Beowulf - Institutionen för arkeologi och antik historia

Figure 22. The structure of Wealhtheow’s speach and her use of the word good.
Since good is a commonly used word with a meaning that is difficult to restrict one
would expect there to be exceptions to its usage as a structuring word in this specific
kind of narrative, but they are surprisingly few. In Beowulf the word is used twice
(once v. 1952 and once in v. 1969), without belonging to the same episode. The
tendency to use the word twice rather than once is at hand, but the thematic link is
not acknowledged. In v. 236 of Maldon we find the word used once in the centre of
the brave, encouraging, but short speech delivered by Offa, Byrhtnoth’s second-incommand.
This means that only in three out of 29 cases is the word used with a nonstructural
function.
Although the structuring qualities of the word are perhaps more substantial than
we would have expected, its prominence does not come as a surprise since both
poems concern the problem of being good. Maldon is a tragic poem about
Byrhtnoth’s lost battle and Beowulf (Part I) is the tale about the success of the
victorious hero. Both men are, however, characterised as good. Their virtues are
many, but such things as generosity, honour, friendship, righteousness, loyalty, eloquence
and even physical strength are clearly linked to the two men’s quality of being
good.
The word plays an important role also in the Sabas letter. Sabas is obviously not
characterised by the same sort of goodness as Beowulf and Byrhtnoth, since his
goodness is internal and a matter of his peaceful, loving, pious and strong-hearted
Christian disposition, but the tendency for the probably Germanic author to repeat
the word at short intervals in the beginning, i.e., the second section, of his narrative
when Sabas’ daily actions, rather than his general Christian opinions are in focus, is
obvious enough. It is essential for the author to point out Sabas as being good and
also partly good in his actions, before we hear of his persecution (Herschend 199,
pp. 155 ff.).
Although Venantius Fortunatus writes about a successful Germanic hero, in effect
a good man rather than a tragic figure, and although there are many opportunities to
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