In the epic novel Beowulf, the Christian monk who narrates the story has bias because the characters in the story are not Christian. The monk slips in his own religious beliefs throughout the novel. He also gives his opinion in certain passages about the how pointless he believes war is. The story originally had Pagan Saxon roots, but by the time that it was written down, almost all Anglo-Saxons had converted to Christianity. The Christian monk is motivated to put forth his own beliefs through the characters in Beowulf¸ Beowulf, Grendel, Hrothgar, and Wiglaf.…
“Beowulf” is an epic poem that was recorded around the time when the Anglo-Saxons were adapting to Christianity and their Pagan beliefs were slowly decreasing. Before Christianity spread, the story “Beowulf” was passed on from one generation to the next orally. However, when Christianity did spread, it is believed that “Beowulf” was written by a monk. The main character, Beowulf, engages in three epic battles all of which he comes out victorious and are able to highlight his God-like characteristics. The three devilish monstrosities he engages in battle are Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Therefore, the story “Beowulf” contains significant amounts of allusion to the Old Testament and the New Testament because of the contrasting characteristics of Beowulf, Grendel,…
The story of Beowulf is a well known epic poem and a significant piece of literature. Many people still read and enjoy it today. Beowulf offers readers the opportunity to explore beliefs and customs of the past. Not only is the story entertaining, it is also educational. There are several different lessons one can learn from Beowulf. Religion is one of the main themes of the story. Individuals studying the religious aspects of the tale will see two main beliefs: paganism and Christianity. These two beliefs contain similarities and many differences. Readers will be intrigued to see Christian influences throughout the English tale, which was written during a time deep in pagan tradition. There are a plethora of lessons to learn from the story,…
Beowulf was originally written as a pagan oral tradition before the Christian monks infused their religion into it. The epic hero showed his faith to God as he battled the monsters and depicted the world of Christianity. However, the ideas in the poem are presented in both Christian God and pagan power which exemplifies Wyrd. Christianity and paganism are at opposite ends of the religious spectrum and each represent different beliefs and customs. Christians believe and follow the teachings of Christ and depend on the Bible for Spiritual guidance, but paganism is based on the belief and worshiping of other gods through sacrifices. Interspersed in each line is both elements, from the prologue to its end, each element tells its own story.…
Beowulf is the stepping stone for the creation of many stories of good vs. evil, ending with the hero receiving unending praise and adoration. With that many of the people who read of the epic poem now relate to it on many levels, my belief is that the Christian elements throughout this poem make it more intriguing to the modern day peruser. The author of the poem is unknown but based on the style of wording used and the Paganistic elements it is believed to have originally been scribed by Christian monks. Beowulf is a 'story' that has been passed down for generations being used as entertainment by the Anglo-Saxons in 10th century England. The biblical jewels hidden throughout this story not only help a reader to relate to the author’s work…
Beowulf is a historical and elegiac Anglo-Saxon poem. Religion is an irritable subject and one of the main topics. The heroic character Beowulf is a depiction of superior and God. Grendel is the delineation of the Pagan beliefs as well as the corrupt in the world. This poem is composed of internal and external complications between the Pagan’s and the Christian’s beliefs. Even though Paganism is meticulously extended throughout the text, there are several references about Christianity. Keywords and phrases such as “fate”, “hoping for hell’s support, and many more help the reader understand the different religions that are visible in this poem. The anonymous author of Beowulf thrived with the legendary poem by embracing Paganism, Christianity, and the conflicts of both religions.…
Beowulf was written in the time when the society was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. In this epic poem, these two religions come through the actions of its characters. The acceptance of feuds and the courage of war are just a few examples of the Pagan tradition, while the Christian mortalities refrain from the two.…
In Thomas D. Hill essay, “The Christian Language and Theme of Beowulf” he expressed his thoughts on whether certain lines in Beowulf pertain to a paganism or Christianity outlook. This is an important factor of the poem because many authors believe that the poet used both “paganism and Christianity” values to establish the religion morals of Beowulf. Though the author believes that this poem has been written before in many different translations, he believes that it is more has more of a Christian concept. I believe that many of the ideas coincide with both religious aspects.…
The Christianity of Beowulf is explored by Bloom in the introduction to Tolkien’s Monsters and Critics. He quotes Donaldson, “While Christian is a correct term for the religion of the poet and of his audience, it was a Christianity that [had not] succeeded in obliterating an older [paganism],” and responds, “Donaldson describes what I have read: a heroic poem,…
During the period when Beowulf was written, Europe was undergoing a remarkable transformation into Christianity. Christian morals rapidly over-swept the reigning Anglo-Saxon principles and caused a dramatic change in the way people thought. Germanic values, such as kinship, respect, and loyalty to one’s king, were converted to avoidance of sins such as greed, gluttony, envy, lust, wrath, sloth, and especially pride. As a result, the earliest translations of Beowulf were written by Christian scholars. Beowulf scholar, John D Niles, states, “Like any interpretive work, a translation is the result of hermeneutic process…Readers are advised to take it as an imaginative reconstruction that builds and rebuilds a web of interwoven observations” (Niles 859). Niles makes this statement knowing that even the earliest of translations were produced with a Christian bias, and as time moves on, the translation becomes more distorted. Accordingly, when readers began to criticize Beowulf for his lack of Christian morality, they failed to realize that the unknown author’s intent probably was not to appeal to the Christians. Instead, one could infer that the author wrote this historic epic to glorify the morals and traditions of a fading Anglo-Saxon culture, embodying them through one figure: Beowulf.…
In the story of Beowulf, there is a noticeable struggle between Christianity and Paganism, and the characters personal battle between the two. Throughout the story the characters display actions that lead towards Paganism and Christianity. Contrary to Pagan belief Beowulf is seen as the epitome of good and beneficent to all of mankind. In Beowulf, the people showed their faith and love in God, however due to horrific events, paranoia caused them to look for a quick fix and turns them to Paganism.…
Religion plays an important part in the story of Beowulf. Throughout the story you can find many Christian elements. The first element is, that man survives only through the protection of God. Second element is that all earthly gifts flow from God. The last element is that the proper bearing of man is to be humble and unselfish.…
The attempt at bridging Pagan tradition with Christianity is clear and powerful. Fate and personal fame and glory are important doctrine in Paganism, and the author of Beowulf is able to mend these characteristics with the Will of God and the ultimate power and glory of God, all major aspects of Christianity.…
The epic poem Beowulf is a tale of a warrior, named Beowulf, and the events that lead to his death. One of the main concerns of the epic poem was whether or not it is of pagan or Christian origin, or whether it has pagan or Christian influences. Even though the poem appeared to be originally a pagan story, there are many clues in the text that point to Christian influence and tradition. Beowulf is essentially a Christian story with Christian customs: that man's survival depends on the protection of God, that earthly gifts come from God, and also that Beowulf is a Christ-figure.…
Throughout the epic "Beowulf" the clash between monotheism and polytheism is evident due to the wide religious belief spectrum it envelops. Allusions to Christianity and Paganism show up constantly throughout its text and create a dissonance in values and symbolism through the duration of the poem.…