The scop’s role during the Anglo-Saxon period

 Written languages had existed all around the world for thousands of years. The English language was no different from the others but with three different periods of writing— Old English, Middle English, and Modern English. The Old English period, suggested by its name, was the oldest among the three. It was a period marked by the language and style of the Anglo-Saxon people. Anglo-Saxons were Germanic people who inhabited parts of nowaday England and Wales from the 5th century to the 11th century(“Anglo-Saxon”). The people from Anglo-Saxon kingdoms spoke different dialects, and their dialects evolved into Old English. Masterful epic poems such as Beowulf then emerged during the period. Their works were mostly passed down orally. Poems were usually sung or recited by scops, Old English bards. Scops in the Old Germanic society served as entertainers, preservers of history, and motivators for good values.

The scop’s role during the Anglo-Saxon period was to entertain soldiers and kings by reciting or singing poems. Scop comes from a West Saxon word “scieppan”, which means to create or form(Mathieu Judith). They were sometimes referred to as a gleeman or “gleoman”, a musician and performer as they were usually accompanied by a harp or a string instrument(Mathieu Judith). However, they were more than just musicians or performers, they often had to compose, perform, and improvise their own poems in different occasions. They had to travel long distances to deliver their poems in mead halls, king’s court, and villages during feast or celebrations. Scops entertain listeners by telling stories through songs. The idea is similar to today’s music performances during an important event or festival, they provide their audience with enjoyment. In the epic poem Beowulf, the scop’s voice and the sound of harp angered Grendel, which lead him to the mead hall. Later on the scop sang a poem to entertain Hrothgar and his men while celebrating Beowulf’s victory against Grendel, “They sang then and played to please the hero, words and music for their warrior prince, harp tunes and tales of adventure: there were high times on the hall benches and the king's poet performed his part”(Seamus Heaney ). The scop’s role in the Old Germanic society was to serve as an entertainer.

Scops were the keepers of Anglo-Saxon history. Without scops, scholars today would not know anything about Anglo-Saxon history. Before there was written language, storytelling was the only way for people to learn about their past and great achievements. Scops taught their history and ancestry as long as their heritage and beliefs through reciting poems with melody. The scop was the observer and recorder of history although sometimes they fictionalize real events. In Beowulf, the scop immediately crafts a song to record the historical event of the death of Grendel and to preserve Beowulf’s name along with other great heroes of legend (lines 867b-874a). Then the scop connects Beowulf and “Sigemunde”, a legendary dragon slayer and went on singing about the entire history of the event. Lastly ending with Beowulf to praise his success and heroism. Scops were the preservers of history and a storycrafter. In modern day, they would be equivalent to a teacher and a musician of high status. The scops had multiple functions in the Anglo-Saxon world and was extremely influential in terms of shaping and passing down history.

Another role of scops was to inspire his audience and introduce values through reciting poems. The scop’s poems dealt with emotions and inspires the audience to learn from the heroic figures in their stories. Their poems promote certain values— bravery, loyalty, and self sacrifice(Malone 77-78). Through these poems, we can understand the main ideals of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Poems recited by scops was meant to stir and strengthen the audience’s hearts. These stories motivate their listeners to live honest lives, be truthful to God, and be courageous. The story of Beowulf shows the growth of an unfettered warrior to a mature hero. The two phases of Beowulf’s life corresponds to two distinct models of virtue. During his battle with the dragon, the poet focused on Beowulf’s responsibility as a king and how he fought for the good of his people. Scops’ role in the Old Germanic Society was to inspire his listeners to learn from these stories and follow its values.

In conclusion, Anglo-Saxon scops main functions were to entertain others through reciting poems, preserve history, and inspire the audience to follow heroic figures introduced in the poems. Scops were commissioned by kings to perform during celebrations and feasts. They preserved history through storytelling. While entertaining the people, they also passed down their ancestry, achievements, and beliefs. Lastly, the scop influences the population with values from his poems. They motivate their audience to be honest, loyal to their king, brave, faithful, and truthful. Scops in the Old Germanic society had multiple roles and was highly respected by the people and the king.