A Comparative Study of Beowulf and The Tuatha de Danann

Mythology and Cultural Values

Mythology is part and parcel of all the major world cultures. Through it, universal and cultural values have been passed on from one generation to the next (Rosenberg, 378). This paper will compare and contrast the mythologies Beowulf and Tuatha De Danann to establish the cultural values of these myths based on the theme of Heroes Journey.

Beowulf: A Hero's Journey

In the myth Beowulf, the Danes or the Scyldings establish themselves a people group in the Shores of the sea, however, like all humans, the Danes have enemies that resent and envies them. Grendel, the ogre, was not happy with the people's happiness and prosperity. He attacks and kills 30 men in one attack and for 12 years continue to oppress the Danes (Rosenberg, 367). It was the need to put an end to the oppression and liberate the People of Dane that gave rise to Beowulf. He manages to kill the Grendel the monster and her mother the dragon and becomes the hero who liberates his people from the monstrous oppression.

Tuatha De Danann: The Power of Gods

In the myth, Dagda the good, Dagda is the most powerful god of the community. He depicted one who can destroy or preserve life with his life-giving club (Rosenberg, 378). He leads his community to war against the Fomorian who were known for their fertility power.

Similarities and Contrasts

In the two mythologies, there are elements of similarities and as well as contrast. Regarding similarities, both stories were mythologies about communities and their enemies. They both reveal with man's ancient problem of dealing with evil brought about by an enemy. The second similarity in the stories is a heroic element that is present in both. The theme of hero's journey is present in both of them. They reveal the genesis of the evils that the two societies were facing, the need for a hero to deliver them and how these heroes started their journey of liberating their communities. On the contrary, the story differs on their heroes. Beowulf is a human with superpowers and ability to fight the monsters and slay them through the use of the magical sword. In Tuatha De Danann, the Good Dagda is a god who is powerful and goes ahead of the power to help them in battle. It is about the dwelling of the gods among their people.

Cultural Values

The two myths have both universal and cultural values. The first value of the cultures is the belief in the evil. The myths explain the origin of evil in both societies. In Beowulf, the origin of evil is attributed to envy and jealousy. In Tuatha De Danann, it is attributed to hatred. The communities use the myths to teach their generation the source of evil that they witness in the society today (Lindemans). Also, the myths reveal the cultural belief in the gods and the supernatural world. The power of life and death is attributed to the gods. The gods are a further show to hold power to preserve the life of the community through divine intervention to deal with their enemies. The gods divinely provided a sword for Beowulf to that he used to defeat the Grendel and the dragon. Dagda uses his magical club and his divine abilities to distract the Fomorian.

The Importance of Mythologies

Mythologies are an important part of cultures as they are used to explain different elements of the culture. They are further to preserve and pass on cultural believes of different communities and societies. Studying mythologies can be an important way of learning different universal and cultural values across the world.

Work cited

Lindemans, Micha F. "TuathadéDanann."Artikkelisivustolla Encyclopedia Mythica. http://www.     pantheon. org/articles/t/tuatha_de_danann. html. Viitattu

5 (2003): 2009.

Rosenberg, Donna. World mythology: an anthology of the great myths and epics. 2nd ed.       Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC Pub. Group, 1994.