Pagan Religion In Beowulf

These are two separate entities that serve different functions throughout the epic. A true Christian tale would not include any other “God” or all-powerful being rather than the one true God of the Christian teachings. The story also mentions that Hrothgar and his people make sacrifices to idols in an attempt to overcome the monster Grendel. “And so it came to pas... ... middle of paper ... ... wealth. In conclusion, the epic tale of Beowulf is a pagan tale with a pagan hero.

The two major societies presented in Beowulf are the Danes and Geats and they are supposed to completely represent Christianity and just that, however; paganism was seeped into the epic poem purposely by the author. As they have to suffer under Grendel’s constant attacks, the Danes “turn to their heathen gods for help” and “at pagan shrines they vowed offerings to idols, swore oaths that the killer of souls might come to their aid” which are all things that Pagans would do (175-177). Because the author has Christian rulers but has them doing what Pagans would do in this same situation his goal in presented. This is exactly what Pagans do, they worship Gods and ask them for materialistic things such as winning wars and battles.

Beowulf is the first great English literature. Beowulf was written around A.D. 700 by an anonymous Christian monk. One of the essential concerns of this epic poem is whether or not it is of pagan or Christian origin, or whether it has pagan or Christian influences. The unknown author was undoubtedly a Christian, but also knows just as much about paganism. Paganism and Christianity clash and merge in this poem.

The characters openly speak to and appeal to non-Christian gods and they doubt divine justice, suggesting that, 'They kill us for their sport.' This therefore creates a pagan setting for the play. However, there are definite Christian ideas running throughout the play which manifest themselves mainly in Edgar and Lear. Therefore, there is an inclination to agree with J C Maxwell, as despite the setting of the King Lear being Christian, its morals and concepts of atonement and redemption, lean towards Christian theology.

Silencing the enemy is a very fitting title for this book. It is fitting because the author, Robert Gay, explains how God suppresses the devices of the adversary through the praise and worship of His people. Although the term “spiritual warfare” is not found in scripture, Paul expounds on the concept throughout the New Testament. He encourages the saints to “Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. This scripture informs us that we are in a battle, a battle that has been raging since the beginning of time.

Sophia produces Yahweh, who then creates matter and in turn creates humanity through Adam. This world, however is extremely corrupt due to the nature of Yahweh, a lesser god that has emanated from the First Principle, and due to its creation through matter, a substance that is considered the antithesis to the spirit. Because this world and humanity are so corrupt, The First Principle sends Jesus as the Divine Spark to save humanity from their own evil. The Gnostics were also very anti-traditional towards the Church as an institution. “Those other Christians stressed personal spiritual development – usually by means of visions – as more important than, or even as a replacement for, apostolic tradition” (Cahana 53-54).

The complex pagan religious system of the Romans mirrored that of the Greeks, but what Ovid sought to create was a solid (nearly Bible-like) account of the formation of the world and the source of the multifarious gods. Essentially, Ovid is seeking to rationalize and dogmatize the dozens of deities. Ovid believed that the relationship between the gods and man was reciprocal; they depended on each other for existence: Many are loud in favour of Jove's speech / And spur his anger; many give quiet assent; / But all deplore the loss of humankind, / And ask what would the future be like / Bereft of mortals? Who would cense their shrines? / Can Jove intend to abandon earth's domain / To the brute beasts to ravage and despoil?

In many instances, however, the poem's pagan basis shines through. Among these idiosyncracies it is important to note funeral rites and the pagan practices that surround them. When missionaries first introduced the Christian ideology to the Anglo-Saxons, they left the people with a clear choice; Pagan deities could not coexist with the Christian God. Therefore, they must abandon these ancient icons in order to hold a more monotheistic view. Unfortunately, most of their culture is built around upholding a heroic code instead of a single deity.

Predestination causes great debates among Christian scholars. Calvin bought the idea that all human beings are elected by God to be placed in heaven or hell. Those who believe predestination state that God’s offer of salvation is not up for man’s free will (“Predestination”). It is not humans’ choice to decide salvation because they are faulty in nature and have fleshly desires. God has a perfect plan to get those that deserve Heaven into Heaven.

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