{"id":36,"date":"2026-05-06T18:58:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T18:58:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/?page_id=36"},"modified":"2026-05-06T18:58:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T18:58:38","slug":"warriors-and-vikings-of-the-digital-age","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/contents\/warriors-and-vikings-of-the-digital-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Warriors and Vikings of the Digital Age"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 style=\"text-align: right;\">by Carol <span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Parrish <\/span>Jamison<br \/>\nGeorgia Southern University<\/h6>\n<p>Who says chivalry is dead? Knights and warriors live on in the digital age. Both the heroic and chivalric codes are commonly adapted in works of medievalism.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-582 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Beowulf.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"245\" height=\"206\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start by looking at the values inherent in the medieval heroic code:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>-the blood feud: bonds of kinship were also extremely important to the Germanic tribes. If a family member is killed, the surviving members are expected to exact vengeance.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; wergild: price of a man; this is a peaceful method of settling the blood feud by payment. If a warrior kills someone, he may pay the price of the man, which is determined by the rank and wealth of the deceased.<\/li>\n<li>-exile: the worst possible fate of a warrior, sometimes as punishment for a crime. Germanic tribes had group rather than individual identities. Thus, separation from lord and family was the worst possible punishment.<\/li>\n<li>-elegiac mood: some say that all Old English poetry is elegiac. In the context of Old English literature, \u2018elegiac\u2019 refers to the sense of loss and isolation that occurs when a warrior is separated from his lord and family<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; peace weaving: women of the upper class were often married off, sometimes to a potential enemy, in order to seal peace alliances. Men could also be part of these marital arrangements. Further, the child of the marriage would be sent back to the woman\u2019s family, usually to be raised by her brother. This arrangement would further seal a peace agreement. However, peace weaving did not always work, and when arranged marriages failed, women could be caught in the crossfire. When successful, though, the woman could emerge as a sort of diplomat and exert some power in her husband\u2019s kingdom.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; physical and moral courage: perhaps the greatest value of the early Germanic warrior. Cowardice is the worst of vices.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; boasting: a necessary aspect of the warrior code. The warrior would boast of past glories in order to esteem himself in the eyes of his lord.<\/li>\n<li>-ofermod: excessive boasting; boasting is necessary for advancement, but too much boasting is seen as arrogant and dangerous.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; gift giving: a critical aspect of feudalism. The lord (and often his wife) would bestow lands and gifts on those who serve loyally and effectively. Gifts would also be given as rewards for valor on the battlefield.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; mead hall: the center of cultural activities; gathering hall for the warriors. In the meadhall, the king would distribute gifts and rule his kingdom; scops would tell stories; warriors would boast; all would feast and celebrate.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; fate: a strong notion in Old English society; &#8220;fate goes ever as it must.\u201c Old English society held the belief that the only choice is how man reacts to his destiny.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; <em>scop<\/em>: Old English storytellers; they are the voice of the community and the carrier of tradition; scops might spin narratives to muster enthusiasm for warfare, to glorify heroes, or to demonstrate negative examples.<\/li>\n<li>&#8211; oral culture: Old English originally had no writing system. They used runes, or <em>futhark,<\/em>and adopted Latin alphabet only after they accepted Christianity. Even so, learning happened in the church. Most of the early Germanic were illiterate unless associated with the clergy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Beowulfian Warriors in the Digital Age<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s see how these heroic qualities play out in some popular <em>Beowulf <\/em>adaptations. Do they maintain relevance? Are they reappropriated?