A legend is a story that has probable historical roots but has been told and retold, embellished and personalized to the individual and their culture. The hero in a legend is generally larger than life. Legends are often narrative and present a theme or problem that was central to the development of the time period. Heroic tradition is , simply stated, the ages old pattern of story that begins with a hero in unusual circumstances, the search or quest, the transformation of the Hero and a resolution.
The stories are told in spiral sequence, one aspect leads to the next until the resolution brings the reader back to another unusual beginning. Beowulf, an epic poem of Old English origins, and the Poem of the Cid, an eleventh-century epic poem from Spain, are both considered legends from the oral tradition that mirror the developmental stages of their culture. The two main components that define their status as legends are the existence of a Hero with a quest and a theme that revolves around the stage of development of the cultural system. Beowulf is one of the earliest renditions of the heroic tradition.
Probably set in 8th century England, it tells the tale of the classic Hero: Beowulf. It is a graphic combination of the principles of history and legend. The method of presentation – alliterative verse and Anglo-Saxon epic poem – is reflective of the native folklore and traditional patterns of thinking. The iconography includes symbols derived from historical, legendary, pagan, mythological and Christian traditions. To the modern reader, it is a classic tale of a hero in conflict with supernatural monsters of evil where the resolution merely precedes yet another quest.
The historical aspects of Beowulf have been mostly conjectured from historical records and other literature of the time. The study of such ancient texts is a window into the past that provides clues as to the social and cultural habits of the people of the time. It is important to consider that the author holds some control as a consequence of literary license and personal biases. As is true of all legends, both Beowulf and El Cid are works of fiction due to embellishments based on earlier traditions or folklore. Both are biased toward the patriotic perceptions of the author.
Beowulf is a classic legend from Old English whose central historical theme seems to be the transition from Roman law to a feudalistic societal structure. The Poem of the Cid also qualifies as a legend and the theme is the warrior creed of a later stage in the development of feudal society: honor of a vassal toward a Lord. Though Beowulf contains elements of this theme as well, it is more concerned with the process of melding the old with the new. Many of the attributes of a warrior, such as honor in battle and in death, are traceable to the Roman ethical beliefs.
The bulk of the characters are drawn from a warrior class and many of the believes they exhibit are easily interpreted as precursors to the Authurian principles of the Ulster Cycle and later English Legends. Even though mostly limited to the upper classes, both poems give a fair picture of a feudal society. The scenes of battle are balanced with the scenes of everyday life in a way that allows the reader to garner at least a semblance of the overall cultural aspects. The oral tradition was a necessity because of widespread illiteracy in the pre-printing press periods.
The poetry that was heard or sung was the only means of perpetuating historical information. It told the stories of the warriors of the times, the heroes of the people in a way that was meant to captivate and entertain the audience. Then, as now, the audience was interested in the stories of warriors on a quest for something noble. By definition, an epic poem is an extended narrative about war. In Beowulf, the Hero’s quest is the confrontation and conquering of three mythical, seemingly supernatural antagonists: the monstrous Grendel, Grendel’s monstrous mother, and, finally, a dragon.
The supernatural element may have been an addition for entertainment value and, or, a connection with the myths of the Romans. Cid’s quest is the attainment of lands and riches for both his Lord and his vassals. The element of mythical trials is absent more as a sign of the development of the Christian ethos than a missing component to legend status. Both Beowulf and El Cid are powerful, but wholly human warriors who use the weapons of choice of the era: knife, sword, shield and armor in personalized battle. They are the epitome of the warrior; brave, honorable, noble and kind.
These two aspects, the mythical battles and the historical battles, define the two sections of the poem and Beowulf’s life. The first aspect, the mythical type conflicts, help to define Beowulf as the hero in the world of the supernatural, or religious world. The story can be seen as representing the battle between the retreating Romans and the encroachment of Christianity, with the aboriginal Pagan ideals hiding in the background. The monsters are the ‘cultural’ demons of the time and, as such, contain pieces of all the components.
The fact that Grendal is female and that the second monster is her mother is indicative of the goddess culture that had been a viable part of the pre-Christian reality. Beowulf, himself represents the conquering Christian doctrine, who overcomes both the mother aspects of the Goddess and the mythical beliefs of the Romans. Hygelac, as the feudal lord is representative of the rule of the Church as it wins over the common man, gains his trust and loyalty and eventually affords him the opportunity to attain a ruling place of his own.
This interpretation is very biased in Christianity’s favor, albeit the church itself compelled the changes in the traditions and cultural rites of the people as they gained ascendancy over the prior belief systems. The second part of the narrative includes Beowulf’s battle with the dragon and then his death after a long and reputable life. This sequence can be interpreted as the graphic depiction of an acceptance of societal values after a personal battle with one’s “inner dragons”. The Poem of the Cid does not have the conflict between the old and the emerging cultural values.
The conflict in El Cid is between the Spanish and the Moors. It is seen as more of a protection of the current values from invading cultures than as a transition. The relationship between El Cid and his Lord, Alfonso is the central story line. El Cid begins his quest as an exile in need of proving his worthiness to his Lord. At this stage of development for the feudal system vassals of a lord often have vassals of their own, defining them as Lords on their own. His primary role, however is as vassal and champion for Alfonso. All of the narrative motifs have a valid place in the cultural context of it’s authors and audiences.
The legend has a history of being very influential. The heroic tale and legend is used as a means to perpetuate and validate what the society has deemed as admirable virtues. It is important to the development of the person, and a society, to have models of ethical behavior in which to emulate and aspire to. Both Beowulf and El Cid fulfill the requirements for a tale of heroic proportions and in the heroic tradition. The element of historical validity imbues them with the attributes associated with classic legend. The compelling nature of the story makes it immanently entertaining.