Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Essay -- Celtic Germanic Mytho

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Throughout the myths of the Celtic and Germanic peoples of northern Europe tales of epic heroes and their extraordinary deeds abound. These tales depict heroes playing a variety of incredible feats m each of which appear to be magical, superhuman, and, sort of honestly, utterly impossible (e.g., wading across oceans, defeating armies virtually single-handedly, and other amaze exploits). Since the Celtic and Germanic tribes of antiquity inhabited neighboring lands and lived in airless proximity to one another (as many of their modern descendants slide by to do i.e., in Great Britain), it is not surprising that they often open up intimate relationships with each other via commerce, conquest, and the spread of religious beliefs. In brighten of this intimate association, it is not astonishing that the cultural and consequent poetic traditions of these ethnic groups were often remarkably analogous. Frequently, the archetypical champions of Celtic and Germanic mythology exhibited similar characteristics heedless of whether or not they were Anglo-Saxon, Rhenish, or Irish. Indeed, there are many parallels in the midst of the behaviors demonstrated by the heroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are the horrible and divine lineage of the hero the heros increased selection and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior) the heros ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings.The epic poem Beowulf may be considered unique in the context of mythol... ...kely exception being Cuchulainn). Interestingly, as a result of the parallels between these champions, one can gain weighty insights regarding the values of ancient Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, or Rhenish culture by examining any one of them. BibliographyBeowulf. Translated by Chickering, Jr., Howell D. unseasoned York stochastic House, Inc. 1977.Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. New York Random House, Inc. 1980.Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, New York Syracuse University Press. 1988.The Nibelungenlied. Translated by Hatto, A.T. London The Penguin Group. 1969.Powell, T.G.E. The Celts. New York Thames and Hudson, Inc. 1980.The Tain From the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge. Translated by Kinsella, Thomas. New York Oxford University Press, Inc. 1969.