The mead hall in the ancient English poem BeowulfWhat was the function and nature of a mead hall in Beowulf's heroic times? Was it more than a tavern for the distribution and consumption of alcoholic beverages and sometimes valuable gifts? Yes, much more. Staying true to Anglo-Saxon culture's affinity for mead (ale/beer/wine), the characters in Beowulf frequently drink this strong beverage. And mead was their home away from home, with more entertainment than just fermented drinks: “gold and treasures at great feasts…the words of the poet, the sounds of the harp.” Needless to say, with “the greatest mead in the world…the people of Hrothgar lived in joy.” "After a mead feast, the Danes... knew no sorrow." When Grendel “moved into the [mead] hall,” it was an indescribable, torturing pain for everyone: “Hrothgar was broken… the Danes forgot God… [they were] in great distress… they wept and were bubbling. » When the hero and his men arrived, they "immediately headed to the hall...then sat down on benches...pouring a sweet drink." They came “to clean Heorot [the mead hall]”, to put an end to the “humiliations at Heorot” where the men are “around their cups of ale”. Beowulf predicts: “When I have finished with him, anyone who wishes will be able to enter the mead hall with pleasure. » Unferth, in his battle rune at Hrothgar's feet, insulted the hero because Unferth was "drunk with mead." When Queen Wealhtheow entertained the Geats, she first offered the king "joy in drinking mead" and then "went round to each... sharing the precious cup." When the hero began to fight the monster, "many beds of mead... flew away." The next day, the queen “walked among the mead seats” and everyone “drank many cups of mead.” References to this...... middle of document ...... a place to stay and a meeting place to pay debts and forge alliances. It was, in a word, a happy and useful place.BIBLIOGRAPHYArnold, Ralph. “Royal Halls – The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial.” In Donaldson Translation, edited by Joseph F. Tuso. New York, WWNorton and Co.: 1975Chickering, Howell D. Beowulf A bilingual edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977. Cramp, Rosemary. “Beowulf and Archaeology.” In TheBeowulf Poet, edited by Donald K. Fry. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Hill, John M. “Social Milieu.” In A Beowulf Handbook, edited by Robert Bjork and John D. Niles. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1997. Shippey, T.A. “The world of the poem”. In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.