Over the past few weeks I’ve delved into the treasure halls of Peter Ramey’s new translation of an ancient epic, Beowulf. As I wade through the “word hoard,” I find myself immersed in a world of war bands, symbolic gift-giving, elevated speeches, heroic vows, and monstrous wrestling matches. Ramey’s attention to the many-layered meanings of Old English concepts in the book’s illuminating notes brought all these things to life, embossing the story on my mind like the shining knotwork of a hero’s sword.
As I read of Beowulf and his band of Geatish warriors embarking, of the men bearing into the ship’s bearm or bosom the “bright trappings, splendid battle gear,” of the boat “driven by wind, / the foamy-necked vessel most like a fowl” passing “shining sea-cliffs, steep headlands, / broad sea-nesses”, the spirit of adventure was stirred in my heart. When Beowulf ritually boasts “I shall win dōm [glory], or death take me,” the desire for a good, clean fight quivered.
For some time I have wanted to write on what I believe is an inadequate conception of manhood among Catholics today. I’ve perused some of the titles championed by good publishers, like Sophia Institute’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Manners, Sex, and Ruling the World and TAN’s Manual for Men. Despite their promising titles, I found them “weak sauce.” I learned more about manly manners and ruling the world from Beowulf than from either guidebook.
Perhaps the central weakness in modern writers is a lack of attention to what the Ancient Greeks called thumos (θυμός), often translated as “spiritedness.” Thumos is a spiritnedness of character, the quality of being passionate, associated with the primal vigor of breath and blood, yet also having the connotation of honor and glory.
Plato envisions thumos as one of the two horses driven by logos or reason. Together with eros (erotic desire), thumos gives energy to the attainment of what the logos or reasoning intellect determines are reasonable desires and actions. In Homer, thumos is associated with the “psychological process of thought, emotion, volition, and motivation”; a weak thumos leads to listlessness, cowardice, and laziness. Thumos is even comperable to “life-breath,” with characters of the Iliad and Odyssey breathing out their thumos as they die. Many shades of meaning emerge in other authors, too: in Aristotle the term denotes anger, assertiveness, and goodwill.
Catholic “gentleman’s guides” such as those mentioned above fail to account for the necessity of spirited ferociousness that every man should cultivate in order to battle the foes he encounters in life. Acknowledging that the Christian life as a battle, they somehow forget to mention the fighting.
While dragons and Viking raiders no longer pose physical threats to us, the importance of physical power as part of the development of strength for spiritual or intellectual warfare cannot be underestimated. Even so, many physical adversaries remain, and if Feds and Synods keep encroaching on our beloved land, families, and culture, a time might come for physical resistance. That is why activities such as hunting, shooting, and other sports are indispensible in a well-rounded life.
If Beowulf’s mission could be summed up in one line, it might be that of gaining glory through fighting evil. It is the Christian man’s task—dependent in large part upon his thumotic motivation—to destry broods of eotens (man-eating giants), to suffer dire distress in the open ocean while slaying nicors (sea-searpents) by night. It is true that we have both physical and spiritual enemies, and the nature of our battles and weapons will vary much depending on our foes. In every case, however, a will to conquer, a strength of desire, a longing for glory deriving from powerful skill is essential to the Christian man if he is to be complete in body and soul. This thumos must be rooted in blood and breath as well as the mind.
Central to the warrior identity of Beowulf and his contemporaries is this thumotic search for glory and strength. It can be awakened by remembering the power of spear-bearing Danes, which is the reason Beowulf was written at all; the first three verses of the poem place the “thrym of the people-kings in the days of old”, the “courageous deeds” of æthelings (men of high birth and valor) front and center. The key term here is thrym. Connoting “power, force, greatness, glory,” this word is, Ramey notes, the “centerpiece of the poem’s opening sentence as well as the poem as a whole. It is what makes these heroes of old matter and the reason we are hearing about them.” This notion seems to derive from the fact that to do deeds worthy of glory and greatness, one must posses power and force—thumos, in fact. Crucially, this power is directed to order rather than to destruction. “Heroes and kings with thrym are those who can impose their will upon the chaotic world around them.”
