(2209) “…grew old and wise as warden of the land…”
This is once again slightly hinting toward the fact the Beowulf really wasn’t the best “King” necessarily but rather a good warden. He was there as a ruler of the land but he didn’t fall under the expectations of a regular king. Being a Warden meant fighting off evil and taking things into his own hands instead of having warriors do it for him, because after all, Beowulf is a warrior, not a king. He is torn when he becomes king because it isn’t the king’s place to fight battles, but it is warriors’ duties. And since he truly enjoys being a warrior then he feels obligated to fight. He probably also thinks he is protecting his people by fighting because he is supposedly one of he best warriors so he is their best line of defense.
"warden of the land" - kings in the Medieval period are "wardens" of the land (the king and the land are one). As warden you have those around you who can do the hard work. Warden is an overseer.
ReplyDelete