Comparison of the Mythologies of Beowulf and Dagda the Good

Mythology is an essential part of all the major world cultures. Through myths, universal and national values have been passed on from one generation to the next (Rosenberg 378). This paper will compare and contrast the mythologies Beowulf and Tuatha De Danann to consider the cultural postulates of these narrations based on the theme of Heroes Journey.

In the myth of Beowulf, the Danes or the Scyldings establish themselves as a social group on the shores of the sea. However, like all the humans, the Danes have enemies. Grendel, the ogre, is not glad about these people’s happiness and prosperity. As a result, he attacks and kills 30 men in one battle and continues to oppress the Danes for 12 years (Rosenberg 367). There was the need to put an end to the sufferings and liberate the citizens of Dane that gave rise to Beowulf. He manages to kill Grendel, the monster, and his mother, the dragon and becomes the hero who frees his people from the monstrous repression.

In the myth Dagda the Good, Dagda is the most powerful god of the community. He is depicted as the one who can destroy or preserve the life of any individual (Rosenberg 378). Dagda leads his community to war against the Fomorians, who were known for their fertility power.

In the two mythologies, there are elements of similarity as well as contrast. Regarding the commonalities, the two stories were about the communities and their hostiles. Both narrations reveal men’s ancient problem of dealing with evil brought about by an enemy. The other similarity is a theme of hero’s journey that is presented in both myths. The genesis of the evils that the two societies were facing, the need for a hero to provide liberty, and the way these persons started their journey of giving freedom to their communities are disclosed. On the contrary, the heroes in the stories are different. Beowulf is a human with the superpower and ability to fight against the monsters and defeat them by the use of the magical sword. In Tuatha De Danann, the Good Dagda is a powerful god who strives to help his people in the battle. The story is about the dwelling of the gods among the humans.

Cultural Values

The two myths have both universal and cultural values. The initial trait of the cultures is the belief in the evil. The stories explain the origin of the scourge in the societies. In Beowulf, the suffering is attributed to envy and jealousy. In Tuatha De Danann, evil is explained by hatred. The communities use the mythology to teach the next generations about the source of evil that is witnessed in the society even today (Lindemans). Also, the narrations reveal the cultural belief in gods and the supernatural world. The life and death are attributed to the existence of the higher power. The gods use their abilities to preserve the well-being of the community through the divine intervention in dealing with their enemies. The deity divinely provided a sword for Beowulf that he used to defeat the Grendel and the dragon. In turn, Dagda uses his magical club and his supernatural abilities to distract the Fomorians.

Mythologies play a significant role in the development of cultures as they are used to explain the different elements of the national concepts. Myths are to retain and pass on the beliefs of the societies. Studying mythologies can be an important way of comprehending various values and traditions across the world.

Works Cited

Lindemans, Micha F. “TuathadéDanann.” Artikkelisivustolla Encyclopedia Mythica, no. 5, 2003.

Rosenberg, Donna. World Mythology: An Anthology Of The Great Myths And Epics. Lincolnwood, Ill, NTC Pub. Group, 1994.