Notes on "fame"

(In lines 485-487, 490-492 speak of Beowulf's longing for fame)

Fame was vitally important to a warrior because of its practical rewards such as wealth and the loyalty of both kinspeople (your people) and other tribes. However, fame had an added importance in cultures whose religion offered no hope for an afterlife. Then it was only through fame that one could achieve immortality. Therefore, the hero depends on the poet to keep his memory alive--so these people held important positions in royal courts. (I guess in a way you could think of them like Anglo-Saxon paparazzi)