The roles of women in early Anglo-Saxon culture were strictly defined. Women were viewed as possessions and served the function of the peace-weaver. In this role women were married off to warring tribes to promote peace and were to perform duties such as passing the cup from warrior to warrior during ceremonial functions. Women in Anglo-Saxon culture possessed virtually no autonomy and consequently were consistently at the mercy of their lords or husbands. Out of three thousand lines of poetry, only a handful describe women and their activities.
Despite this parsimony, an adequate portrait of the role of women emerges. Having neither privilege nor practice in becoming warriorlike, the woman is relegated to a relatively minor social position. Wealhtheow, for example, serves as an embellishment in her husband’s household, a hostess during frequent social events. Despite having limited power, women exert influence in their roles as peace keepers, tender foils to the often overly aggressive medieval warrior men. Wealhtheow takes this role further and even counsels her husband on select subjects.
However, the author prophecies that women will always fail in maintaining peace: “But generally the spear is prompt to retaliate when a prince is killed, no matter how admirable the bride may be”(2030). The author allows an exception when Grendel’s mother attacks men with their brand of violence, yet she, too, ultimately falls to the embodiment of the perfect male, Beowulf. Women, strive as they might, fail to be effective in male-dominated society. In Beowulf, these women will respectfully remain in their assigned roles as wife, mother, homemaker, and peace keeper.
The stories of Hildeburh and Freawaru, as told in Beowulf, illustrate the negative consequences that occur when women are married off as peace-weavers. Hildeburh is a Danish princess who was married off to Finn, king of the Jutes. Hildeburh is torn away from her loved ones and forced to witness her son and brother killed during a battle between the Danes and the Jutes. Hildeburh has absolutely no say in the marriage (as was the custom) and cannot do nothing to prevent the tragedy. The scop in Beowulf describes ow Hildeburh mourned the loss of her relatives as she watched “fire [swallow] them—greediest of spirits—all of those whom war had taken away from both peoples”. In the case of Freawaru, Beouwulf prophesizes that Hrothgar’s daughter will marry the son of Froda in an attempt to create peace but says, “Most often after the fall of a prince in any nation the deadly spear rests but a little while, even thought the bride is good”. The implication here is that another marriage based on peace-weaving will create hardship and war.
Wealhtheow of Beowulf is another example of a woman who lacks power in her role as a peace-weaver. Wealhtheow is the queen and wife to Hrothgar, so she is considered to be a noblewoman. Accordingly, her role in the kingdom is ceremonial, bit though distinguished, is lacking any real consequence. Wealhtheow greets Beowulf and warriors and in the hall and offers up the mead-bowl with the help of her fellow women. Once Beowulf has defeated Grendel, it is Weahltheow’s responsibility to give him thanks and present him with a ring and mail-shirt.
She says, “Here is each earl true to other, mild of heart, loyal to his lord; the thanes are at one, the people obedient, the retainers cheered with drink do as I bid”. Wealhtheow represents what would be considered as a good queen because like Hygd, daughter of Haereth, she “was not niggardly, nor too sparing of gifts to the men of the Geats”. These two women are in contrast with Modthryth, a folk-queen who orders any man (other than her lord) who looks at her to be killed and is viewed negatively because “one who weaves peace should [not] take away the life of a beloved man after pretended injury”.
In other words, it is unacceptable for a woman to have a mind killed for unjust reasons. This is particularly important when the woman’s central role in society is to keep the peace, rather than disrupt it. The only woman who appears to possess power in Beowulf is Grendel’s mother. It must be noted that Grendel’s mother is described as an evil “monster-wife,” and this likely accounts for behavior which would not have been viewed as acceptable by Anglo-Saxon society.
Grendel’s mother fiercely attacks and kills one of Beowulf’s men and reclaims Grendel’s arm that had been ripped from his body. When Beowulf seeks out revenge on Grendel’s mother she puts up admirable fight, determined that “she would avenge her child, her only son”. Though she is defeated by Beowulf, Grendel’s mother is unique in that she takes matters into her own hands, defies customs and laws, and seeks out revenge. The women of Beowulf are representative of the role of women as peace-weavers in Anglo-Saxon culture.
These women lived in a society in which their worth was assessed by their ability to achieve peace in times of war. The women have no real rights and are at the mercy of the needs of both their husbands and tribes. Though queens such as Wealhtheow have a higher social standing due to their nobility, the role of the women (in the literary works of the time) remains ceremonial. It is interesting, and telling, that Grendel’s mother, the only woman in Beowulf who is autonomous and aggressive, is considered a monster.
