Elegy, according to the OED is a song that expresses sorrow, such as a lament or funeral song. These forms were common in Anglo-Saxon, Middle English poetry. Elegies allowed peace weavers to speak up when faced with the challenges of living among men of enormous power.
An elegy is a discussion about the loss of something and the grief they feel as a result. One of the earliest elegies was “The Wife’s lament”. The grief and sadness felt by the wife’s husband can be felt by readers. An elegy can affect you deeply, and you feel closer to the story. She fears being isolated and is finding it difficult to accept this. She says that the man’s kin plotted to seperate them so they could live in such a hostile world. She feels alone because her husband has abandoned her and left her without any protection. This poem allows the reader to ask many question about her husband’s disappearance and the fate of her tribe. She also discusses how she keeps her safe while writing her lament. This shows tremendous courage and determination. This elegy reveals the torture and pain Peace weavers went through. They were not looking for love or respect, but power and silence when they married men. Women were considered second-class citizens and had to play the role of peacekeepers and mistresses. Men could give women to them who could provide a prosperous life. Sometimes they would buy wealth into a marriage. Men were just as protective of women as their husbands. The women were made to make the decisions by the men. The Elegies give readers the chance to look into the lives of these “peaceweavers” and to understand what they went through. This woman was forced to leave her family to live with a hostile tribe. Because her husband has to handle all of it, she is a hero. This poem centers on the story of a woman who is an outcast and describes her situation in a beautiful poetic soliloquy, interspersed with extraordinary emotional language.
Hildeburh, another peace-weaver who felt under pressure, was another example. She was the Danish king’s daughter, and she married Finn, the King Of Jutes. At first she appears happy as a queen. She is “deprived” of her beloved ones at shield-play, of brother and son (121). Finn, Finn’s brother and son, died when she married him from a hostile tribe. She gives up her passivity, and she tries to play the role of peace-weaver. Hildeburh’s disdain for social norms is evident when she takes total control of her elegy. She brings out the peace symbol, even though we don’t hear it. Hildeburh mourns through songs and “geomrode gigdum” (some might argue that she did not fulfill her role of peace weaver, but she does show her power by ordering the burning of bodies. Hildebruh used “Beowulf,” an elegy, to bring together a hostile tribe and a peaceful one.
Judith, AngloSaxon heroine, has a distinctive personality that sets her apart from previous peaceweavers. Because she is a widow, her house has its own distinct structure, complete with powerful servants. She also has money. She uses it to cover herself in gold and seduce Holofernes. Her description includes being “ladened with rings” as well as “bedecked in ornaments.” She uses this power to command the Jews to fight against Holofernes’ army. It is her guilt and love for her husband that drives her to fight. Her elegy has a touching, meaningful quality that ignites her passion to defeat Holofernes. She said, “Lord God Israel, grant me strength!” Now, lead these hands and give Jerusalem all the help she needs. 8 Then she moved to the couch’s head and unfastened her scimitar. 9 She took the man by the hair and prayed for strength. After her powerful elegy Judith is able to decapitate Holofernes.
Elegies serve two purposes: to help them deal with painful events and motivate them to continue living. These women displayed hope and courage through the elegies, even though they were very sad. Elegies were a way for women to express their feelings without being restricted.
