This thesis explores the existence of Old English elegiac elements in Breton Lays from Medieval England. These Breton Lays include Marie de France's "Lanval" and "Chaitivel", as well as "Sir Orfeo"...Show moreThis thesis explores the existence of Old English elegiac elements in Breton Lays from Medieval England. These Breton Lays include Marie de France's "Lanval" and "Chaitivel", as well as "Sir Orfeo". The thesis examines the existence of elegiac elements in Old English poems, and refers to "The Wanderer", "The Seafarer" and "The Ruin" to delineate markers in Old English elegiac poems.Show less
J.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English...Show moreJ.R.R. Tolkien took the values and virtues found in Anglo-Saxon heroic literature and applied them to his Legendarium. Tolkien established his own form of modern heroism by examining Old English works such as "Beowulf" and "The Battle of Maldon". He admired the Germanic heroic tradition, yet condemned its pagan nature. This comparative paper discusses four works of heroic literature - i.e. "Beowulf", "The Battle of Maldon", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Children of Húrin" - focusing on the heroes of each work and how their actions reflect their ethics. The author emphasises Tolkien's disapproving views of Anglo-Saxon heroism found in "The Children of Húrin" in which its prideful hero Túrin brings about disaster and tragedy upon himself and those around him.Show less
