The Anglo-Saxons, a group of tribes that settled in England from the 5th century, had a rich and complex belief system that intertwined the natural world with their ideas of life, death, and the supernatural. Among their many symbols and creatures, certain animals were associated with death, often seen as omens, guides, or embodiments of death itself. These “beasts of death” were not simply symbolic, but played a crucial role in the worldview of the Anglo-Saxons, representing the threshold between life and the afterlife, the known and the unknown.

 The Wolf: The Harbinger of Death

The wolf held a particularly prominent place in Anglo-Saxon culture. Fierce, cunning, and wild, wolves were often seen as agents of destruction. In Anglo-Saxon England, they were associated with war and violence, reflecting the chaotic and brutal nature of battle. Wolves, as apex predators, symbolized the inevitable approach of death, both in the natural world and the battlefield.

In some Anglo-Saxon texts, wolves are depicted as creatures that devour the dead, a grim reminder that death claims all, no matter how great or small. One of the most notable references to wolves in Anglo-Saxon literature can be found in the epic poem Beowulf, where the protagonist Beowulf confronts monsters and enemies, some of which can be linked to the wolf’s symbolic nature. The idea of wolves preying on the fallen warriors in battle reinforced the link between wolves and death.

Moreover, the wolf was often seen as a messenger or servant of the gods, particularly the god of war, Woden (or Odin in Norse mythology). Woden himself had two wolves, Geri and Freki, who accompanied him in the halls of Valhalla, the afterlife hall of the warriors. The wolves’ association with the god of death and war further cemented their role as harbingers of death. shutdown123