Unlike modern rejection of what is termed “toxic masculinity” that cast aspersion on strength and ferocious thumos as an evil, as well as the Christian spiritual hestitation at glory as a threat to humility, a proper understanding of both sees their marriage fruitfully resulting in thrym. “Celebrated in the poem as an unmitigated good…bestowed upon mortals by God,” the Norse concept of thrym and Greek concept of thumos show how spirited strength ordered to acts of virtue and heroic defeat of evil are to be honestly desired and pursued. In fact, as St Thomas says, it would be against humility to do less than one is capable of, with God’s help–a form of hiding one’s light under a bushel. For Aquinas one must combine humility, which pulls us back from aiming at greatness irrationally, and magnanimity, which drives us to greatness in accord with reason (Summa theologiae II-II, Q. 161, art. 1, ad 3).
Beowulf’s many battles have prepared him to meet Grendel, to “have a thing with the thyrs” or formal meeting (thing) with the antisocial monster (thyrs). Discarding weapons, Beowulf determines to meet Grendel on his own terms; wrestling with him in the dark hall, the “courageous kinsman of Hygelac / had him by the hand; each was hateful / to the other while living.” And he tears Grendel’s arm out of its socket: “on his soulder / a gaping wound was seen; sinews sprang open, / bone-locks burst.” No weak sauce here. The reason is that he is “most eager for praise” or lof, the approval and fame appropriate for virtuous acts.
Peter Ramey’s translation is unique because it acknowledges the untranslatable shades of many Old English terms, leaving them in the text and instead explaining them in notes. The “word-horde” of fitting poetry the bard drew from to compose Beowulf thus strikes us anew. It word-horde sparkles and is truly part of the thumos-creating atmosphere of this Beowulf translation. In a world where a king is “brego, eidor, freo-wine”, that is, prince, shelter, and noble friend, the notion of ruling comes alive with all the glory of warm gold. When aglæcas or “fear-inspiring opponents” dot the landscape, ellen-deeds or feats of zealous daring done in disregard for one’s own life for the sake of a worthy cause are the appropriate response. Tolkien’s description of ellen corresponds nicely to that of thumos. It is “the strength and heat of spirit driving a man to vigorous action” and “the competitive, combative spirit of proud individuals”, he writes in his posthumously published translation of and commentary on Beowulf (cited by Ramey).
But isn’t this LARPing? you ask. Isn’t this like those weird homeschoolers who learn elvish and continue to run around in capes even after highschool? Assuming we’re not talking about innocent children’s play, the answer is no: engaging with an epic like Beowulf and letting its worldview seep into one’s own is actually becoming more fully human by engaging with the traditions and insights that men have had about men for thousands of years. It is not “live-action role-playing” to draw on the concepts of the Greeks and the Anglo-Saxons to understand human nature; not wrong to take their treasures for ourselves, to let the unfamiliar and wild words stir the salty and brisk air of courage across the listless oceans of our modern hearts.
Beowulf, “the meekest of men,” was also “most eager for praise.” His genuine humility, which we can see in the fact he does not presume he will conquer Grendel, was not opposed to being the strongest warrior around; in fact, his strength was a necessary part of his recognition of and response to reality, which is the essence of humility. If you want to understand gumcyst, manly virtue, then peruse the bearm of the Beowulf poet’s genius; let the verse take you in its fæthom, teach you æthelu, school you in bēot making, learn the gaining of dōm and ellen. Then, one day perhaps, we’ll be æthelings of Christ, gentlemen capable of ripping spiritual and physical monsters in half, worthy of earthly and heavenly lof.
The Word-Hoard Beowulf: A Translation with Commentary
By Peter Ramey
Angelico Press, 2023
Paperback/Hardcover, 188 pages
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Interesting turn.
I think much of this is epitomized by Fr. Emil Kapaun’s life. Both a priest and a manly man. He resisted the North Koreans during his captivity and unto his death at their hands, by rallying his fellow soldiers and keeping their spirits up. He so inspired his fellow soldiers that one who was Jewish was inspired to carve a crucifix while a POW and resisted having it confiscated when they were finally released.
“…To do deeds worthy of glory and greatness, one must posses power and force—thumos, in fact. Crucially, this power is directed to order rather than to destruction. Heroes and kings with thrym are those who can impose their will upon the chaotic world around them.”
