Beowulf As Christian Allegory
Beowulf’s story is somewhat of an allegory in which he is depicted as the Christ figure. The theme of Beowulf is a contrast of good and evil which is manifest in both Christian and pagan elements; Beowulf represents good, while Grendel, his mother, and the dragon represent evil. The first monster our hero, Beowulf, faces is Grendel. Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain. “Unhappy creature (Grendel), he lived for a time in the home of the monsters’ race, after God had condemned them as kin of Cain” (Norton, 28). Cain is the son of Eve, the woman who bore sin into the world. A connection, however vague, can be made between the maternal relations of Eve and Cain and Grendel and his mother. Grendel’s mother can be considered to personify man’s fall from grace and Grendel himself might embody sin. Furthermore, the dragon Beowulf battles can be said to be a picture of Satan: “the smooth hateful dragon who flies at night wrapped in flame” (56).
When facing Grendel, Beowulf relies on God alone to protect him, saying, "…may wise God, Holy Lord, assign glory on whichever hand seems good to Him” (36). When Beowulf tears off Grendel’s arm, Hrothgar remarks, “I endured much from the foe, many griefs from Grendel” (39). It could be said that the Christian foe is sin, which causes much grief.
Against Grendel’s mother, original sin, Beowulf becomes the Christian soldier. When Beowulf struggles against Grendel’s mother, God grants him a precious gift:
“The Wielder of Men granted me that I should see hanging on the wall a fair, ancient, great-sword – most often He has guided the man without friends – that I should wield the weapon” (Norton, 48).
This great sword is further described as “a victory-blessed blade, an old sword made by the giants… the work of giants” (Norton, 47). The sword used to slay Grendel’s mother is work of her ancestral giants, who were godly until they fell from grace. “From (Cain) sprang all bad breeds, trolls and elves and monsters – likewise the giants who for a long time strove with God” (Norton, 28). Therefore, the sword was god-forged and godly. Here the hero is using “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” to prevail (The Book of Ephesians 6.17, Bible).
In his battle with the dragon (which may represent Satan) Beowulf is martyred, losing his life in the of the killing the dragon.
Although Beowulf has themes of both Christianity and Paganism within the tale, Beowulf has a Christian faith that he often relies upon during his moments of combat. This juxtaposition of Christian faith within Beowulf and the ancestry and demonic characteristics between Grendel and his mother seem to be an intrinsic part of the fight that Beowulf has with each of them. Before the fight with Grendel it is said that Beowulf will win because "Almighty God rules over mankind and always has" suggesting that although Beowulf has the "strength of thirty" it is God rather than Beowulf's strength that will earn a victory over Grendel (46, 40). After Beowulf defeats Grendel's mother it is again attributed to divine strength. When Beowulf is knocked down and was about to be killed by the maternal avenger it is believed that "holy God decided the victory. It was easy for the Lord, the Ruler of Heaven, to redress the balance once Beowulf got back up on his feet" (66). The idea...
the Canadian justice system(Brizinski,1993,395) it has over and over again been stated that the present justice system has and is failing Aboriginal people. It is not suited for their cultural needs and does nothing to rehabilitate offenders but rather does the offender more harm then good. It does not address the underlying conditions causing criminal behavior or in assessing what specific needs must be addressed to rehabilitate.
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
...ash between good and evil. Beowulf is a representation of a Godly figure, possibly Christ, whereas his enemies represent figures of darkness, possibly Satan. Due to his battle with Grendel, Beowulf realises the true abilities of Gods power and develops into a more Saint like character who is more concerned with giving help rather than Gaining fame. He seeks Gods guidance, but looks to pagan ideals when he deems so. Although he never completely takes complete advantage of Gods power, he does earn the fame and glory that he fought bravely for.
