Peace-weaver facts for kids

Peace-weavers (Old English: freothwebbe) were Anglo-Saxon women. They married into enemy tribes. The main goal was to create peace between groups that were fighting. People hoped that by joining two tribes through marriage, the anger between them would lessen. It was thought that individuals would not want to harm their own family members.

Making Peace in Olden Times

Anglo-Saxons often enjoyed battles. They lived in tribes, each with its own leader. People were very loyal to their leaders and tribes. A writer named Tacitus said that Germanic people sometimes looked for wars if their own land was peaceful. Because of this, it was hard to find lasting peace among Anglo-Saxon groups.

They tried two main ways to make peace. One was called weregild. This was a payment made to the family of someone who was killed. The other way was through peace-weavers. Even with these efforts, peace was often hard to keep. Fighting was sometimes seen as more honorable than peace.

Some experts believe the term "peace-weavers" might have a wider meaning. They think it could be a poetic way to describe someone who helps make peace, like weaving a tapestry of friendship. This idea comes from how the term was used for angels. However, when we talk about peace-weavers in old stories, it usually means women who married into rival tribes to stop wars.

Peace-Weavers in Stories

The Anglo-Saxon word for peace-weaver is freothuwebbe. It is a kenning. A kenning is a special way of saying something in poetry. It uses a two-word phrase to describe something simply. For example, a "whale-road" means the sea.

Famous Peace-Weavers in Beowulf

Two important characters in the epic poem Beowulf are peace-weavers. Wealhþeow is one of them. She worked hard to support her husband and sons. She also arranged for her daughter to become a peace-weaver to another enemy tribe. Old English texts describe Wealhþeow as both a freothuwebbe (peace-weaver) and a frithu-sibb (peace-pledge).

Some scholars think these two terms mean the same thing. Others point out a small difference. They say freothuwebbe means someone who weaves peace socially. Frithu-sibb means someone who creates peace politically. Wealhþeow's role as a peace-weaver was both social and political. She was very good at both.

The second character who acts as a peace-weaver is Hildeburh. Unlike Wealhþeow, Hildeburh saw her husband's people destroyed. This included her own son. Her brother's people were also destroyed. Hildeburh also served as a peace-pledge, bringing the Danes and Frisians together. She returned to her homeland after her husband's kingdom was ruined.

Hildeburh's story shows a big problem many peace-weavers faced. Where should their loyalty lie? Anglo-Saxon tradition said that once married, a peace-weaver's duties and loyalty were first to her new husband.

"The Wife's Lament"

The term peace-weaver is not directly used in "The Wife's Lament." However, some believe the narrator of this poem is a peace-weaver. She is sad because she is far from her husband. She stays with his family, feeling alone and grieving.

See also

• Marriage of state