Beowulf: Symbol of Hall Beowulf

Beowulf: Symbol of Hall

Beowulf is an epic poem and according to Thomas Green, all genuine epic poems are based on some place that is so huge and overpowering that it becomes the major center of action in the poem. In the Iliad, it was the city of Troy that spanned the entire poem. In almost the same fashion, in Beowulf there is also a place, a "space" that becomes the very center of action. This place in epic poem doesn't have to a city or a country, it can be any "space"; for example in the Song of Roland, it was the narrow passage between Spain and France. In Beowulf it is undeniably the hall. The hall is built, broken, destroyed, rebuilt and renovated, thus serious amount of energy goes into the preservation of this hall. This hall is thus the "arch-image" of Beowulf.

The hall is treated as a character. It is given a name: Heorot that automatically assigns it a personality and a character. The construction of the hall is symbolic of a real birth as Lee observes: "The implication seems to be that the construction of the gold-hall, whose light is to shine over many lands, is a hierophantic act, a manifestation of the sacred in the world of men, metaphorically identifiable with the Creation of the world itself." (178)

Heorot forms the center of all emotional and sentimental exchange. It is where rewards are given and received, gratitude and affection are exchanges, and where people can engage in truly heroic actions over an extended period of time. The name given to the hall 'Heorot' is an adequate name for the place since it symbolizes a promise. This hall was built as a reward that had been promised by Hrothgar. He had promised his warriors that in order to reward their loyalty and service, a hall would be built. After its construction, it continued to expand 'far over this middle-earth' (75) and its expansion becomes a threat to its enemies. The hall becomes the locus of action since all activities either take place within the hall or are focused on it somehow. The expansion of the place makes enemies take notice of Hrothgar's power:

He created for it the name Heorot, he who widely had power of his word (78-79)

The hall is powerful and it is a symbol of strength. This is the prime reason why it is so frequently attacked. It is the destruction of the hall that becomes the main aim of the enemies. For some reason, the hall has become a symbol of its people. If it is captured or destroyed, it would mean the death and destruction of Hrothgar and his forces. John Halverson notes that this hall of halls is presented as a "beacon of civilization" (99). This suggests that the hall was not only a place of action; it also served as a boundary that separates the orderly from the chaotic. When Grendel tries to attack the place, it is seen as the attack of chaos aimed at structure and order. "Then a powerful demon, a prowler in the dark, / nursed a hard grievance" (86-87). Grendel is not an intelligent enemy but he is definitely powerful. His immense power turns him into a dangerous force since reason doesn't reside inside him. The hall was a symbol of civilization as the poet informs us: "inside Heorot / there was nothing but friendship" (1017-1018). Thus hall has immense symbolic value in the book and is aptly described as the "greatest house / in the world" (145-146).

Beowulf is perfectly aware of the importance of Heorot. He knows that by saving the place, and defeating Grendel, he could actually be presented with the greatest house on earth. In a passage, he acknowledges the worth and value of this place:

The men hurried forward, pressed on together to where they could plainly see the timbered hall, splendid and gold-bright; that hall was by far the most famous to earth-dwellers under the skies, where the mighty king was waiting. Its light shone out over many lands. (306-311)]