Preview

Christian Influences In Beowulf

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
841 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Christian Influences In Beowulf
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 poem, there are numerous references to Christianity, mostly referring to God, or the Almighty. These references begin right from the beginning of the …show more content…
This is first seen when Grendel dares not to touch Hrothgar's throne because of its protection by God. This is also seen when Beowulf is speaking about fighting Grendel. He is not afraid of the beast because he says that God must decide who will die in this fight. This shows how Beowulf has faith in God because he knows God will protect him, or if he dies it will be with honor. This is also seen when Hrothgar is speaking about what Grendel has done to his people. "Surely, the Lord Almighty could stop his madness, smother his lust!"(212-213). This portrays how Hrothgar has faith in God's protection because if nobody can defeat Grendel, God will protect Hrothgar. This undoubtedly shows the Christian influence in this poem. Drawing parallels between Grendel and Satan also displays Christianity. Grendel is referred to as a demon and a fiend throughout the poem. He is the epitome of evil and is associated with the family of Cain. "Conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's death"(20-23). This is a clear Christian reference straight out of the Bible. Grendel's lair is also similar to hell. The water at his lair burns like a torch at night symbolizing the fires of hell. Grendel's lair is where evil lives and thus is like
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Paganism In Beowulf
    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Paganism In Beowulf

    Another one of Christian beliefs that is defined in Beowulf, is the representative of Paganism. The paganism components talks about in Beowulf, fist talks about Grendel’s portrayal. Grendel is described in these lines: “Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell” (l. 16-18). All the way through the poem the devilish monster Grendel, that has hate towards Herot Hall and the meeting of his men partying. In line for to this he waits on them till after partying are over in the Herot Hall once the men are intoxicated and comes in and murder Hrothgar’s men parting him to live in grief and mourn the death of his men. The funeral Beowulf demanded before he die also…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christian influences of beowulf
    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Christian influences of beowulf

    In the epic Beowulf , the story was translated by two scribes, A and B, into the manuscript…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Religion In Beowulf
    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theme Of Religion In Beowulf

    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.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christian Elements In Beowulf
    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Christian Elements In Beowulf

    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…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Heroism In Beowulf
    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Heroism In Beowulf

    Another significant factor in how Beowulf is a Christian poem is that Beowulf is a Christ-like figure. An example of that would be how everyone looks at him; “Bold and strong minded, had driven affliction off, purged Herot clean. He was happy, now with that night’s fierce work; the Danes had been served as he’d boasted he’d serve them; Beowulf, a prince of the Geats, had killed Grendel” (400-404). Beowulf is set at such high expectations, since he sacrificed his life to protect his people just like Christ did when he died on the…

    • 633 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf: An Epic Hero's Journey
    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf: An Epic Hero's Journey

    As Christianity spread through the culture of the Anglo-Saxons, the monks wrote down the religion’s ideas into the epic. The fact that the monks incorporated Christianity into the Pagan epic shows how the religion slowly started to spread among the culture during that time period. As the decline of the Paganism started and the rise of Christianity began, it was important to include the ideas of the newly found religion into the literature to please those who have converted. The monks were successful in adding the Christianity aspects into the Pagan-told story and the ideals are still noticed and sought out…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Religion Essay
    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf Religion Essay

    In this epic heroic poetry, Beowulf (8th- early 11th century) the author which remains a mystery suggests that Christianity will overpower or transition the early medieval Scandinavia which is pagan into Christianity due to the fact that Beowulf being the people’s hero and main hope references God more than once which shows the introduction of Christianity context. The author specifically references the Christian story of Cain and Abel which shows the slow but growing introduction of Christianity to the pagan early medieval Scandinavia. The author purposely ties/connects the main hero, Beowulf, with early references of Christianity in order to show that although Beowulf is the narrator and is not pagan, his trust in god allowed him to protect…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Religion In Beowulf
    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Religion In Beowulf

    Culture defines a person’s belief, characteristics, certain practices, values, way of thinking, and acting about a certain position. Each individual is represented by their own culture, and how it is supposed to be done in a certain way. In the epic, Beowulf, and the movie Beowulf and Grendel, Beowulf shows two different perspectives and feelings towards religion. Not only this, but extra characters are added to the movie that were not a part of the poem, and causes a character conflict. During the epic and in the movie, religion is treated very seriously during the time of Beowulf because of the different cultures in the scenes and how each character is not like the other. The cultural values, within both…

    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christianity & Paganism in Beowulf
    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Christianity & Paganism in Beowulf