Pagan concepts are intertwined in this work, as is the nature of the time period. Fame was very important. Receiving status allowed one to prosper in this time and receive the best out of their life. Beowulf is enthralled with the idea of fame as he fights Grendel, but it is balanced out and reconciled with Christianity by his desire to protect his people. Vengeance was brought out when Beowulf tells Hrothgar to not grieve and that “It is always better to avenge dear ones than to indulge in mourning” (72 Simpson & David). Honor is disregarded when Beowulf’s men leave him to fight with the dragon. Wilgaf shames them and it can be inferred that they will be disregarded as warriors and nobles for their behavior. Protecting one’s master was essential during that time to receive food and shelter, in addition to having the Gods’ favor (Lawson). Christianity makes an appearance when it references the antagonist, Grendel, “a fiend out of hell” (43 Simpson & David) and the protagonist, Beowulf, whom the “Holy God, in His goodness, guided…to the West-Danes, to defend [Hrothgar and his subjects] from Grendel” (49 Simpson & David). Christianity was a prominent influence for authors of the Anglo-Saxon time period. The Christians had faith in God’s ability to determine their fate. If they lost a contest then God has decided they are not worthy of winning. Every day they will try to prove they are holy enough to have God’s grace and be saved from eternal damnation. The literature written was a reminder to the people to always do what is right and to avoid sinning. Because the only people who could write were priests, religion was added into stories when they were written and when previous works were transcribed. The presence of the church was ever present to ensure the obedience of the people. If all they were exposed to was religion that
Residential schools, systemic-racism, and the repression of Aboriginal heritage and tradition have resulted in a deeply engrained distrust among aboriginals towards the government. Over the last few decades the Canadian government has tried through a variety of initiatives and policies to reconcile with Aboriginal communities. Court victories and greater constitutional recognition of Aboriginal peoples suggest that the Canadian government has recognized their past mistreatment of Aboriginals and have taken steps towards reconciliation. Even with a federal policy geared towards the recognition of past wrong-doings, Aboriginal court victori...
Beowulf blends patristic references into a pagan narrative that previously focused only on Anglo-Saxon ideals. For 12 years, king Hrothgar has suffered at the hands of the terrible monster Grendel, who no man has been able to kill. However, when the mighty monster slayer Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s plight, he at once goes forward to put an end to Grendel. Soon after they received fervent greetings on the Danish coast, the men prepare for the night, and Beowulf realizes that “God in His wisdom must allot the victory as He thinks fit” (43). Beowulf knows that he serves God, the resolver of all problems. The monks who altered the story taught that the pagan god Wyrd does not exist but merely acts as a capability of God. By getting rid of the main pagan god, the monks show God’s almighty power and his ability to control good and evil and decide right from wrong. All evil beings exist because they battled against God and lost; and for rebel...
BEOWULF AS A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE The epic poem, Beowulf, recounts the tale of a man named Beowulf who sacrifices his own safety to save the Danes from two evil dragons. Then, years later, Beowulf risks his life yet again to save his own people from a dragon. Throughout the story, Beowulf is presented as a Christ-like figure. This is manifested in the events that take place, the way that Beowulf speaks about himself, and the way the people treat him. The first way Beowulf's likeness to Christ is revealed, is through the events that take place. After Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he will fight Grendel, there is a celebration. During the celebration, Welthow, the queen "raised a flowing cup" (615) and poured "a portion from the jeweled cup/ For each" (621-622). When she got to Beowulf, she "thanked God for answering her prayers" (625). This event is strikingly similar to the Last Supper when Jesus passed around a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. Then, the crucifixion is portrayed when Beowulf fights Grendel's mother. During the stuggle, other monsters come to watch and beat at "His mail shirt, stabbing with tusks and teeth/ As they followed along" (1510-1511). Similarly, when Jesus was crucified, crowds drew near laughing at him, hurling insults, and spitting on him. Finally, Beowulf is said to have "Gone to a glorious death" (3037) and his soul "Left his flesh, flew to glory" (2820). This is similar to the resurrection of Jesus. All of these events clearly parallel the events of Jesus' day. What Beowulf says also shows his similarity to Christ. Beowulf says "I already knew that all/ My purpose was this: to win the good will/ Of your people" (633-635). Jesus also knew that it was his mission to come down to earth to save his people from their sins. Later, Beowulf says: . . . No one else could do What I mean to, here, no man but me Could hope to defeat this monster. No one Could try . . . (2532-2535) Likewise, Jesus was the only man who could do his job. Thus, no man could defeat evil without the help of God. Many of Beowulf's statements are true to what Jesus said and felt. One other way Beowulf is linked to Christ is through the way the people act towards him and speak of him.
