In the epic poem, "Beowulf," the word 'treasure', serves as an epitome of cultural values. The characters in Beowulf, and its original audience, want glory, the perpetuation of fame, and to remain alive in human memory across time and space. Glory in Beowulf is usually connected with heroism in battle and with generosity. Treasure is the outward manifestation of glory. While treasure is usually used to refer to material possessions and valuable items, it can also represent a significant ideal that each person holds. In Beowulf, it appears that Heorot, the mead-hall, is the most prestigious treasure of the Danish people. .
Under the Danish king, Hrothgar, the hall is a place of community and gatherings, where traditions are preserved, loyalty is rewarded, and, perhaps most importantly, where stories are told and reputations are spread. The Danish come to the hall frequently to gather around, indulge in mead and reminisce about the great time they have together. Throughout the tale of Beowulf, it is clear that their most precious treasures, such as the mead-hall, attract ominous raiders while their most dangerous enemies also stock valuables that they seek to have for their own. This notion depicts the incessant struggle of keeping one's own treasure while simultaneously seizing it from different forces, which indicates an Anglo-Saxon society that is falling apart because the values of their community that are based purely off of loyalty, glory, and prosperity bring many consequences; these consequences would eventually lead to the fatalistic aftermath of their culture.
At the beginning of the poem, the country under Shield Sheafson's descendants seems to be portrayed as an idealistic place of the medieval world. As they have been fighting a long way to protect their own land, the prosperity gets to its climax under the ruling of the "ring-giver" Hrothgar. "The fortunes of war favoured Hrothgar.