In Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, Book II, Bede utilizes a combination of theology and history to narrate the events beginning with the death of Pope Gregory in 605 and ending with the death of King Edwin in 633. The most prominent events recorded by Bede usually involve the succession of bishops, or are centered on significant religious figures or events in the time period discussed. However other events such as kingship and lineage tracing are also prominent in the piece. Due to being a monk himself, Bede is primarily focused on religious issues and often records events with a bias favoring the Christian perspective. Bede scolds non-Christians (as is the case with Eadbald) and incorporates religious, non-provable statements as a means of furthering his Christian agenda (he states that Eadbald was possessed by demons and accuses his failures are the results of “Devine punishment”). This is a common theme throughout the piece. Furthermore, Bede’s style of writing varies depending on the topic and chapter. Some chapters, like the first one, are long and centered on religion, while others, like Chapter III are shorter and more factually based, incorporating dates, political leaders, and even geography. This shows how he prioritizes …show more content…
The reader can deduce that whenever there is a conflict that Bede himself cannot understand, he might pass it off as a work of God. Overall, Bede aims to highlight the Christian aspects and historical narrative of English history. Bede always paints the Christian viewpoint as the right and just way that the events happened, and demonizes the pagan and non-Christian perspective. Bede’s writing style is always biased toward the Christian perspective because he aims to show people the example of how the are to behave in society and also because he would have believed it to be true. Bede being a monk is the contributing factor to his perspective in his
highlights the importance of the sacraments and the clergy, can be seen as a response on
Within the reading of this book, one has to realize that most of the literature has very religious overtones that run rife throughout the most works of this time. Howarth makes a great attempt to not let this influence the way he brings forth the history of the time. Making sure he does not let this affect his judgment, he does a great job of citing lots of sources and scrutinizing all of these along the way. He makes sure his facts are as accurate as possible as well as...
Christianity had recently took hold in England at the time of the writing of Beowulf. Many people believe that Beowulf is a Christian story, when in fact it is not. Instead, the poem reflects a society that has a deep pagan background and has brought with it stories from its pagan past. Beowulf is a Germanic tale that was likely first composed in the first half of the eighth century, but it was not until the late tenth century that it was committed to parchment. At the time of its writing, the Germanic tribes were clearly pagan, as seen by such evidence in the text as Beowulf’s cremation at the end of the epic and the direct reference to swearing oaths at “pagan shrines” (line 175). As Christianity’s teachings and values began to take root in these pagan societies over the decades and eventual centuries, the stories of the Bible began to be worked into the tale as it was told, retold, and retold even again. When it came time to be written—probably by a Christian monk (or monks) whose beliefs, it is fair to say, flavored the work—the bards and storytellers had crafted an epic with the Christian permutations already in it. However, that is not to say that the writer was ignorant when it came to what message he desired to relate to the reader.
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
In conclusion, though I have shown support for the religion theory most of all in this paper, I do believe that it was not one aspect that set this craze off. Many different theories overlapped to form this tragic and lengthy period of England’s history. Obviously, from the notes we’ve taken in this class, we realize that religion did and always will play a major role in England, or any other country for that matter. Perhaps from this spectacle of unnecessary death, we can learn that any institution, given too much power can, even unwillingly, prove dangerous.
In the 8th century, Europe lacked the cohesion that it once possessed during the time of Roman Empire. Barbarian Kings had taken control of different regions of Europe, including England. Due to this the former Western Roman Empire no longer had the singular identity that it once held. While England may have no longer held a Roman identity, England did continue to hold a Christian identity, which eventually became an identity connected to the Roman Church. While the Christianization of England can be attributed to many connections, and people, I would argue that the mission of Gregory, and the Synod of Whitby were pivotal points in the development of a distinct Roman Christian Identity in England and that this identity helped to change the
Religion in the Middle Ages takes on a character all of its own as it is lived out differently in the lives of medieval men and women spanning from ordinary laity to vehement devotees. Though it is difficult to identify what the average faith consists of in the Middle Ages, the life told of a radical devotee in The Book of Margery Kempe provides insight to the highly intense version of medieval paths of approaching Christ. Another medieval religious text, The Cloud of Unknowing, provides a record of approaching the same Christ. I will explore the consistencies and inconsistencies of both ways to approach Christ and religious fulfillment during the Middle Ages combined with the motivations to do so on the basis of both texts.
