Sean Edwards
Professor Wallace
ENGL 2300C
October 9, 2014
In the Introduction to his translation of Beowulf, R. M. Liuzza suggests that the poem establishes “a kind of spiritual solidarity between the pagan past and the Christian present” (30). While the poem certainly establishes a solidarity between the two beliefs, the way the two intertwine throughout the poem suggests that it is more of a melting pot of the two beliefs, rather than just a “spiritual connection.” The melting pot of the two religions is displayed during Beowulf’s fights against the three monsters: Grendel, Grendel’s Mother, and the dragon. The poem Beowulf creates a melting pot of Pagan and Christian beliefs that reflect the period of transition between Paganism and Christianity.
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After Grendel’s mother kills a warrior to avenge her son’s death, Beowulf says to the mourning King that “It is always better / to avenge one’s friend than to mourn overmuch” (Liuzza 1384-5). When Beowulf finished speaking, “The old man leapt up, thanked the Lord, / the mighty God, for that man’s speech “(Liuzza 1398-9). These lines are both ironic and representative of the melting pot of Pagan and Christian ideas. It’s ironic because vengeance is forbidden in the bible, yet the old man thanks God for Beowulf’s intent to murder Grendel’s Mother. The bible says to “never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good” (New Revised Standard Version, Romans 12:19-21). Fighting Grendel’s mother, like fighting Grendel, is going directly against God’s wishes. Standing up to an enemy is more of a Pagan ideal, akin to the courageous, boastful, and vengeful warrior. In this instance, the society is still living under Pagan ideals but attributing them to the Christian God. To echo Liuzza’s statement, the poet is establishing a connection between the Pagan past and the Christian present. They may be …show more content…
Beowulf fights the dragon and once again claims that “wyrd [will decree]” the victor (Liuzza 2526). He then says that the fight will bring him “that gold — or grim death” (Liuzzia 2536). These two lines are almost entirely Pagan. Beowulf is saying that fate will, or already has, decided the victor, which is entirely Pagan and takes the result out of the hands of God, and the fact that he is fighting for “gold,” shows that he is once again conforming to the Pagan ideal of the boastful and successful warrior. After Beowulf is mortally wounded, he exclaims that he wished he had a son to pass on his war-gear, but “fate” did not “grant” him any heir (Liuzza 2730-1). These lines almost suggest a sense of falling out between Beowulf and God. Beowulf had doubted God previously in the poem, when he was unable to kill Grendel instantly, he said that the “Creator did not wish [Grendel’s death]” (Liuzza 967). In this line Beowulf suggests that he was unable to kill Grendel because of God. Later when Beowulf begins to fight Grendel’s mother, he is “received” by the “surging sea” (Liuzza 1494). Beowulf then goes on to fight and kill Grendel’s mother. This imagery suggests a sort of baptism or renewal of trust between Beowulf and God. On its own it may not be a very strong argument, however, as we see Beowulf diverting his attention to fate and
The theology which appears in the Christian allusions in Beowulf is very vague and indefinete: there is no mention of Christ, the saints, miracles, Mary His Mother, specific doctrines of the church, martyrs of the church, the New Tes...
It is common opinion that Beowulf was written by a Christian poet. This was probably true because at the time when it was written, most of the few people who knew how to read and write were in the clergy. There are various references within the poem to elements of the Christian religion. However, the story is about Pagan people and certain aspects of their culture are even glorified. The ambiguity of Beowulf’s religious content has caused confusion as to what significance religion had in inspiring the author and in what manner the author meant to inspire or influence his audience. I do not think that Beowulf is a Christian allegory because Beowulf had very little in common with the Biblical figure of Jesus Christ. I think that religion was not the primary thematic concern of the writer. Although there are discrepancies between the two styles of thinking, Beowulf seems to praise values which were considered moral and good among all humanity, both Christian and Pagan.
Beowulf is steeped in a pagan tradition that depicts nature as hostile and forces of death as uncontrollable. Blind fate picks random victims; man is never reconciled with the world. Beowulf ends a failure. There is some truth in this conclusion, but for the most part, someone who didn’t have a well-lived life has most likely portrayed it.