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Novels:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seamus Heaney\u2019s 1999 \u00a0BEOWULF A NEW VERSE TRANSLATION BILINGUAL EDITION, ISBN 9780393320978<br \/>\nThe famous Irish writer beautifully, if not always precisely, captures the spirit of the original text. One might consider this, and all, translations as medievalism in that they are faithful retellings, but nonetheless retellings with modern audiences in mind. Heaney occasionally incorporates Hiberno-English to capture the mood of his narrative. For instance, after the fight with Beowulf, Grendel \u201chirples\u201d back to his home. Despite these stylistic flourishes, Heaney preserves all aspects of the warrior code.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-583\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Heaney-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Maria Dahvana Headley\u2019s BEOWULF: A NEW TRANSLATION, ISBBN 9780374110031. 2020<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings! In the old days, everyone knew what men were: brave, bold, glory-bound.\u201d You\u2019ve never read <em>Beowulf <\/em>\u00a0like this! Headley translates the epic using contemporary street talk. She preserves the heroic spirit of the original text and connects it to contemporary \u2018bro\u2019 culture,\u00a0 showing how modern machismo is, in the end, <em>ofermod.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-584\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Headley-193x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>John Gardner\u2019s GRENDEL, ISBN 9780679723110. 1971<\/p>\n<p>The Beowulf story is told from the angsty, existential view of the monster Grendel. Gardner reimagines the text for modern audiences and invites sympathy for them monster Grendel.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-585\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Grendel.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"180\" height=\"280\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Michael Crichton\u2019s EATERS OF THE DEAD, ISBN 0525436383. 1976<\/p>\n<p>This book is a fictionalized account of (actual historical figure) Ibn Fadlan, who finds himself along on Beowulf\u2019s journey to slay the monster \u2018Grendel,\u2019 actually a band of cannibals. The book takes the form of a faux academic study. It was made into a movie called <em>The Thirteenth Warrior.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-586\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/crichton.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"269\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Susan Signe Morrison\u2019s GRENDEL&#8217;S MOTHER : THE SAGA OF THE WYRD-WIFE, ISBN 9781785350092. 2015.<\/p>\n<p>This novel, set in Anglo-Saxon times, portrays Grendel&#8217;s Mother as being fully human, washed upon the shores of Denmark, with the character representing an integration between the old ways of the Scandinavian\/Germanic tribes, and early Christianity. This novel has won a number of awards and has numerous allusions to other Anglo-Saxon works. Works of medievalism, such as Morrison\u2019s novel, often offer feminist perspectives, reimagining the heroic code from a woman\u2019s point of view.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-587\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Grendels-Mother.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"225\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Maria Dahvana Headley\u2019s THE MERE WIFE: A NOVEL, ISBN 9 781250214942. 2018.<\/p>\n<p>This novel retells the Beowulf story from the point of view of Grendel&#8217;s Mother, set in contemporary, suburban America. In Headley\u2019s version of the hero\u2019s tale, both Grendel\u2019s mother and Beowulf are American war veterans, and Grendel is a Black youth. The novel reshapes the original subject matter as a commentary on contemporary social issues in America, including poverty, racism, sexism, and class divisions.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-588\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/mere-wife.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"183\" height=\"276\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Movies:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Beowulf<\/em> 2007<br \/>\nInterstingly,\u00a0<em>Beowulf\u00a0<\/em>has never been successfully adapted into a popular film .This film, that uses motion-capture animation, is perhaps the best attempt. This reimagining of <em>Beowulf <\/em>casts Angelina Jolie as Grendel\u2019s mother. . As with many works of medievalism, it veers from the original, giving Beowulf a love interest (Wealtheow) and complicating the plot by making Grendel into the son of Hrothgar. It does, however, get some things right. Grendel, who lives in a mere, looks somewhat like a sea creature. True to the original, Beowulf chooses to battle Grendel without armor or weaponry.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/bI0iLWPKWbQ?si=xPBMKoqg7JY5PUuj<\/p>\n<p><em>The 13th Warrior <\/em>1999.<br \/>\nThis is a movie adaptation of Crichton\u2019s novel (see above).<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/knpj6iwYF1c?si=xHaR5Nffz1ftnMs7<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Beowulf and Grendel <\/em>2005.<\/p>\n<p>A Canadian-Icelandic collaboration that adds new characters to the traditional story, giving Grendel a father and a son. The movie was not a success.