Originating in the Anglo-Saxon period, the epic poem Beowulf portrays a legendary hero. Beowulf established the first form of heroism and was later introduced into English culture. Praised and admired by many people, Beowulf possesses several distinct traits that allow him to perfectly define himself as an ideal Anglo-Saxon hero; his desire to seek glory and fame, rather than wealth and treasure, his loyalty and gracious attitude not only towards his rulers but also towards his followers, and his contradictory beliefs of faith and destiny. In Anglo-Saxon society, an ideal hero does not seek riches of gold and treasure; instead, he seeks fame and glory through his achievements. To ensure immortality and spread their name across the kingdoms, Anglo-Saxon warriors had strong aspirations to boast their successes with contests and challenges to demonstrate their abilities. Unferth challenged Beowulf's swimming race with Breca, "You two agreed through pride and folly to race in the ocean at the risk of your lives and could not be dissuaded by a soul on earth" (Chapter 8). Although he failed to triumph with victory, Beowulf secured a high reputation and earned glory by engaging in intense battles and slaying evil monsters. Ultimately, by challenging himself, Beowulf managed to boast his name and gain much glory to achieve immortality as an Anglo-Saxon hero. Another way for heroes to gain high reputation and fame was to pursue adventures and quests. Beowulf decided to go to the land of the Danes as soon as he heard about Grendel. Desperate to gain fame and glory, Beowulf was eager to help Hrothgar eliminate his enemy Grendel, who had troubled him and his people for 12 years. “…the noble son of…middle of paper…between Beowulf and god. After Grendel's extermination, Hrothgar congratulated Beowulf on having God at his side to assist him. “With God's help this foreign prince has accomplished a task which we, with our profound wisdom and cunning, have attempted in vain.” (Chapter 14). Once again, Beowulf illustrates an ideal hero, because God has been beside Beowulf throughout the poem. Aside from faith, Beowulf also allowed fate to take over the results of his battles. As Beowulf prepared for his battle against the dragon, he explained "...let fate decide our fate as it will, our fate---destiny and God almighty." (Chapter 35). Since fate had allowed Beowulf to win in every battle he encountered, Beowulf was destined to become a hero. Although contradictory, faith and destiny represent the most vital attributes that label Beowulf as the ideal Anglo-Saxon hero..