In her book, "Medieval Myths", Norma L. Goodrich provides a contemporary re-telling of several medieval myths, including Beowulf, The Song of Roland, and The Cid. As implied by her introduction, Goodrich places emphasis upon a historical reading of each of these texts and attempts to trace back the origins of various European national ideals by examining the thematic concerns of medieval mythology and their influence upon modern culture. Assuming that medieval mythology has a transformative influence upon the modern psyche, an exploration of the role of the medieval woman and how it did or did not change over the span of several centuries of European history becomes an interesting area of analysis. Although collectively these stories provide textual evidence of an emerging public presence of women, unfortunately all female characters are subjected to a rigid patriarchal system that afforded them limited mobility.
In the introduction of her contemporary telling of Beowulf , Goodrich tells us that the myth reflects early Germanic notions of manhood (16). If the virility of a character such as Beowulf can help us to understand masculinity in an early European context, what is to be said of the muted portrayal of Queen Wealhtheow if, similarly, we interpret her characterization to be aligned with early European notions of womanhood and femininity? Queen Wealhtheow's involvement in the plot is negligible and she is relegated to the role of hostess, peace-weaver, and subordinate.
Queen Wealhtheow is a well-demarcated character who seems conscious of her political function as queen. Her etiquette, demureness, and dress are all careful constructions that symbolize her separate female space apart from the violence of the masculine world that surrounds her. Queen Wealhtheow is an object of beauty and nobility, a point which is illustrated by the attention paid to textual descriptions of her regalia. A "queen and daughter ...