Christian And Pagan Influences In Beowulf

“Beowulf,” depicts both Christian and pagan influences. Pagan values consist of victory, and its constant reward through fame. Christian traits consist of loyalty, good leadership, and fairness, even in times of war or battles. Beowulf makes a lot of references and stresses the fact that he values fighting his battles with his bare hands. Another Christian value that is presented, and exercised by Beowulf in this epic poem, is that wealth must be shared unselfishly. Beowulf’s juxtaposition of pagan, and Christian values impact him in a positive way, rather than negatively. He can be considered one of the greatest hero’s of all times, holding Christian morals and inclination.
Pagan rituals can be seen at Beowulf’s funeral. “The Geat people
The Old Testament contains the stories that took place prior to the birth of Jesus Christ. It reads the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel were the first born of Adam and Eve. “…Eve his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain….and again she brought forth his brother Abel.” (The Catholic Holy Bible, Gen. 4.1-2). Cain murdered his brother Abel out of envy. Cain's fury was due to God's acceptance of Abel’s offering over his. “Cain offered, of the fruits of the earth, gifts to the Lord. Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel…But to Cain and his offerings, he had no respect: and Cain was exceedingly angry, and his countenance fell.” (Gen. 4.3-5). Out of spite, Cain killed his brother Abel, and in return, was sentenced by God to be, “...a fugitive and a vagabond…upon the earth.” (Gen. 4.12). Cain was forced to become an outcast. Like Cain, Grendel was an outcast, along with his mother, and was filled with
Grendel was amongst the, “…misbegotten spirits…banished and accursed,” (Beowulf, 1266-1267). Grendel, much like his presumed father Cain was filled with jealousy. Grendel’s destiny was to be condemned to envy and murdering. Grendel was jealous of the celebrations, and good times the Danes used to have in Heorot’s hall. Grendel became enraged when listening to the tellings of the Great Creation in the Heorot hall. His envy was caused by the resentment in falling short in these retellings of the Creation, due to his relation to Cain. It fills him with more anger, and motive to kill the Danes.
The biblical allusion to Cain falls short in the text of the poem. The poet writes, “Grendel’s mother,/ monstrous hell-bride, brooded on her wrongs./ She had been forced down into fearful waters,/ the cold depths, after Cain had killed/ his father’s son, felled his own brother with a sword” (Beowulf, 1265-1267). Grendel’s mother was banished, and isolated to live underwater. In the Old Testament, it reads that the only woman to be alive before Cain was his mother Eve. Yet the poem counters a contradiction when it states Grendel’s mother was sentenced to reside underwater after Cain killed