A culture can be defined by its music, language, dress, ethics, religions, politics, or social structure, but it is the literature of a people that encompasses all aspects and portrays the true nature of its culture. Beowulf, an Anglo-Saxon epic poem composed by an anonymous poet during the eighth century, exemplifies Anglo-Saxon life at turning point in English history; pagan rituals were yielding to Christianity and Old English was evolving into Middle English. The scops or bards who recited this narrative poem the 300 years preceding its transcription used Kennings and imagery to entertain Anglo-Saxons. The hero, monsters, and Christian influences were intricately woven together, changing over time with each retelling to accurately reflect Anglo-Saxon civilization. There is one topic that was almost non-existent in the telling of Beowulf, and that is the role of women. However, in a second translation of Beowulf titled Grendel, women are more thoroughly discussed.
             In both texts, Beowulf and Grendel, the main purpose of the Queen's are to serve the courts as weavers of peace. In Grendel however, Queen Wealththeow is described in much greater detail and serves a further purpose. The reader gains insight to a part of Grendel that is not present in Beowulf, his desire for a human. In Anglo-Saxon literature the role of women was very primitive. It was not unusual for women to be offered as tokens of peace within the noble courts. In the novel Grendel, Wealhtheow's brother, King of the Helmings, bestowed her to King Hrothgar to promote peace amongst the Helmings and Scyldings: She had given her life for those she loved. So would any simpering, eyelash batting female in her court, given the proper setup, the minimal conditions. It is ironic how she promoted peace from her arrival because she was an essential part in keeping peace, as the weaver of peace in the later of both texts. Queen Wealhtheow however is not the only woman in ...