Julian, I don’t take issue with the manly character exemplified in Beowulf. But you’d have to admit that such men are going to have a difficult time finding a suitable wife in our current culture. Perhaps, some Catholic women might weigh in on the character necessary in a woman who’d make a suitable spouse for said suitor, Beowulf
Hmm. A long time ago, my husband, my first born, than 6 months old, and I, were staying at my in laws house for a few weeks, in between residences. I was angry at something my father in law suggested and I let him know. My father in law was a “me poppa, me boss” personality. While we were debating, my husband came in from work. His dad, said, “Junior, do something with your wife.” My husband responded, “I can’t, she’s Irish.” Guess I would not qualify.
This is ridiculous. Pure fantasy. La la land. My late husband worked indoors at a desk 8-10 hours/day doing systems analysis and administration for a large computer company. Many men (and women) do this kind of work–it’s good and honorable work that earns an adequate salary to live a decent life in the United States of America in this day and age. He also was the father of our two daughters, a good father, and his daughters honor him daily in their lives. The kind of time it takes for man to “body build” and train in the skills of shooting, hunting, fighting, etc. would mean that men would be away from their wives and children for precious hours every day and every weekend, and for what reason? Fighting (unless it’s done in a ring) will (and SHOULD!) put a man in jail today, and the expenses of hiring a lawyer and getting out of jail would set the family back financially and emotionally, as a man with a “record” will have trouble getting and keeping a job, not to mention the very real possibility that a good, tough fight will leave a man with physical and mental disabilities such as those we are seeing in American football players. Going to sea?! Maybe–if you grow up on the coast, but in the Midwest, our idea of “sea” is a lake and the monsters in the lake are big catfish. A dose of modern reality is badly needed here–keep in mind that most of the “manly men” in the era of Beowulf died very young of maladies that have been conquered in modern times not by marauders, but by men (and women) working in science labs developing vaccines (healing vaccines which also seem to be unjustly and ignorantly under attack from the “Manly Men Movements). Put down the “lute” and visit REAL MEN who work in factories on an assembly line or doing welding or pipe-fitting or machine repair, or in hospitals and clinics for long hours with the sick and dying, or in offices (or at home) at computers developing software or investing money or keeping the books for businesses or buying and selling, or working in hospitals and clinics healing people, or who are professional entertainers on stage acting, playing music, telling jokes, managing stage, writing plays and movie scripts, or who are outdoors 12 hours each day working to wrestle a living from their family farm and not lose that farm to companies or developers, or who teach children and teens, or who preach in parishes and churches, and especially those men who are taking an active role in raising their children, both sons AND daughters–these are the “real men” of today!!!! My husband spent hours travelling to ice skating rinks with our daughters and sitting at rink side watching them practice and compete (and helping to pay for it)! He himself took up ice dancing in his 40s–is that not a man?! Is ice dancing not “manly”? Try it sometime! My late husband died of COVID after 30 days in the hospital fighting to live–and down the hall from him, a younger man who was a physical fitness trainer also died of COVID–modern day maladies have no mercy on the “manly man who smokes cigars, wrestles, and shoots things.” Neither do criminals–plenty of “manly” men in the U.S. who attempt to defend themselves or their family end up dead from the handgun that the criminal carries. Muscles aren’t bulletproof. A true manly man is one who follows and obeys the Lord Jesus Christ, who honors the Blessed Mother Mary, who attends Mass as often as he can and prays the Rosary (and makes Rosaries, as my late husband did!), who gives generously of his earnings to the Church, who does spiritual battle with Satan and all the demons, who works to do good and bring peace, not war, to his area of the world, and who works at a job to be able to provide a good life for his wife and children. I have no admiration and much scorn for a man who sighs for a fantasy life of battling dragons, drinking mead, wielding a sword, going to sea, challenging wizards, and, whenever he is at home for a few days in between all these “adventures,” saving his lady from marauders who would compromise her honor. Give me a good, faithful, hard-working (yes, deskwork is fine), husband, father, son, and CHRISTIAN man with the goal in life to honor God and serve Him forever. I suggest that the author of this article get his head out of a book that is pure fiction–a fantasy world!–and take a road trip across the U.S. to meet the Real Men of today in the U.S. Start with his priest. And please, just drive a real car, not a lively steed covered in chain mail.
