This book examines violence in its social setting, and especially as an essential element in the heroic system of exchange (sometimes called the Economy of Honour). Argues for a new reading of Beowulf in its contemporary context, where honour and violence are intimately linked.

It situates Beowulf in a northern European culture where violence was not stigmatized as evidence of a breakdown in social order but rather was seen as a reasonable way to get things done; where kings and their retainers saw themselves above all as warriors whose chief occupation was the pursuit of honour; and where the most successful kings were those perceived as the most predatory.
Drawing on works from Britain, Scandinavia, and the continent showing how the practice of violence was governed by rules and customs which were observed, with variations, over a wide area, this book makes use of historicist and anthropological approaches to its subject.
It takes a neutral attitude towards the phenomena it examines, but at the same time describes them forthrightly, avoiding euphemism and excuse-making on the one hand and condemnation on the other. It thus avoids being led astray by modern assumptions about the morality of violence.

Contents
List of Figures
Preface
Abbreviations
1 Introduction
2 Loot and the Economy of Honour
3 Unferth's Gift
4 The Angel in the Mead Hall
5 Three Queens
6 Beowulf's Last Triumph
Afterword
Works Cited
General Index
Index of Passages
Index of Words

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