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/V7jjEpi2vRI?si=mMSYAx-Oo5bUjV2B<\/p>\n<p>However, a documentary about the difficulties making of this film, <em>Wrath of Gods <\/em>(2006), won several awards. Might this documentary, an account of the making of a work of medievalism, be considered neo-medievalism?<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/wtK9vWQSHeY?si=73efDRQytUOqr8_v<\/p>\n<p><strong>Other adaptations:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Beowulf-<\/em>inspired works of medievalism also include graphic novels and comics, children\u2019s literature, music, art, and video games.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-594\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/comics.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"415\" height=\"261\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-595\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/beowulf-for-kids-224x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-502\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/medieval-2-total-war-game-300x170.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"170\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Vikings in the Digital Age<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Vikings hold a special fascination for modern audiences. The historical reality of Viking culture is somewhat at odds with their frequent portrayal as pillaging, plundering barbarians. Works of medievalism, however, play up on these stereotypes. Vikings appear in comic strips, manga series, television series, movies, and, prominently, video games.https:\/\/youtu.be\/9GgxinPwAGc?si=yFtmi855tCqLhQ0b&amp;nbsp; Let&#8217;s look at a few of the more colorful depictions of Vikings.<\/p>\n<p><em>Hagar the Horrible\u00a0<\/em>(comic strip) 1973-2017:<br \/>\nThis long-running cartoon strip looked at American life through the lens of Viking lore.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-607\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Hagar.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"224\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Vikings <\/em>2013-2021:<br \/>\nThis long-running series was inspired by the Norse stories featuring Ragnar Lothbrok. A &#8220;historical drama&#8221; that incorporates some actual historical events, the series also portrays the Vikings a violent and blood-thirsty.<\/p>\n<p>A more light-hearted approach to Viking culture is the comedy series\u00a0<em>Norsemen\u00a0<\/em>which deliberately debunks the modern portrayal of the brutish warrior. In this scene, a Viking repeatedly fails to set fire to his brother&#8217;s funeral pyre in a burial at sea.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/ojEAU1Pw9S0?si=TKkebyU25AGm92qf<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>George R. R. Martin also had a penchant for Viking medievalism, most readily apparent in his portrayal of the Greyjoy family.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/p9vZMG5u3tc?si=6FLe7zj32kCCwhEv<\/p>\n<p>Vikings feature prominently in video gaming. Among the most popular Viking-inspired games are\u00a0<em>Assassin&#8217;s Creed Valhalla, God of War\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<em>God of War: Ragnarok, Valheim, Northguard,\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0<em>Vikings Go Berserk.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-501 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/earlybritlit\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Conquest_of_Mythodea_2018_010_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2272\" height=\"1515\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Helpful Resources and Further Reading:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vikingr.org\/stories\/viking-themed-games?srsltid=AfmBOoofZVsYVMBZbB2-cBXFljnquNzfF2wTC7SlZEminctdW6YDB27c\">The Most Popular Viking-Themed Games<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medievalists.net\/2015\/08\/reflections-on-our-fascination-with-vikings-and-what-it-tells-us-about-how-we-engage-with-the-past\/\">Reflections on Our Fascination with Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publishersweekly.com\/pw\/by-topic\/industry-news\/comics\/article\/65330-go-berserk-for-these-12-viking-comics.html\">Go Berserk for these 12 Viking-Inspired Comics<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Carol Parrish Jamison Georgia Southern University Who says chivalry is dead? Knights and warriors live on in the digital age. Both the heroic and chivalric codes are commonly adapted in works of medievalism. &nbsp; Let\u2019s start by looking at &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/contents\/warriors-and-vikings-of-the-digital-age\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":19,"menu_order":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-36","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37,"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/36\/revisions\/37"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unicorn-castle.org\/medievalisms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}