Old English Heroism: Fortitude

As you may know, I used to teach British Literature in my former life. I taught that class so many times that its ideas and stories are deeply ingrained in my mind even now. And I love it. (Nerds of the world, unite!) For example, I was thinking about the four characteristics of the Old English hero as they relate to Beowulf, Robin Hood, Superman, and Harry Potter. Curious? Skeptical? Read on!

English Back in the Day

The literature book opened with a unit on the Old English period. Like, the Ooold English period. If you think Shakespeare sounds old school in the early 1600’s, wait till you see what English was like in the late 900’s:

Hwæt. We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

Those are the opening lines of the epic poem Beowulf. Their modern English translation (complements of Frances B. Grummere) reads:

Lo, praise of the prowess of people-kings
of spear-armed Danes, in days long sped,
we have heard, and what honor the athelings won!

What’s the Plan?

If you’re tempted to stop reading this article now, just hang in there! I won’t be quoting from the Old English anymore, I promise. I just wanted to give you a little historical perspective so that the foundation of this series is thoroughly laid. See, I’d like to write a series of articles about the characteristics of an Old English hero. Given how much the language has changed, you’d think the description of a hero would have changed too, right? But I’d like to prove that a true hero has looked the same for over 1000 years and will continue to do so.

How can I be so sure of that? Because I don’t think the characteristics are based on a passing cultural fad or a literary character. Instead, I believe they’re intrinsic to human nature, having been written on our hearts since creation. That’s why my last article will be about Jesus as the ultimate “hero.” (Don’t worry; I hope to make the article less corny than that sentence sounds.) So, without further ado, let’s look at the characteristics of fortitude, prudence, loyalty, and generosity as they relate to Beowulf, Robin Hood, Superman, and Harry Potter.

What Do You Mean, “Fortitude”?

While not completely obsolete, “fortitude” is a word we don’t use very often these days. But if it’s important enough to be one of the four heroic virtues, then we’d better figure out what it means. Merriam-Webster defines it as “strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage.” It also mentions that the outdated meaning was physical strength. So for our purposes, I’ll describe fortitude as physical and mental strength and endurance.

For example, you need speed in order to run a sprint, but you don’t really need fortitude, do you? The race will be over in a matter of seconds. But if you’re signing up for a marathon, a triathlon, or an Iron Man competition, you’d better have some fortitude, and how! Physical and mental strength are an absolute must. You’ll need a body that won’t keel over after 25 miles, but you’ll also need a mind that can tell your body to keep going when it feels like keeling over. Personally, I have neither of these characteristics, but you know who does? Beowulf and Superman.

Beowulf’s Buffness

I don’t know if you’re very familiar with the poem Beowulf, but the title character is a pretty strong dude. He is described as having the strength of 30 men, and he proves this over and over throughout the story. The first time we see him engage in fisticuffs, he has chosen to take on the monster, Grendel. Grendel is not just any monster; he is a terror who lives in the marshes and has made a habit of slaying and eating the king’s most valiant warriors as they sleep in the mead hall. Oh, and he is impervious to any weapon. No wonder people have stopped hanging out in the king’s mead hall.

But not Beowulf. He and his band of men feast in the hall and then settle down for a little nap until the monster arrives, which he does before long. One warrior loses his head (figuratively) and tries to attack Grendel with a weapon. He then loses his head (literally) and is summarily gobbled up. Grendel thinks he’s in for another feast of Warrior McNuggets until Beowulf attacks. From the first moment Beowulf grips the monster, Grendel knows he’s done for. Beowulf continues to fight until he wrenches the monster’s arm out of its socket. Like, he rips the whole arm off. Grendel limps home to die in his marsh den. And so falls Grendel.

But this is just one example of the pattern of behavior that Beowulf lives by: physically strong and mentally determined. He later goes on to kill Grendel’s mother (!), many sea beasts, and a dragon. By the time he sustained a mortal wound from his battle with the dragon, he had already lived a long and mighty life. Undoubtedly, Beowulf was a specimen of fortitude.

Superman’s Strength

Regarding the strength of Superman, I doubt that I need to provide many examples. I mean, we’re all more familiar with Superman than with Beowulf, right? (Ok, to be perfectly honest, I’m more familiar with Beowulf, but that’s because there is so much Superman literature out there! I did ask my comic geek husband for help though.) As a comic book hero, Superman has been around since 1938 and has continued to be embellished and enjoyed right up to the present. But guys, have you read the old comics? Or even the recent ones, for that matter? They are SO extreme about his strength. In the comics he moves the earth, sun, and other planets; sneezes a solar system out of existence; bench presses the Earth’s weight for 5 days straight using only reserve strength; and punches space and time itself. Beowulf would be jealous.

In the most recent movie series, he shows physical strength as well. He lifts a whole bus full of children out of a lake while he’s still a child himself. He flies and fights bad guys. He is very, very strong. We know. But he also shows fortitude by refusing to take revenge when he certainly could have. When a man in a bar tosses beer in Clark Kent’s face and even throws the can against the back of his head, Clark doesn’t crush his ribs or knock him senseless. I mean, he does skewer the guy’s semi on a load of timber logs, but it could have been much worse, right? Sometimes strength is displayed by having the endurance to refrain from using it. Superman is a great example of this.

What’s Next?

So we’ve looked at one trait and two heroes. What’s next? More of the same! We’ll continue to look at one trait and two heroes for the next few weeks, starting with Robin Hood and Harry Potter as examples of prudence.

In the meantime, what about you? Can you think of a hero who displays fortitude? If so, leave it in the comments below!

Check out the next post here!

Sources:
Old English Beowulf: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43521/beowulf-old-english-version
Modern English Beowulf: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50114/beowulf-modern-english-translation
Superman article: https://www.quora.com/DC-Comics-What-are-some-of-Supermans-greatest-feats-achievements
Other Superman article: https://www.cbr.com/superman-overpowered-feats-of-strength/