In the epic poem, Beowulf, there is evidence of Christian and pagan ideas. The idea of fate is discussed often throughout, and the people of that time are described as leaving what happens with the fight between good and evil forces up to the idea of fate. For fear that there is nothing that can be done to change the course of what happens, everything is predestined. However, the poem also has Christian elements as well, and the people of that time often speak of God in relation to the help he gives them as well as his judgement. There has been some discussion as to whether this work can be labeled as a Christian work, or if the Christian elements were put in as an afterthought. While this seems to be a popular belief, when the time period …show more content…
If both the good and the evil forces are equal, then how does one win? The text provides an answer by saying, “Like a man outlawed for wickedness, he must await the mighty judgement of God in majesty” (Greenblatt 976-980). They might be equally matched, however, nothing can compare to the, “mighty judgement of God in majesty”, and Beowulf has God’s favor on his side. Which according to the bible in the book of Psalms it says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (James Psalms 46:1). This further suggests that Beowulf is a Christian work, as the hero in the story is winning his battles based on the strength that he gains from God. However, even though it seems as if Beowulf has God on his side it seems there is a notion of the belief of fate involved too, it says, “At the wall ’twill befall us as Fate decreeth,” (Greenblatt 64). It seems that even though Beowulf is acknowledging God’s part in his victory, it is still up to fate, a very pagan idea, to decide what will …show more content…
The questions that arise because of the togetherness of Christian and Pagan ideas are simply a reflection of the time it was written. A time where a society struggled with the change in a belief system. Where they wanted to believe in their ‘heroic code’ and the idea of fate, but also wanted to believe that they had God fighting on their side, and that good would prevail. Grendel and Beowulf exemplify the struggle between good and evil forces seamlessly. Grendel fits every description of an evil force, and Beowulf is the epitome of what was considered good. The question still remains as to if this poem is a Christian or pagan work. The important thing to realize is that it very well can fit both, or can be viewed as a Christian work alone; as fate seemingly stands as an alternative for
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.
In the epic of Beowulf, Herot is plagued by the monster Grendel. A hero, Beowulf is summoned to defeat the beast. Beowulf is a Christian and Pagan based poem that includes several examples of each element. There are several biblical illusions in the text that give insight into the use of Christianity but just the same, there are several references to the Devil and Hell and Cain. Therefore the poem must be both Christian and Pagan because it represents both.
Beowulf, an epic poem, written by unknown and translated by Seamus Heaney, is an artifact of the Anglo-Saxon era because it is a piece of literature that was documented once. During the time it was written, writing was not common. The poem reveals a lot of the Anglo-Saxon practices and beliefs, but it also is compared to Christianity because was written down by a christian monk.
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.
Beowulf was written around 700 A.D. by an unknown author. While it is a part of English Literature, it does not take place in England. Instead, it tells the reader events that happened in Sweden and on the Danish island of Zealand. The pagan and Christian references suggest that the poem is most likely written about the time that the Anglo-Saxon society was converting from paganism to Christianity. Monasteries provided a place for learning and they also saved some of the manuscripts, such as the story Beowulf. Christianity does eventually replace pagan religion as far as Anglo-Saxons are concerned. Although the unknown author of Beowulf develops the main protagonist to represent both paganism and Christianity, the ideals conflict create a unique epic poem.
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.
For years, religion has played a role in the lives of many, after all, there are hundreds of religions being practiced around the world. From the celebrations of special birthdays by the Jewish or Hispanic cultures or the celebration of holidays by Christians and many other religions. There is a great amount of differences when it comes to religion, whether it be beliefs or religious traditions, but contemporary society has become more aware the impact that religion can have on numerous different things. Additionally, religion has been a vast role when it comes to literature. In countless stories, readers will find the topic of religion being influential aspect. For example, in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales there were influences from the
The story "Beowulf" is thought to have been written by Christian monks. But the story could be either a Christian story, or a Pagan story. Scholars have argued that the author of "Beowulf" relates the story to Christianity in some ways. He talks about Cain, and the flood. The only people during this time that can read are Christians. In other ways the author relates it to Paganism. The story has trolls, and idols, and sacrifices to things other than God. Also the story talks about giants fighting wars with God, which is not mentioned in the bible. This story seems to be Christian with bits and pieces of paganism thrown in.
The affixed Christian ideologies are evident in the passage. There are two main sections which demonstrate them. The first passage, lines 93-98, is an auxiliary in the narrative but it nevertheless demonstrates a belief in “the Almighty.” However, there is a slight discrepancy between the creation story presented in Beowulf and the original Genesis one. “He set the sun and the moon to be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men” (11.94-95) implies that men existed before the sun and the moon which contradicts the Genesis story in which the sun was created first. This would suggest that the scribe has merely used the original ideologies in the poem and placed God in their midst.
Beowulf has been estimated to have been written over twelve hundred years ago. According to The Norton Anthology Of English Literature, “It is now widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects a well-established Christian tradition,” (37). This conclusion was likely drawn by accounting for the time at which Beowulf was written and factoring in most people in the area of where it was believed to be written had already been converted to Christianity. In a way, this provides the best explanation for why Beowulf contains a high level of Christian influences for the story to have taken place when it did. Dr. J. Michael Stitt of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas says that, “Much of this epic poem is dedicated to conveying and exemplifying the heroic code which values such attributes as strength, courage and honor. Conflicting with this ideology are other factors such as Christianity, and these tensions affect the lives and decisions of the narrative's characters.” If the one of the main focuses in Beowulf is the heroic code and the heroic code convicts with the authors beliefs than why did he write it? This is not to say that authors do not write about things that they ...
Beowulf has multiple references to God and how God chooses what happens in his life. For example on the very first page of the story (Beowulf, 27) we see that God saw the need for a king so he sent a king to the Danes. This shows us that God is able to see his people and in a fair and just way he sends them a much needed king. Later on, we see how God punishes those who go against his will. On page 29 we read that Grendel is from Cain.
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.