Mrs. Whitlock – First of all, sorry for the loss of your husband. You are correct that the world needs good Catholic men in our full division of labor. I just wouldn’t be so hard on Julian because he seems more the minstrel than the marauder. Younger men in the Church are trying to distinguish themselves in a very trying world and Catholic spiritedness is needed (both in the office and on the battlefield). Lord Tennyson put it best with regard to the two distinctive hearts of adventurers and domestics (i.e. between Odysseus and his son Telemachus)… “He does his work. I mine”.
I’m a widow also Mrs. Sharon & I’m so very sorry for your loss.
What “real” men do will look different era by era. Taking proper care of the needs of one’s family is manly also & a real sacrifice. Shoot, just choosing to grow up, get a real job, get married, & have a family these days is something to celebrate.
Your reaction to this essay is surprising. I’ve read enough of this author’s essays, and seen videos of his music, to know he is a musician and a lover of good literature and poetry. Delving into good literature and poetry to divine meanings and applicability for our lives is certainly not the pointless, ridiculous journey into “la-la land” that your comment seems to imply. The essay author is applying aspects of the Beowulf epic in a kind of allegorical fashion, and is obviously NOT proposing that men need to literally become mead-swilling, sword-wielding, arm-ring wearing, long-haired Vikings strong enough to literally ripping a giant’s arm out of its socket. He very plainly is speaking of spiritual things, and it appears to me that you entirely missed his point.
I’m guessing Jared you haven’t met any mead swilling, sword wielding, long haired Vikings recently at Renaissance Fairs? They’re a staple at the Texas Renaissance festival.
🙂
“… if Feds and Synods keep encroaching on our beloved land, families, and culture, a time might come for physical resistance. That is why activities such as hunting, shooting, and other sports are indispensable in a well-rounded life.” You cannot write something like this in a Catholic publication and not explain how firearms are supposed to be a part of Christian response or resistance to the progressive powers in church and government. What is Mr. Kwasniewki suggesting here? Is this activity encouraged in our Apostolic faith? If this is a metaphor, or perhaps a practical exercise of manliness that is to fortify us to be saints, then he should say so. I am not sure if he is asking for a new Norman-Crusader spirit or a new patriotic Catholicism? Up to a point, his reflection on Beowulf is encouragement for each man to let his intellect (what he knows and believes) be uplifted by his spiritedness (his passion and dedication). This is good counsel, but I also remember a warning in Plato about thumos overcoming logos, the latter of which must be masterful otherwise we end up with too much passion as in Nietzsche, which is perhaps where Mr. Kwasniewki prefers us to land. Are today’s men, even our Catholic men, well-prepared enough in thought and in prayer to free their thumos? To use an image from The Silmarillion, thumos is beautiful and worthy of admiration, even “love”, but it must be well-tempered or it it cannot be [trusted] (see Osse). Thumos is certainly not an evil, but it certainly needs tempering, if it is to be loosed upon the world.
Our author is developing into a fine thinker and superb writer.
As an old (as in former!) Greek teacher, I would venture to offer this reflection on “thumos”.
Some time ago, I asked a gentleman what he thought of his new priest. “He’s a good man, Father, maybe even a holy man.” As he trailed off, I said, “I feel a ‘but’ coming.” “Yeah, but he lacks fire in the belly.” That, I submit is what “thumos” is all about. It’s also the quality most seminaries actively discourage.
Kwaśniewski’s insight that our recognition or acceptance of reality is the essence of humility, perhaps better said [of] the essence of humility is vital to ourselves in realizing our strengths and limitations. His critique of newly translated Beowulf well worth pondering. Although I needn’t be reminded that toxic masculinity in this perverse effeminate Western world is a happy virtue.
?Are you saying toxic masculinity is good?
There’s no such thing as toxic masculinity. There’s masculinity, and there’s not.
And yes… masculinity IS necessary in this world (and the Church). Just as femininity is also necessary.
Yes indeed Moira. If you think about it carefully, the term toxic masculinity simply refers to natural masculine behavior. it’s a term invented by feminists and effeminates.
But in the second half of the poem, Beowulf’s pursuit of personal glory by insisting on fighting the dragon alone led to his needless death and left his kingdom defenseless. Go look up Tolkien’s analysis of “ofermod,” overweening high spirit.