In the play Henry V written by Shakespeare. Henry was presented as the ideal Christian king. His mercy, wisdom, and other characteristics demonstrated the behavior of a Christian king. Yet at the same time he is shown to be man like any other. The way he behaves in his past is just like an ordinary man. But in Henry’s own mind he describes himself as “the mirror of all Christian kings” and also a “true lover of the holly church.
Seafaring, paganism, and the hero’s code were all imperative traditions of the ancient Anglo Saxon English culture. Bede's fictional work A History of the English Church and People clearly doesn't help in the audiences’ understanding of these traditions although it expresses the general idea of the culture. Ultimately, the epic poem Beowulf reveals and ties these traditions together to make it easier to understand, while enjoying the tale of the epic hero Beowulf. This fictional piece is best suited in understanding the culture of the Ancient Anglo-Saxon English, because overall, the epic poem Beowulf sheds more light on the Ancient Anglo Saxons.
One of the first literary work studied by our class was “Beowulf,” the longest and greatest surviving Anglo-Saxon poem. The poem is packed full of Christian and Pagan elements that are constantly fighting for the dominant position. In order to understand these thematic elements portrayed throughout “Beowulf,” we must first discover
The oldest epic poem of the Anglo-Saxon period is the tale of good and evil. The crusade of heaven and hell, the bloody war that waged between our hero Beowulf and the infamous Grendel and his mother. But there seem to be two sides to this heroic and yet tragic story of these troubled and arrogant souls.
Though the origins of the epic poem Beowulf lie in the Pagan Anglo-Saxon era, by the time it was recorded, most Saxons had converted to Christianity. The story seems to be told partly from a heathen point of view and also partly from a biblical. Beowulf seeks glory, crediting it to God, yet a lot of his works are said to have been fated, and he seems to be trying to earn immortality on the earth, and not in an afterlife or in heaven. To determine the role of religion in the poem, the difference between fate and God’s providence must be examined, and examples of Pagan beliefs and Christian beliefs in the story should be discussed.
In the epic poem Beowulf, the struggle between good and evil reveals its omnipresence in even the oldest of tales. The many allusions and symbols throughout the story relate to Christianity and other Pagan beliefs. By looking at them, it becomes apparent that the author of Beowulf believed that the constant war between good and evil is not only fought by the common man but also in the ranks of their highest esteemed rulers and warriors, and even in their dreaded nightmares where monsters lurk and wait for the death of man. Beowulf was written during the budding of Christianity in England, when it was newly forming. In the story there are obvious references to Christian rituals.
Though there was no driving force like Luther, Zwingli or Calvin during the English Reformation, it succeeded because certain people strived for political power and not exactly for religious freedom. People like Queen Elizabeth I and Henry VIII brought the Reformation in England much success, however their reasons were based on self-gain and desire for political power.
It can be said that there is nothing more permanent than change throughout human history. This notion has prevailed throughout thousands of years as old beliefs and ways of life are replaced by the next logical step in humanity’s attempt to achieve some sensation of sureness or stability in life. Change is at the forefront of much of Old English literature, as the pagan, naturalistic religion of the Anglo-Saxons slowly shifted to Christian ideology. This clash of spiritualistic superiority is clearly illustrated in the episode of Grendel’s Mother from Beowulf, the Wanderer, and Caedmon’s Hymn, all of which display a shift of Anglo-Saxon society to Christianity through a demonization of nature, the passing of old tradition, and the power of God’s will over man.