The mead-hall was a significant symbol in medieval society because it served as a meeting point for warriors and soldiers to relax after their adventures and wars. These warriors had fought alongside one another, and they knew their allegiance would be appreciated when they returned to the mead halls. Mead-Hall offered a zone of shelter from the unstable exterior environment that constantly threatened invasion by surrounding peoples. The purpose of this paper is to describe the significance of the mead hall and its concept of community among Anglo-Saxons.
Mead-halls were transformed into emblems of authority, serving as a showcase for monarchs to demonstrate their gold jewelry, armor, money, and even their manpower, among other things. The mead-hall served as a gathering place for feasts as well as a place for the soldiers to rest at night. Beowulf and his warriors went to Heorot for a number of reasons, the first of which is a formal meeting with Hrothgar. The second is a celebration, and the third is a place to sleep with their weapons and armor, ready for combat. Mead-halls were palaces, cafeterias, bars, and camps all in one.
The Anglo-Saxons built massive wood mead-halls with thatch roofing to house hundreds of visitors. The windows were not made, and only a maximum of one or two entry doors were available (Abram, 2017). While central hearth and wall hangings kept visitors warm, the hall became smoky. Pork, venison, or beef could be roasted on a spit over a fire pit, fish such as herring or eel could be griddled, or a stew could be cooked in a cauldron. Rye or wheat bread was prepared in a clay oven, fruits including plums, and vegetables such as peas, beans, carrots, and cabbage preceded the dinner. On seats erected in rows around the hall, visitors sat according to their respective social statuses. Scops were constantly there to amuse visitors with heroic stories joined by musicians on the harp and flute (Abram, 2017). At West Stow in Suffolk and Yeavering in Northumberland, remnants of Anglo-Saxon halls have been discovered and efforts made to recreate them.
In Heorot, king Hrothgar celebrates his victory and bestows numerous riches on his thanes (warriors). The structure resembles a palace since it soars to such heights that it is likened to a cliff. At the same time, the gables formed like a hart’s horns (Abram, 2017). Members of neighboring tribes contributed to the elaborate decorations and exquisite patterns. Additionally, the hall serves as a symbolic setting for Beowulf’s first big fight, the conquest of Grendel. Grendel was well aware that by invading the hall, he was striking at the core of Scyldings.
Heorot was the most ornate, horn-gabled, and magnificent of mead-halls. This is the impression that most readers have of the structure that is essential to Beowulf. The hall was a site of social structure and anti-social turmoil, where Hrothgar bestowed gifts (Abram, 2017). It is also where Grendel dies in his pursuit of the gift throne until Beowulf brutally stops his assaults. Heorot is the scene of most of the poem’s action—yet the structure is often overlooked as readers focus on the story and people, leaving the location in the background. Consequently, for most people, Heorot appears incomplete and often irrelevant to people’s interpretation of the text, like other mead-halls in Germanic literature.
Reference
Abram, C. (2017). Bee-wolf and the hand of victory: Identifying the heroes of Beowulf and VÇ«lsunga saga. Journal of English and Germanic Philology, 116(4), 387-414. Web.