It would also be worthwhile to consult and compare Newman’s idea of the Christian Gentleman.
To me, this essay seems an attempt to canonize one version of masculinity, paralleling those treacle-y celebrations of “delicate” femininity. Don’t human beings of both sexes come in a range of personality types and callings? Let’s not construct special tight little Catholic boxes to confine ourselves.
Great article. Only a few men (and fewer if any women) will understand the emptiness in the modern liberal man. Devoid of magnanimity and cut off from his past and his telos, he substituted acquiring wealth for any great purpose. As the family goes, so goes society and modern man is so docile and feminized, he cannot combat the evils of today. God help us all.
Mitch, truer words have rarely been spoken.
Interesting. My sons are good men, good husbands and fathers, but not a bit effeminate (except for that nurturing characteristic that seems to be only expected of women). I am most grateful that family is and has always been important to us. Oldest son is a retired ornamental ironworker and board member. Middle son has a degree in business an a law degree. Youngest son’s last job (I lost him) was to run the shop for a fencing company. He read the blueprints, ordered supplies, did inventory and drove staff nuts with his humor. I have been blessed. Recently, on my 90th birthday, I had grandkids from multiple states calling to wish me a happy birthday. Nice.
Not really clear what this has to do with the topic, but let me say – while sorry you lost a son – your post made me smile and feel good!
Beowulf epic could be an embassy crafted by English-Wessex in Normandy heralding the surpassing of the reign of the English and/or Edward Confessor; directed at the Danish hegemon to win their acquiescence in the move.
Depending on when it was formulated for that, it could be responsible for the assassination of Harald and possibly Godwin before him. It is possible Alfred Aetheling was assassinated out of the same far-thinking mentality that preceded the use of the poem, where this killing event precedes the conception of this particular embassy.
The Finn section could be an allusion to Hengst attacking Vortigern. From what is known Vortigern was never deposed; however, the incidents in Beowulf are used to dramatize the need for alliance and to offer a seal of commitment to finish the work already begun. Beowulf fighting the dragon to the death alludes to a complete and determined future settlement against all comers.
But if this is true, later history as it evolved, reworked England to the Welsh who imposed back their own ascendancy through Henry Tudor (Henry VII [Seventh] ), exploiting the War of the Roses. The poem would be drowning in this realized irony.
The interesting thing would be that this interpretation of the past is in keeping with Edward Confessor’s dream; who could not have known the details of the retake plans in the century or so leading up to 1066. In Edward’s dream, however, the loss of the kingdom was to be of some extended duration but is not permanent.
If this has merit it sheds light on Tolkien’s approach to it as too speculative getting nowhere slowly and coming back again ad nauseam.
Beowulf also has an undercurrent of celebration of assassination. The poem is very entertaining and engages a fascination with fantastic things, yielding dramatic relief such as keeps career assassins sane. Besides which it is an intricate literary work of high intelligence and strong bias.
‘ In 1036, Alfred Aetheling and Edward the Confessor, Emma’s sons by Æthelred, returned to England from their exile in Normandy in order to visit their mother. During their time in England they were supposed to be protected by Harthacnut. However, Harthacnut was involved with his kingdom in Denmark. Alfred was captured and blinded by holding a hot iron to his eyes. He later died from his wounds.
Edward escaped the attack, and returned to Normandy. He returned after his place on the throne had been secured. ‘
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_of_Normandy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treason_of_the_Long_Knives
That which is needed, is for all followers of Jesus Christ, Who is the only begotten Son of God, to know the reality of spiritual warfare concerning the enemy of our souls. Do read Ephesians 6 and Romans 13: 12-14. Our enemy can appear in the disguise of an angel of light, and so how many followers of Jesus Christ know how to discern about this with Holy Spirit discernment? How many are building relationship with God our Father …. and are receiving His fathering and His loving us? How many are daily putting on the armour of God?
Our country is under judgment for the rejection of God’s Son and for the daily murders of His Children.
Being physically in good shape is a definite good all round. Do work to be in spiritual good shape in and through Jesus Christ led and guided of the Holy Spirit.
God bless, C-Marie
New Year greetings to all from New Zealand . As always, Fr Stravinscas puts it in a nutshell : it’s about fire in the belly , for the cause of Christ .