Marriage

Women's Roles
While men were warriors and hunters.......
Women were weavers (cloth makers)
 
wif = wife, which is connected to weaving
Wives
women would have a large variety of clothes, bed- cloths, table linen, seat covers, etc.
The
Many led difficult lives: 
Wealthy
Abused 
and dominated by men 
Bottom on the social pyramid
MArriage 



Marriages were aranged between both families
MArriage


Family
Sons and daughters were considered equally important
Wealthy families were educated and literate



BEOWULF
A bit of history.....
In anglo saxon culture
Wealtheow
 ---->peace weaver
 - Hostess during the feasts
 - Served drinks 
 - Fine and elegant character
 - Essential conponent for Hrothgar's 
administration of the kingdom.
Queen of the Danes
Bring out social harmony to 
the warriors during the banquets
Freawaru
- Daughter of wealtheow and Hrothgar
- Also known as peace weaver
              
Most likely to bring peace between rivals and other men by marrying them.
While
Grendel's mother
Hygd
- Queen of Geatland
- wife of Hygelac
- Same role as Queen Wealtheow
                 
                                    and 
Hostess
cup -bearer
"Then Wealhtheow came forth / folk-queen of the Danes daughter of Helmingas / and Hrothgar's bedmate. She hailed all of them / spoke her peace-words stepped to the gift-throne / fetched to her king the first ale-cup" (ll. 612-6)
"A few miles from herea frost-stiffened wood waits and keeps watch above a mere; the overhanging bank is a maze of tree-roots mirrored in its surface. At night there, something uncanny happen: the water burns". (lines 1362-67)
- The poem does not mention her name
 - Unlike the other women in the poem,
she depicts evil and revenge for her son Grendel.
 - Her role is the opposite from the ideal role of women in Anglo saxon time.
 - Opposite from Freawaru and Wealtheow's passive character
Now...
From The presentation you've just been given, what is my main argument comparing women in anglo saxon time and women in BEOWULF?
Key words: ideal anglo saxon behavior, fear, evil, men's instrument, identity and exclusion.
Aware of women's roles in anglo saxon culture, we can say that not all of women in Beowulf carry with them that ideal identity for the time the peom was told/written. 

Wealtheow, Hygh and Freawaru are the only ones closer to the ideal female anglo saxon attitude.

Grendel's Mother, however, depicts a complete opposite female character which causes the men (who read the poem), to fear her role compared to their traditional women role. 
"The high-born queen,people's peace-bringer, passed through the hall, cheered the young clansmen, clasps of gold,ere she sought her seat, to sundry gave.
Oft to the heroes Hrothgar's daughter,to earls in turn, the ale-cup tendered, --she whom I heard these hall-companions. Freawaru name, when fretted goldshe proffered the warriors. Promised is she,gold-decked maid, to the glad son of Froda".
~ Described as montruous "ultimate evil human"
~ Usually negative words
Average Anglo Saxon house
Animated scene of Beowulf and Grendel's mother fight
           Note Grendel's mother image in this video 
                            Different from the rest