Kennings In Beowulf

In the 19th Century Christianity was starting to be introduced to the Geats and surrounding Cultures. Verbal stories were the main form of literature do to the fact that many could not read or write. One of the most famous and first recorded stories of the time, Beowulf, tells the story of a young heroic prince who defeats evil by having unwavering faith in God. The speaker uses diction, vivid imagery, and parallelism to juxtapose Christianity and Paganism and how Paganism is a heathen, ineffective religion, while through Christianity and faith in God anything can be accomplished, even the most impossible of tasks.

The use of kennings and alliteration are ever present in Beowulf. In lines 62-64 the speaker uses the kenning “hell-forged
The kenning in 291, “gold-shinning Hall”, refers to King Hrothgar's mighty mead hall. This kenning is used to mean that the hall in anointed by God and even on the blackest of night its holy light shines through the darkness. Mentioning the holiness of the mead hall serves to prove a point that even the most holy and faithful of followers of God can still be harmed by evil but to keep faith in God and seek out his protection instead of turning and trying to follow ones own path, for only God can overcome all evil. The speaker also uses alliteration in line 289-291. He describes Grendel's movements while heading towards Herot. “He moved quickly through the cloudy night,/ Up from his swampland, sliding silently/ Towards That gold-shinning Hall.” The 's' alliteration gives the impression of a snake, where in this
In the first 29 lines the speaker describes both Grendel and the kingdom of Herot. In describing these two the speaker juxtaposes the light and holiness of Herot with Grendel's pure and inevitable evilness. In lines 6-15 the speaker depicts Herot as a happy, God-loving kingdom, whereas in lines 16-29 he defines Grendel as born of Cain, banished and cursed by God for all of eternity. Explaining Grendel's origin proves his depravity and helps the reader understand his wicked tendencies. The speaker then tells how due to Herot's holiness and happiness, Grendel is enraged and decides to attack the kingdom repetitively. When Grendel's attacks continue to occur unerringly the people of Herot turn away from God and delve into their old, heathen ways of Paganism by “sacrificing to old stone gods”, making “heathen vows”, and even hoping for “Hells support”, “the Devil's guidance” in driving Grendel away (90-93). By turning away from God, Herot doomed itself to be continuously and hopelessly afflicted by the demon, Grendel. The speaker then uses this explanation to lead into his lesson in lines 98-103. The speaker says: Beware, those who are put into danger with no hope in their heart because they cannot hope to ascend from it, but to keep God in their hearts and seek His peace and help with the problem being