Another one of Christian beliefs that is defined in Beowulf, is the representative of Paganism. The paganism components talks about in Beowulf, fist talks about Grendel’s portrayal. Grendel is described in these lines: “Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell” (l. 16-18). All the way through the poem the devilish monster Grendel, that has hate towards Herot Hall and the meeting of his men partying. In line for to this he waits on them till after partying are over in the Herot Hall once the men are intoxicated and comes in and murder Hrothgar’s men parting him to live in grief and mourn the death of his men. The funeral Beowulf demanded before he die also…
Although there are many examples of Pagan beliefs in the poem Beowulf, the poem points more toward a Christian influence and meaning. Beowulf is seen as a God to the Geat people, and they turn to the Almighty to save them from evil. Grendel is portrayed as a “monster of Cain” and lives underground. He represents the darkness of the Pagan beliefs, as well as Hell. The battle between good and evil - between Christianity and Pagan beliefs – is continued throughout the poem.…
In the epic Beowulf , the story was translated by two scribes, A and B, into the manuscript…
Beowulf is a historical and elegiac Anglo-Saxon poem. Religion is an irritable subject and one of the main topics. The heroic character Beowulf is a depiction of superior and God. Grendel is the delineation of the Pagan beliefs as well as the corrupt in the world. This poem is composed of internal and external complications between the Pagan’s and the Christian’s beliefs. Even though Paganism is meticulously extended throughout the text, there are several references about Christianity. Keywords and phrases such as “fate”, “hoping for hell’s support, and many more help the reader understand the different religions that are visible in this poem. The anonymous author of Beowulf thrived with the legendary poem by embracing Paganism, Christianity, and the conflicts of both religions.…
Beowulf is the stepping stone for the creation of many stories of good vs. evil, ending with the hero receiving unending praise and adoration. With that many of the people who read of the epic poem now relate to it on many levels, my belief is that the Christian elements throughout this poem make it more intriguing to the modern day peruser. The author of the poem is unknown but based on the style of wording used and the Paganistic elements it is believed to have originally been scribed by Christian monks. Beowulf is a 'story' that has been passed down for generations being used as entertainment by the Anglo-Saxons in 10th century England. The biblical jewels hidden throughout this story not only help a reader to relate to the author’s work…
Another significant factor in how Beowulf is a Christian poem is that Beowulf is a Christ-like figure. An example of that would be how everyone looks at him; “Bold and strong minded, had driven affliction off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, now with that night’s fierce work; the Danes had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel” (400-404). Beowulf is set at such high expectations, since he sacrificed his life to protect his people just like Christ did when he died on the…
Culture defines a person’s belief, characteristics, certain practices, values, way of thinking, and acting about a certain position. Each individual is represented by their own culture, and how it is supposed to be done in a certain way. In the epic, Beowulf, and the movie Beowulf and Grendel, Beowulf shows two different perspectives and feelings towards religion. Not only this, but extra characters are added to the movie that were not a part of the poem, and causes a character conflict. During the epic and in the movie, religion is treated very seriously during the time of Beowulf because of the different cultures in the scenes and how each character is not like the other. The cultural values, within both…
The story of Beowulf is a well known epic poem and a significant piece of literature. Many people still read and enjoy it today. Beowulf offers readers the opportunity to explore beliefs and customs of the past. Not only is the story entertaining, it is also educational. There are several different lessons one can learn from Beowulf. Religion is one of the main themes of the story. Individuals studying the religious aspects of the tale will see two main beliefs: paganism and Christianity. These two beliefs contain similarities and many differences. Readers will be intrigued to see Christian influences throughout the English tale, which was written during a time deep in pagan tradition. There are a plethora of lessons to learn from the story,…
Within the story of Beowulf, you can find many elements of Christian philosophy: that man only survives through the protection and guidance of God, all earthly gifts are given from God, and that man is to be meek and unselfish. However, Beowulf holds a strong sense of pride within himself at certain points within the story, which conflicts with Christian values. We end up seeing pride vs. humility and sacrifice vs. selfishness. When at the celebration Hrothgar reminds Beowulf of the lessons of the Greek tragedians: that pride, unhardened by humility, will result in the horrible consequences. He also teaches the lessons of Christian philosophy: that wealth, gained through the grace of God, must be shared unselfishly.…
Beowulf was originally written as a pagan oral tradition before the Christian monks infused their religion into it. The epic hero showed his faith to God as he battled the monsters and depicted the world of Christianity. However, the ideas in the poem are presented in both Christian God and pagan power which exemplifies Wyrd. Christianity and paganism are at opposite ends of the religious spectrum and each represent different beliefs and customs. Christians believe and follow the teachings of Christ and depend on the Bible for Spiritual guidance, but paganism is based on the belief and worshiping of other gods through sacrifices. Interspersed in each line is both elements, from the prologue to its end, each element tells its own story.…
Beowulf is an epic poem that is filled with many different mythological character, and religious symbols. Beowulf is a story that has been retold, translated, and interpreted in many different ways. As a result of this story being interpreted and translated through the years; there is a combination of both the Christian religion and Pagan beliefs.…
Beowulf is the narrator and has more of a Christian perspective which is why paganism to him is a confusing topic or simply put strange territory. Heathen gods were thought to be devils so in Beowulf’s point of view the pagan people of the early medieval Scandinavia were literally vowing offerings, swearing oaths to, asking devils for aid which he saw as a curse due to the fact that they were seeking the help from devils rather than god himself. Beowulf does not understand paganism and how those who are pagan can simply live with the fact that after death they will not be able to approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father’s embrace as he and those who are Christian will be able to do…
The epic poem Beowulf is a tale of a warrior, named Beowulf, and the events that lead to his death. One of the main concerns of the epic poem was whether or not it is of pagan or Christian origin, or whether it has pagan or Christian influences. Even though the poem appeared to be originally a pagan story, there are many clues in the text that point to Christian influence and tradition. Beowulf is essentially a Christian story with Christian customs: that man's survival depends on the protection of God, that earthly gifts come from God, and also that Beowulf is a Christ-figure.…
In Beowulf christianity reveals itself, in which the reader emotions may feel sympathy from the ideas in relates to the bible. The characters in Beowulf take on different roles that are similar to the characters in the bible. The setting also includes christian elements for example, Herot Hall that Hrothgar built in honor of his fame, were celebrations were held with his men. In Beowulf lines 14- 15 describes celebration and peace in Herot Hall: “As now warriors sang of their pleasure: So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.” Even though Herot hall is the place were the celebration occurred; however, Grendel’s hatred for Herot’s celebration causes him swooped in while Hrothgar’s men were drunk and killed them all. Another Christianity Element discussed in the Beowulf is Beowulf heroism, how he uses God through all of his battles. Before the battle against Grendel, Beowulf says in lines 174-175: “God must decide/Who will be given to death’s cold grip.” In this quote Beowulf is basically saying that God will decide who will win between him and Grendel in battle because he requested to fight with his hands alone. Upon Beowulf’s death from his last battle with the dragon, he thank God from the heavens above for allowing his…
While reading Beowulf you are able to see how Christianity and the heroic code conflict. Christianity does not believe in killing unlike the heroic code which believes you can kill in order to defend your lord. As the story starts Beowulf is a brave warrior and by the…