For the past 500 years the native inhabitants of this land have lived a legacy amongst and became subordinates to the European colonialists. They have had to adhere to stipulations that did not translate into their way of understanding and life ethos, and were misinterpreted. “The misunderstanding of my ancestors at treaty was linguistic and conceptual. We did not understand your language or your concepts of property” (Johnson 2007:41). The legacy consists of poverty, powerlessness, and the breakdown of social cohesion that plague so many Aboriginal families and communities. These conditions did not come about by chance or failure to modernize. They were created by past policies that systematically dispossessed Aboriginal people of their lands and economic resources, their cultures and languages, and the social and political institutions through which they took care of their own (Brant-Castellano 2001:5). Due to colonial and imperial impositions the majority of Canada’s Indigenous population is amongst the most highly excluded, poverty stricken, oppressed, and disadvantaged groups. Within the past half century, Aboriginal peoples have been relentless and determined in their struggle to attain self-determination, maintain their treaty rights and dispute rightful control of land possession matters. By means of mobilization and resistance movements they have contested and are challenging the policies that originated with colonialism and continue with government policies of the present day. The following essay will begin with a timeline of significant dates in the history of colonial and present day policy and law making that governing powers have applied and imposed on First Nation populations. A portion of the paper will cover a h...
The first opponent Beowulf must face in the land of the Danes is Grendel, textually described as “a fiend out of hell … [a] grim demon / haunting the marches, / marauding round the heath / and the desolate fens” (Beowulf, line 100 – 104). The author also provides us with a moral description, explaining how Grendel is “merciless … malignant by nature, he never showed remorse” (line 135-137). As we can see here, the author’s physical and moral portrayal of Grendel is rather unforgiving. We also resent Grendel further once we learn that he has wreaked havoc upon the Heorot hall for twelve years, “inflicting constant cruelties on the people / atrocious hurt” (line 165).
• "Cleopatra." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 15 Oct. 2013.
Beowulf’s life was truly epic struggle. The monsters he battled made it so. Grendel and the dragon, capable of crushing men physically, stood for evils that could just as easily crush men in spirit. These two beasts represented society’s greatest fears, as well as detriments, and Beowulf fearlessly took them on. Grendel taught the hero a valuable lesson about maintaining one’s humanity in a world dominated by the dogs of war. The dragon, showed Beowulf’s mortality, his imperfection, but the hero eradicates it nonetheless, saving his people from not only physical threat, but sin. Bringing in such spiritual and moral dimensions, these two beasts certainly give the story of Beowulf depth.
Anglo-Saxons, was known as the Dark Ages, In the Anglo- Saxon society there people cherished family and values. The Anglo-Saxon aspiration was to have power and honor the actions of a hero. Although there society got introduced to Christianity this did not stop their, beliefs they had about a historic hero and their epic values. The Anglo-Saxons was a blend of Christian like traditions and Paganism. In Beowulf the story consist of both views of both Christianity and Paganism all throughout, the poet shows us how he uses his Christian beliefs to make an allusion of the bible by referring to Grendel as a “ monster born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God”(21) the poet uses Christianity to describe Grendel as the devil in biblical terms.
Section 718.2 (e) of the Criminal Code tries to fight systematic oppression with selective inequality, this section of the criminal code is alarming as it gives us a false sense of equality, liberty and neutrality. This section completely undermines the reality of the Canadian criminal justice system, as although Aboriginals have faced huge injustices, the story of Mr. Ladue or Mr. Ipeelee is not unique to Aboriginals. These circumstances are similar to those of other marginalized groups in society, specifically the working class poor where drug addiction and other vices are rampant. While Section 718.2 (e), alleviates certain injustices in society it does not address the main issues which is inequality itself. What the legal system should be doing is preventing marginalized groups from ending up in such circumstances rather than alleviating injustices which where created by the criminal justice system itself.
Beowulf’s first accomplishment as an epic hero was his battle with Grendel. Grendel was a huge beast, a descendent of Cain, who ruthlessly murdered innocent Danes because he felt pity for himself. Upon hearing of the Dane’s problem, Beowulf set off to help the Danish without having been called upon. Even though Beowulf had men backing him, He drew battle with Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. Yet, Beowulf emerged victorious with the arm of Grendel as his trophy. Beowulf then went on to kill Grendel’s vengeful mother and a huge fire-breathing dragon who thought it had been done wrong by the Geats. Alas, the killing of the dragon would be Beowulf’s last great battle for the dragon took Beowulf’s life in the struggle for his own.