuchulainn—Social and political aspects; Heroes (Epic); Heroes and honor; Roland—Social and political aspects; Sarah Beach This article is available in Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol13/iss1/4 MYTHLORE 47: Autumn 1986 Page 25 The Epic H ero and Society Cuchulainnm Beowulf and Roland Eleanor Farrell The epic hero is a fascinating archetype Tolkien commented on the "fundamental spanning man's entire history, from the unreason" of Celtic things: "They have bright Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh that pre-dates the color, but are like a broken stained glass second millenium B.C., to today's futuristic window reassembled without design."3 This tales of post-holocaust society. Tales of characteristic can be seen throughout the heroes have survived from many early surviving Celtic literature and art, but is cultures, evolving from bardic oral is epitomized in the story of Cuchulainn, recitations into (sometimes) cohesive written Ireland's greatest hero, as told in the Tain stories or poems. The tales survived because Bo Cuailnge and related tales. they were good entertainm ent, but they also serve the additional purpose of being a Cuchulainn is clearly not human. His treasure-store of information about the conception is confusing, to say the least. societies where they originated. The epics His mother Deichtine becomes pregnant first show, if not actual living figures, at least by the sidhe Lug (identified with the Celtic the people the societies imagined themselves sun god), and later by the mortal Sualdam mac to be, with their codes of honor, religious Roich. Added to these elements is a beliefs and political systems; they are suggestion of Deichtine's incest with her passionate, humorous, and surprisingly brother Conchobar, the king. Cuchulainn's o b j e c t i v e . childhood fits the outline of the archetypal heroic figure as described by Joseph The scribes of medieval Europe have Campbell, who sees the hero's life as a preserved several epic tales from roughly "pageant of marvels" culminating in a great contemporary, but distinctly different, central adventure.4 Before reaching the age societies.1 Among these are the Irish Celtic of seven, this prodigy single-handedly tales of the hero Cuchulainn, the Anglo-Saxon defeated Conchobar's entire boy troop and epic poem Beowulf, and the Norman chanson de killed Culann the Smith's savage hound, not g e s t e , The Song of Roland. A comparison of to mention the number of heads of Ulster's the heroes of these tales and of their enemies he collected. But the most colorful adventures will allow us to also compare (and very Celtic) depiction of Cuchulainn is their societies, to discover differences and the description of his battle-rage: sim ilarities among the peoples whose cultures fused to form, ultimately, modern Europe. The first warp-spasm seized Cuchulainn, and made him into a monstrous thing.... Of the three cultures to be considered, His body made a f u rio u s tw is t in s id e the Celtic is the most primitive, in the his skin, so that his feet and shins and sense of having an interplay between the knees switched to the rear and his heels natural and the supernatural, a "tension and calves switched to the front.... between reality and fantasy."2 J.R.R. His face and features became a red bowl: Page 26 MYTHLORE 47: Autumn 1986 he sucked one eye so deep into his head so that his bowels spill out. Cuchulainn that a wild crane couldn't probe it... fastens him self to a rock so that he may die the other eye fell out along his cheek standing up, and Lugaid waits until he is .... Then, tall and thick, steady and dead before cutting off Cuchulainn's head. strong, high as the mast of a noble The hero manages to revenge him self even in ship, rose up from the dead centre of death, however, for as his sword falls from his skull a straight spout of black his hand it cuts off the hand of Lugaid. blood darkly and magically smoking like the smoke from a royal hostel when a In considering the Anglo-Saxon epic king is coming to be cared for at the Beowulf, we move into a society less steeped close of a winter day .5 in magic and guided by a permeating and pessim istic sense of doom. Like the northern Irish religion was nebulous, with gods, the Germanic (or Anglo-Saxon) heroes numerous local deities who were rarely "are on the right side, though it is not the depicted as deserving (or receiving) reverent side that wins. The winning side is Chaos worship. There was no strong belief in the and Unreason.. ".8 There are both Christian afterlife, although the boundaries between and pagan religious elements in Beowulf, but the natural and supernatural worlds were all of these are ephemeral to the concept of tenuous and easily crossed. Irish lore fate that controls the hero's actions. The included non-human races, but the immortal only hope of survival in this universe is the sidhe were most often described as living and society, represented by the mead-hall, which fighting like humans. is being directly attacked by Grendel before Beowulf's arrival. Fate was an integral part of Celtic lore and literature, with druids and seeresses As in Celtic society, a code of honor employed to make predictions, especially was predominant in individual conduct, but about battles. An Irish stubbornness can be here it took the form of the personal seen, however, in the frequency with which comitatus loyalty of feudal structure. The characters cheerfully ignore these dire importance of this concept in Anglo-Saxon warnings and plow ahead into ruin. This culture is clearly demonstrated by its attitude stemmed partially from a confidence frequency in the extant literature, perhaps in being able to get around fate through the most succinctly described by the vassal use of fetishes, wile or good luck; but it Byrhtwold, in the heroic poem "The Battle of was also characteristic of the Irish Celts to M aldon": value glory and fame over a longer but duller existence. When Cuchulainn is told that his Courage shall grow keener, clearer the w ill, life w ill be short because he armed himself the heart fiercer, as our force faileth. on a certain day, he replies, "'That is a Here our lord lies levelled in the dust, fair bargain.... If I achieve fame I am the man all marred: he shall mourn to the content, though I had only one day on end e a r t h .'"6 who thinks to wend off from this war-play now. Early Irish society was homogeneous but Though I am white with winters I will not anarchic, the Irish having "little tolerance aw ay, for centralized authority, even their own."7 for I think to lodge me alongside my dear The aristocratic classes had a strong sense o n e, of, and concern with, identity, which is lay me down by my lord's right hand.'9 reflected in the genealogical and place-name lists so frequent in early Irish literature. Beowulf displays all of the virtues of The morality of the Irish Celts was based on the Germanic warrior: bravery, strength, a this tribal identity and consisted of a sense of obligation (he comes to Hrothgar's complicated code of honor that could court partly to repay a family debt), loyalty transcend the bonds of blood kinship. Thus, to his uncle Hygelac, leader of the Geats, Cuchulainn is forced to fight and kill his honor in fulfilling his oaths, and an own son Connla for the honor of Ulster and eagerness for fame and praise. He is Conchobar. Cuchulainn is able to fulfill his credited with prowess equal to that of the honor code and still avoid killing his supernatural (but human-like) Grendel, and friends or kinsmen in several- other episodes, defeats this monster without using weapons.
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