Comitatus

A question I thought that was particularly thought provoking, that came from the Questions hand out for our small group discussion was the one that dealt with comitatus. 

The question is “Do the warriors have an obligation to Beowulf under the bonds of comitatus even though Beowulf himself tells them that this is his fight, and his fight alone?”  Obviously the answer can go both ways. I think it is important to look at the text and see how Beowulf said it was his fight.

Lines 2533 “It is not your way, nor proper for any man except me alone that he should match his strength against this monster.”  When Beowulf says that it is not “proper” for any man to fight other than himself, he leaves the door still wide open for comitatus.  Comitatus is not about what’s proper or not, it is an agreement.  In the back of our book it says:

“Comitatus: Arrangement whereby young warriors attached themselves to the leader of a group and defended him in return for his economic and legal protection.”

Comitatus was a strong bond between the warriors and leaders.  I think that the bond was stronger than what was proper or not. 

Another point that I would like to point out is that part of Comitatus was the idea that the warriors would protect their king for riches and protection.  Beowulf had already protected, and gave them riches, when It came down to their part of the deal, the warriors, turned and fled when it appeared that their king needed protection, and was about to fall in battle

At first I was thinking that the warriors were relieved of their responsibility to Beowulf, because he said he alone would fight, but after looking further into the book and writing about it I have convinced myself that the warriors did not hold up their end of the deal of comitatus.