The Absence of Women in Beowulf, The Wifes Lament, and...

The Absence of Women in Beowulf, The Wifes Lament, and the Battle of Maldon It could be argued that women are indeed present in the minority in surviving Anglo-Saxon poetry, and that therefore, they are made conspicuous through their absence. The fact they may appear less frequently in Old English Literature does not necessarily mean that women were any less significant in society at this time, although this is the conclusion reached by some. It is assumed that women did, in general, have less important and prominent social roles than men at the time, and the power that they did possess tended to be dictated to them by males. This essay will discuss and examine the social roles and position of the women who did appear in Old English†¦show more content†¦This is true of Beowulf, as although the story of Hildeburh is told, it is not from her point of view. At the centre is the moving depiction of Hildeburh lamenting her loss as the funeral pyre consumes her brother and her son. Another funeral pyre, that for Beowulf himself, affords the poet an opportunity to touch upon in more universal terms but nevertheless powerfully, the theme of the war-related sufferings of women; an anonymous woman who: sang a sorrowful song about Beowulf, said again and again that she sorely feared for herself invasions of armies, many slaughters, terror of troops, humiliation, and captivity. The theme of the ritual mourner was a predominant one in Anglo-Saxon times. This could be seen as a show of power, the woman taking the lead in a situation that would allow her to do so, an environment in which emotion takes priority over strength and courage. The men present at the funeral do try to govern the funeral setting and take control of the situation through their creation of an immense funeral fire. However, it is much easier for the woman to take over when the situation becomes unfavourable to masculine characteristics. Where women are present in Old English poetry, they are often looked upon as passive, or shadows in an