Beowulf

Ancestry and Lineage
During the Anglo-Saxon period in history, there were many great kings and rulers. In a world which every male was know as his father’s son, ancestral heritage played a major role in who became the distinguished leaders of their time. The folk epic Beowulf illustrates the importance of one’s lineage and background through the words and actions of three specific characters. The watchman, Wealtheow, and Beowulf himself show the significance ancestry and the value of order of succession within noble families.
Seeing Beowulf and his men coming ashore, the watchman , guard of the Danish coast, questions Beowulf of his business. Beowulf informs the watchman his reason for being there is to assist Hrothgar in the slaying of Grendel. He also explains he is the son of Ectheow, a famous and dignified noble. “…My father was famed far and wide, a noble lord, Ectheow by name-…” (215). The watchman, noticing in Beowulf’s appear...