When Beowulf refers back to the battle with Grendel’s mother he states that “the fight would have ended straight away if god had not guarded me” (Orla Murphy, 2008). This shows that he feels more secure if god was to help him on and was by his side. God is playing a big role in this, its testing whether god is real or not and if he is able to depend on him in a time of need. Beowulf puts his faith in a a lot of people that he is unsure of if he should because of who he is
The use of religion in the story alludes to the fact that Beowulf is a Christ figure by showing the reader that God has sent Beowulf to defeat Grendel, similar to how Jesus was sent to Earth to absolve people of sin. In the following quote, Beowulf is fighting Grendel and the narrator describes God’s impact on Beowulf. “The monster wrenched and wrestled with him/ But Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength,/ The wondrous gifts God had showered on him:/ He relied for help on the Lord of All,/ On His care and favour. So he overcame the foe, /brought down the hell-brute” (Beowulf 1269-1274). The “ wondrous gifts” that God had bestowed upon
...hem greatly. The Beowulf poet makes sure to include small but meaningful references to the paganistic background of the epic poem. There are too many pagan symbols scattered throughout the work to be ignored, and too many rules of the Christian religion are broken by the characters of the poem for an argument to be made against the paganism of Beowulf. Also, we must not forget that ideas such as fate and revenge, which are shunned in Christianity, are two of the main themes in this story. Consequently, even though the Beowulf poet may have been Christian, as for the poem itself, all signs point towards paganism.
In this religion, Christians believe that: no one can survive and be protected without the faith of believing in God, that the son of God is to be humble and unselfish, and that the life that one life and happiness was given to them by God. Beowulf a New Telling was originally written in Paganism then converted to Christianity. Christianity and Paganism are very close religions. There are many discussions rather Beowulf has Element of Christianity or not. People say that Beowulf represents God through his leadership, and risking his life for the peoples benefit, much like God did. Although others believe that Beowulf's heroic pride for defeating the demons, comes in conflicts with the Christian values. When Beowulf is taking on the monster, he says “Grendel, child of Cain, come down into Heortot. I am Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow. I am Beowulf, not afraid of you. I am Beowulf, come to kill you!”(Nye 69). As people know too much pride in oneself will lead to a decline in the person's life. Beowulf is continually referring back to God as his savior in this book, Beowulf talks about his battle with Grendel's mother and says that he would have died if it wasn't for God guarding him. People thrilled of the win, “His men were too astonished to rise a cheer. Some fell on their knees and offered thanks to God” (Nye 122). Meaning with someone’s dedication to the faith of God, with his protection you will be safe. Much like God, he sacrifices to die on the cross for his people and the future, Beowulf sacrifices his life while fighting the dragon for his
When Beowulf is mentioned he is described with positive words like, “marvelous tales” (379), “hero”(399) “fine-forged mesh” “gleaming”(). In contrast, when Grendel is being discussed he gets words like, “gruesome day”(442), “glut himself. “( 443) “gorged and bloodied”(447) “gloating with my raw corpse … in a cruel frenzy, fouling his moor-nest”( 447-450). This shows how highly Beowulf is thought of and how terrible a monster Grendel is. Because Grendel is the epitome of evil Beowulf asks to “purify”(431) Heorot of Grendel’s presence. If Beowulf was sent by God then Grendel is the Devil. Beowulf shows that he is the hero God sent by using words that pertain to Him such as, “Now Holy God has, in His goodness, guided him here” ( 381-382) “ heaven’s dome”(414) “purifying Heorot”(431) “just judgement by God”(
