Yesterday, I was in Pittsburgh, and we drove by Heinz Field. The Steelers were playing the Titans, and were losing. This made me think back to when I was 10-14 years old, when many of these athletes were at the top of their game. I'm not big on football, but I come from a household where the game is on every Sunday. My younger brother idolized these athletes. He had all the jerseys; His room was even Steelers-themed. It made me think of how great warriors were idolized in Anglo-Saxon culture, just as the way great athletes are in ours.
Warriors were the ultimate man in Anglo-Saxon times. They were strong, brave, and had to be since they were responsible for the protection of the kingdom. Thanes had even bigger responsibilities, since they were the king's personal bodyguards. In a similar fashion, athletes today are supposed to be strong and brave. Even older cultures, like the Ancient Greeks, idolized their athletes. Just as Anglo-Saxon warriors gave their lives for their kingdom, so American athletes are expected to give back. When an athlete starts, donates, or even volunteers for a charity, they become even more revered in our culture.
I also saw similarities in how children(like my brother) revere athletes, and how Wigalf, who was younger, though no a child, revered Beowulf for being a great king and an even better warrior.
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