Modþryðo

Background: Queen Modthryth is known as a virtuous and loyal queen to King Offa; however, her past is filled with blood and unjustified vengeance. Before her marriage to King Offa, Modthryth was known as an fierce princess who would torture and kill innocent men for looking at her. After being married off by her father, her violent tendencies were tamed, and she fulfilled the role of a queen. She is now known for her good deeds along with her loyalty to King Offa. The reasoning of her cruelty is not explained, but she can be interpreted as an empowering female figure. Her personality is not described further than her actions, so one can only assume she may hold certain qualities based on her actions.

Strengths:
 * Manipulative
 * Fierce
 * Ability to change

During Modthryth's time of being a princess, she was quite fierce. She would have men who just looked her way be tortured and killed. Although her father was described as caring, she was still able to have innocent men killed which would require manipulation of either the people who carried out the executions or her father. Once Modthryth is married to King Offa, it is said that her previous habits were brought to a halt and she became, as the translation says, less cruel-minded and known for her acts of good.

Weaknesses:


 * Impulsive
 * Lacking a sense of self / insecure
 * Controlling

Modthryth had multiple innocent men killed if they looked at her. She didn't give a second thought about killing the men and showed no sign of remorse. In the translation, "A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent with loss of life for imagined insults," indicates that the reason for killing the men was out of insecurity. While most people would probably pay no attention to these thoughts, Modthryth acts impulsively and has the men killed. However, this phase of her life seemed to be looked over after she was married. Her character changed completely as the translation says King Offa brought her ways to a halt.

Role in Beowulf:

Queen Modthryth’s cruel acts serve as a way to contrast and emphasize the goodness of Queen Hygd. Queen Modthyth is the first female in the book to break the mold of the women being virtuous support characters. Eventually she conforms to the standard as well. This could be to show that any woman can become the ideal woman through marriage; although, some still interpret Modthryth as a way to break away from the typical support character with a strong female.

Lines Mentioned:

Old English:

Mod þryðo wæg,

fremu folces cwen, firen ondrysne.

Nænig þæt dorste deor geneþan

swæsra gesiða, nefne sinfrea,

þæt hire an dæges eagum starede,

ac him wælbende weotode tealde

handgewriþene; hraþe seoþðan wæs

æfter mundgripe mece geþinged,

þæt hit sceadenmæl scyran moste,

cwealmbealu cyðan. Ne bið swylc cwenlic þeaw

idese to efnanne, þeah ðe hio ænlicu sy,

þætte freoðuwebbe feores onsæce

æfter ligetorne leofne mannan.

Huru þæt onhohsnode Hemminges mæg;

ealodrincende oðer sædan,

þæt hio leodbealewa læs gefremede,

inwitniða, syððan ærest wearð

gyfen goldhroden geongum cempan,

æðelum diore, syððan hio Offan flet

ofer fealone flod be fæder lare

siðe gesohte; ðær hio syððan well

in gumstole, gode, mære,

lifgesceafta lifigende breac,

hiold heahlufan wið hæleþa brego,

ealles moncynnes mine gefræge

þone selestan bi sæm tweonum,

eormen-cynnes.

(1931-1957)

Translated:

Great Queen Modthryth perpetrated terrible wrongs. If any retainer ever made bold to

look her in the face, if an eye not her lord's stared at her directly during daylight, the

outcome was sealed: he was kept bound in hand-tightened shackles, racked, tortured

until doom was pronounced—death by the sword, slash of blade, blood-gush and death

qualms 1940 in an evil display. Even a queen outstanding in beauty must not overstep

like that. A queen should weave peace, not punish the innocent with loss of life for

imagined insults. But Hemming's kinsman put a halt to her ways and drinkers round the

table had another tale: she was less of a bane to people's lives, less cruel-minded, after

she was married to the brave Offa, a bride arrayed in her gold finery, given away 1950

by a caring father, ferried to her young prince over dim seas. In days to come she would

grace the throne and grow famous for her good deeds and conduct of life, her high

devotion to the hero king who was the best king, it has been said, between the two seas

or anywhere else on the face of the earth.

References:


 * Unknown. (2000) Beowulf (S. Heany, Trans.). W.W. Norton.


 * LENEGHAN, F. (2009). THE POETIC PURPOSE OF THE OFFA-DIGRESSION IN BEOWULF. The Review of English Studies, 60(246), new series, 538-560. Retrieved February 7, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40587650


 * Procházková, P. (2007) Female Characters in Beowulf. Masarykovy univerzity. https://is.muni.cz/th/ofq3d/#paneltext


 * Stewart, Riley S. (2019) "The Original Scarlet Letter: Flyting, Green Girdles, and Medieval Order in England," International Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities: Vol. 11, Article 8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7710/2168-0620.1132


 * DockRay-Miller, M. (1998) The Masculine Queen of Beowulf. Women and Language; Fall 1998; 21, 2; ProQuest Central pg. 31-38 https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:13449