The king of the Geats, Beowulf is portrayed as the son of a great military leader who is respected and well known for his and his father’s valor in battle. The tale of Beowulf in a race with a man from another country in the ocean is one of Beowulf’s personal victories against a creature that is clearly unable to be taken down by a single man. The seas creatures were attacking Beowulf and yet he still slew them; however he lost the race for the other man continued leaving Beowulf to the sea monsters. This just enunciates the fact that Beowulf is a clear and set epic hero. The traits of an epic hero can be aligned with a figure of faith within either Pagan or Christian belief. The creatures could be seen as the sins that keep man-kind from living a full and sin free life, these creatures (sins) that stopped Beowulf from winning the race (a sin free life), this could easily be a representation of the temptations of everyday life only expressed in a more grotesque and terrifying form. The creatures are terrifying yet are beat able. Beowulf’s strength could be represented as faith, for those with strong faith could possibly overcome these temptations that haunt everyday men and women. The faith to overcome the challenges of temptation is a religious belief that sins are a manifestation of the devils ability to coerce you into the wrong path, sending yourself to him, rather than to god. This belief generally is not followed strictly simply because man has decided not to because we are mortal and what point would we have these thing if the religion people follow cause you to lead a less fulfilling life. Religious people argue that faith creates a fulfilling life, yet there are so many thing that a single person could complete before their time comes. The progression of Christianity and Pagan beliefs within Beowulf are contradictory of modern belief
The poem Beowulf is a renowned story that displays many different surroundings and religious beliefs. Some may believe the story of Beowulf portrays pagan beliefs or customs and others believe that the poem is more in agreement with Christian ethnicity. The author of Beowulf uses both Christian and pagan elements in the poem to define the heroic warrior, Beowulf, and the evil dragons. After reading Beowulf the author clearly shows how Beowulf is a man who is filled with Christian customs and is willing to die and defend the world against evil using the help of God.
The glory is given to God at that very moment, “The monster wrenched and wrestled with him but Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength, the wondrous gifts God had showered on him: He relied for help on the Lord of All, on His care and favour. So, he overcame the foe, brought down the hell-brute” (1269-1274). The “wondrous gifts” and strength in Beowulf is credited to God, who is on Beowulf’s side always in battle. Also, the great feat of defeating the evil monster, Grendel, shows that Beowulf is blessed and highly favored. Not only did Beowulf defeat Grendel, but he did it without any weapons. Gods power was instilled in Beowulf, to defeat evil with his bare hands. Beowulf showed a great amount of faith in God no matter what problems or evil he faced, and God rewarded him with victory, great legacy, and
“In my youth I engaged in many wars”, Beowulf boasts to his warriors, which is certainly true. Throughout his life, he faces many deadly foes, all of which he handily defeats, save one. His story focuses on the most challenging, as well as morally significant of foes, Grendel and the dragon. These creatures reveal much about society as well as Christian virtue at the time. Even after Grendel and the dragon are defeated physically, the two monsters pose a new threat to the hero on a higher plane. Beowulf is not only at risk of losing his life, but his humanity, virtue, and even spirituality.
Though the origins of the epic poem Beowulf lie in the Pagan Anglo-Saxon era, by the time it was recorded, most Saxons had converted to Christianity. The story seems to be told partly from a heathen point of view and also partly from a biblical. Beowulf seeks glory, crediting it to God, yet a lot of his works are said to have been fated, and he seems to be trying to earn immortality on the earth, and not in an afterlife or in heaven. To determine the role of religion in the poem, the difference between fate and God’s providence must be examined, and examples of Pagan beliefs and Christian beliefs in the story should be discussed.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.
The last battle in Beowulf was against the fierce dragon that could also be saw as the power of Satan. During this battle Beowulf chooses to use a weapon because of the dragon’s deadly venom, it would only be fair. It was a hard fight but Beowulf wasn’t capable of defeating the dragon. This battle could be compared to the will of Christ, in which Christ gave his life for the people, while Beowulf did the same. The dragon now represents the evil a man must fight in order to preserve the good in life. Although Beowulf was defeated, it was not shamelessly, just like Christ he saved the people. Beowulf had a good heart but was sometimes overturned by the bad influences in life. He represents the fact that everyone makes mistakes, you can’t be perfect all the time, everyone’s bound to lose.