Old English texts are being used to inspire multiple forms of new media from song lyrics, popular fiction, and even in video games. Video games are being used to tell new stories, as well as the old stories that society continues to pass on through the generations. By incorporating inspiration from medieval literature into video games, developers are able to have readers and gamers alike experience a new perspective that relates to the narratives of medieval literature. In the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the player is able to become a warrior of a mead hall and help defend the settlement that this mead hall is located in. This setting is reminiscent of Beowulf’s acceptance by Hrothgar’s warriors in the mead hall Heorot once he proves himself to them. The player character of Skyrim also must prove themselves in order to be accepted into the warrior brotherhood of their own mead hall: Jorrvaskr. The player must perform their own acts of courage and loyalty in order to influence the territory of Skyrim. Both a player’s character and Beowulf are required to prove themselves before they are taken seriously by the warriors of the mead hall and able to achieve a form of reward. Readers follow Beowulf’s experiences by reading the text while players of the video game are able to experience the trials themselves to better understand why the narratives are important.
About the presenterDeidre Elizabeth Comstock
Deidre Comstock is currently a graduate student at Winthrop University working on her Masters of English. She plans on focusing her graduate studies on British literature, focusing specifically on Medieval literature. She hopes to expand her own knowledge on Medieval literature and hopes to bring a new perspective to the field.