    Even though many Pagan influences appear in the poem, Christian influences override them. An example would be when Beowulf saved the Danes from Grendel. He also expressed a fair attitude towards battles when he refused to use a weapon. The idea of loyalty, a hero, and a giver are all signs of Christianity. Beowulf could be seen as Christ when trying to help the people as Grendel could be compared to Satan who tries to destroy happiness and well-doing.…

    • 484 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christianity In Beowulf
    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Christianity In Beowulf

    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,…

    • 952 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Role Of Christian Propaganda In Beowulf
    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Role Of Christian Propaganda In Beowulf

    If “Beowulf” was set in pagan times in a pagan area, then why does it seem like a Christian poem? The history of the “Beowulf” manuscript is quite interesting, and once we have researched the past a bit, we can see how and why the poem was altered from its original state. We know that “Beowulf” was originally a pagan poem due to the time frame and location in which it was written (Chickering). The numerous mentions of “God” and biblical allusions allow the reader to see how an originally pagan poem was transformed into the “Beowulf” that we know today. “Beowulf” is a work of Christian propaganda, scribed by monks in an attempt to blend paganism with Christianity in order to Christianize early 1000’s England.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    What Is Paganism In Beowulf
    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages

    What Is Paganism In Beowulf

    The poem shows the idea of believing in one God, which have brought a Christian perspective in the text. The characters always refer to one god as the savior of mankind. They would always have the pious custom of giving thanks to God for every battle against evil. The epic represents the belief in reward of afterlife. The idea of Christianity in the poem is that man who affords grace and guidance are worthy of God. All gifts of such strong power are believed only to be obtained from the Lord Almighty. “Afterward a boy-child was born to Shield, /a cub in the yard, a comfort sent/ by God to that nation” (Beowulf 12-14). God became the reason for the birth of Beowulf, to imply control of the superior power of Christian divinity. In this case, God is the known giver of life, to whoever follows his ways and the all earthly gifts flow from God only. Beowulf is presented as a hero who uses his powers for righteousness to please God. In the text, Beowulf was presented as a gift sent to Shield who will later become a hero to save people from monsters. He makes his minstrel sing in Heorot of the Creation of the earth and the lights of Heaven (Tolkien). Heorot hall, which is synonymous with the Garden of Eden, where men lived in perfect peace and harmony with the God of Heaven, the giver of life and all good things, is where the plot begins. The old king recognizes the visitations by Grendel as allowed by God because of prowess in his power and wealth…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Paganism In Beowulf
    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Paganism In Beowulf

    Beowulf is one of the earliest works in the English language, which was derived from the Germanic language of the Anglo-Saxons. Beowulf is a combination of both Pagan and Christian ideologies, Paganism being the most dominate. This is shown by characters, the factors around them and their actions like Beowulf, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. Paganism a religion followed by people of the Anglo-Saxon culture. Paganism believes in wyrd, meaning fate, also concerned with ethics and mysticism.…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Christianity vs. Paganism
    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Beowulf Christianity vs. Paganism

    In Beowulf christianity reveals itself, in which the reader emotions may feel sympathy from the ideas in relates to the bible. The characters in Beowulf take on different roles that are similar to the characters in the bible. The setting also includes christian elements for example, Herot Hall that Hrothgar built in honor of his fame, were celebrations were held with his men. In Beowulf lines 14- 15 describes celebration and peace in Herot Hall: “As now warriors sang of their pleasure: So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.” Even though Herot hall is the place were the celebration occurred; however, Grendel’s hatred for Herot’s celebration causes him swooped in while Hrothgar’s men were drunk and killed them all. Another Christianity Element discussed in the Beowulf is Beowulf heroism, how he uses God through all of his battles. Before the battle against Grendel, Beowulf says in lines 174-175: “God must decide/Who will be given to death’s cold grip.” In this quote Beowulf is basically saying that God will decide who will win between him and Grendel in battle because he requested to fight with his hands alone. Upon Beowulf’s death from his last battle with the dragon, he thank God from the heavens above for allowing his…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christina and Pagan Elements in Beowulf
    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Christina and Pagan Elements in Beowulf

    God is given many names in this epic poem. Here are a few: God (line 13), Lord of Glory (line 17), the Almighty (line 91), the Judge Eternal (line 107), their Maker (line 178), the righteous Judge and Ruler on High (line 179), the Weilder of Glory (line 180), the Warden of Heaven (line 181), The Lord (line 185) and The Father (line 186). All of these names give me the conclusion that these people loved the Lord our God and that they praised and glorified him.…

    • 443 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics