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.
Different religious values are emphasized throughout the poem, in which Pagan values are included. Throughout Beowulf we see that the pagan people value the heroes just as Christians value God. Pagans focused more on power and fame. “Behavior that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere” (24-25). The quote conveys the fact that power is of great importance
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everywhere. In conjunction with, pagans believe that fate has already been determined and can not been amended. Beowulf was a Anglo-Saxon story that was orally passed down. During this time period the people were illiterate, so it wasn’t until about two hundred years after when the Christian monks came and wrote down the poem. The Christian monks were the only ones that knew how to write because the only education going on was in the church. Therefore, when the Christian monks wrote the poem down, they added some Christians beliefs into the composition. We see a large amount of christian allusions throughout the epic. “The Almighty Judge of good deeds and bad, the Lord God, Head of the Heavens and High King of the World, was unknown to them. Oh, cursed is he who in time of trouble has to thrust his soul in the fire's embrace, forfeiting help; he has nowhere to turn. But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father’s embrace” (180-188). In this quote we observe the way the narrator feels about the Anglo-Saxons not having the opportunity to turn to God for help. The people were not aware of the great help God could have been for them in their lives. Pagans focus was power, reputation, and fate. While Christians focused on their believe in God. But, now in modern Christianity there are many Pagan rituals. This is because Pope Gregory inspirited for Christians to take in some Pagan traditions. Pope Gregory did this so more Pagans could turn into Christianity. In accordance to christian allusions, we witness some biblical allusions in Beowulf.
A biblical allusion is a quick reference to a story or passage in the Bible. “For the killing of Abel the Eternal Lord had exacted a price: Cain got no good from committing that murder because the Almighty made him anathema, and out of the curse of his exile there sprang ogres and elves and evil phantoms and the giants too who strove with God time and again until He gave them their reward” (107-114). In this quote the narrator is making a reference to the incident that occurred in the book of Genesis when Cain killed his brother Abel. This reference is very direct and we notice right away, but there are also some allusions that we don't really notice and really have to think about. When Beowulf was going to fight the dragon he had with him twelve warriors which is just like when Jesus was going to get crucified He had with him twelve disciples. “No help or backing was to be had then from his highborn comrades; that hand-picked troop broke ranks and ran for their lives to the safety of the wood. But within one heart sorrow welled up: in a man of worth the claims of kinship cannot be denied. His name was Wiglaf, a son of Weohstan’s, a well-regarded Shylfing warrior related to Aelfhere” (2596-2604). This quote is from the situation when Beowulf is fighting the dragon in the woods. All his warriors leave him except for Wiglaf. In the Bible, when Jesus is being crucified all of his disciples …show more content…
leave him except for John. Thus, this situation is referring back to that story from the Bible because both John and Wiglaf are the only ones out of the twelve men who don't leave their master. During the time period Beowulf was written down, there weren't as many word as we have today.
So in order to make poetry more interesting and not as repetitive, kennings were used. Kennings are two word phrases used to describe an object metaphorically; they are derived from Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry. “Whale-road” , for example is a kenning used in the first page of Beowulf to describe the ocean. Kennings make the reader think more to figure out the meaning and what the narrator is trying to say. Although not all kennings are only two words. For example “he who had harrowed the hearts of men” (808) is a kenning that is used to describe
Grendel. A literary device that is used to add rhythm and creativity is alliteration. Alliteration is the occurrence of the same sound in a set of words. This also helps keep such a long story entertaining. For example “winter went wild in the waves” (516) helps give the river a mental image of how the ocean looked at the time. There is alliteration in almost every line of Beowulf and that was the way it was translated to modern english. Beowulf was a manuscript that survived by miracle. It was damaged by fire in 1731 and parts of the poem were got ruined. In 1787 it was written in english and in 1831 it got the title Beowulf. Although the author is unknown, there are many people who have translated it to english. It consists of many different poetic devices such as alliteration, caesura, meter,kennings, and litotes. Loyalty, reputation, generosity, hospitality, envy, revenge, and exile are themes that are portrayed. Both Christianity and Pagan beliefs are expressed throughout the whole poem due to how the poem was written down. The story revolves around three main battles: the battle with Grendel, the battle with Grendel’s mother, and the battle with the Dragon. In the end Beowulf, the protagonist, dies but left many great teachings.
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...
Beowulf is an epic poem that was written in the late tenth-century, at the kingdom of the West Saxons. The two main characters are Beowulf, a young man; and Grendel, a furious dragon. Beowulf's world is a very violent society with wars as a dominant part of daily life. Dragons and monsters are a constant threat to the Danes and the Geats. Warriors are a necessity to this war-like society. Beowulf is a hero as well as a great, and honorable, warrior.
We know that Beowulf is influenced by both Christian and pagan elements. Good and evil are used together as much as they are separately. For example, the text says, "Hills and bogs, bearing God's hatred."(8) "God" is the light or Christianity while "hatred" is more negative and depicts darkness and paganism. They are two complete opposite ideas used together in a single idea which gives insight into the concept the good that is in the bad. The next source comes from a pastorial elegy titled "Lycidas". This poem also explores the ideas of Christianity and paganism. The poem is about worldly fame and how the author believes that fame should not be paganized but it usually is seen that way. In the text it states, "Scorn delights, and live laborious days." (Milton, 72) Milton also uses the voice of Apollo, a pagan God, to announce the Christian ideal of fame. Apollo says, "Fame is no plant that grows on mortal soil... of so much fame in heaven expects the mead."(78-84)This explains how fame does not have to be a pagan thing, but could be seen as Christian, depending on how one foresees the evidence, equally alike isBeowulf. One could choose to only see the light in the poem but others might only see the
Beowulf is among the earliest surviving works of literature. It was written in Old English and dates back sometime before the tenth century A.D. The poem is set in Scandinavia, and tells the story of the heroic warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf was the perfect hero. He fought for his people and defeated evil with his ability to bring on justice. Three of Beowulf’s traits that serve as evidence of this were his remarkable physical strength, his ability to put the well-being of others before his own well-being, and his courage.
In England’s history, the country has had many different cultures come and go as the main population of the land. First there was the pagan population consisting of many barbaric groups like the Anglo Saxons whose way of life consisted of pillaging, brotherhood, and materialism. However, the Romans soon conquered the lands, bringing their own Christian religion. This changed the landscape of the country entirely, as Christianity preached peace, God, and righteousness. Beowulf was written by a Christian monk in an attempt to convert the previous Pagan population to the increasingly popular Christianity. As a result, Beowulf tracks the transition of the aging Anglo Saxon way of life to the new and improved way of life with Christianity. The author
Beowulf is an anonymous poem that takes place in Denmark and Geatland, the modern day Sweden. It tells the tale of a kingdom in Denmark, ruled by King Hrothgar, which is in peril and how a hero comes to save it. Beowulf was estimated to be written in the 8th to 11th century during the Anglo-Norman period making it the oldest surviving epic poem in historians’ possession. Though parts of the original manuscript were destroyed in a fire, around 1731, the work has still proven useful to scholars and researchers today. It was first translated in 1818 by Icelandic scholar Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin, J. M. Kemble wrote the first modern English translation in 1837. It has been a great influence to modern writers, like J. R. R. Tolkien (Snell).
In order to consider this as such an allegory, we must define the scope of the struggle. That is to say, what is good and what is evil? In the Christian tradition, there is a fictional figure that creates all the evil in the world. Some people call this figure “Satan” however, that word derives from the Hebrew word meaning “adversary” and can refer to both physical and nonphysical entities. As such, there is no singular evil Satan figure. The name of “Lucifer” used in Isaiah is a reference to a fallen Babylonian King and it is only later, well after the writing of the Bible, that Lucifer is adapted to refer to an evil entity. The term “devil” is just as enigmatic in that it means “accuser” and can stand for any being either divine or mundane. As such, there is no singular evil entity in Christian mythology blamable for evil in the Christian tradition. It must therefore make sense that anything that is evil is that which is against or not of God.
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.
The epic poem, Beowulf, a work of fiction, offers more insight into Ancient Anglo-Saxon English culture than the work of Bede, who wrote, A History of the English Church and People. The epic poem Beowulf gives an enhanced illustration and clearer understanding of the culture of the Ancient Anglo-Saxon’s. The epic poem gives the audience a picture of what the Ancient Anglo-Saxon English valued; seafaring, warriors, heroes, and paganism.
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 the Middle Ages, Christianity dominated the lives of the nobility and peasants. The Church became prosperous and very influential. King Alfred made a substantial contribution to Old English language and culture by overseeing the transcription of the only oral form of the epic poem Beowulf. Beowulf is a nobleman that lived in a pagan world that Christianity had not yet dominated. The Scandinavian society composed of three parts: warriors, clerical, and farming classes. Within the poem of Beowulf, the primary focus is the warrior class. The man Beowulf would have been of Norse religion while the poem deviates towards the Christian God. In The Canterbury Tales, the author is Geoffrey Chaucer, and he is the considered the father of English literature. Although the poem does not give the impression of being political, during the period, there was political and religious instability. The corruption of the Catholic Church was so abundant that it eventually leads to the Protestant Reformation. Chaucer primary focus is the middle class. An extremely relevant aspect in both poems forced integration of religion.
BEOWULF AS A CHRIST-LIKE FIGURE The epic poem, Beowulf, recounts the tale of a man named Beowulf who sacrifices his own safety to save the Danes from two evil dragons. Then, years later, Beowulf risks his life yet again to save his own people from a dragon. Throughout the story, Beowulf is presented as a Christ-like figure. This is manifested in the events that take place, the way that Beowulf speaks about himself, and the way the people treat him. The first way Beowulf's likeness to Christ is revealed, is through the events that take place. After Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he will fight Grendel, there is a celebration. During the celebration, Welthow, the queen "raised a flowing cup" (615) and poured "a portion from the jeweled cup/ For each" (621-622). When she got to Beowulf, she "thanked God for answering her prayers" (625). This event is strikingly similar to the Last Supper when Jesus passed around a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. Then, the crucifixion is portrayed when Beowulf fights Grendel's mother. During the stuggle, other monsters come to watch and beat at "His mail shirt, stabbing with tusks and teeth/ As they followed along" (1510-1511). Similarly, when Jesus was crucified, crowds drew near laughing at him, hurling insults, and spitting on him. Finally, Beowulf is said to have "Gone to a glorious death" (3037) and his soul "Left his flesh, flew to glory" (2820). This is similar to the resurrection of Jesus. All of these events clearly parallel the events of Jesus' day. What Beowulf says also shows his similarity to Christ. Beowulf says "I already knew that all/ My purpose was this: to win the good will/ Of your people" (633-635). Jesus also knew that it was his mission to come down to earth to save his people from their sins. Later, Beowulf says: . . . No one else could do What I mean to, here, no man but me Could hope to defeat this monster. No one Could try . . . (2532-2535) Likewise, Jesus was the only man who could do his job. Thus, no man could defeat evil without the help of God. Many of Beowulf's statements are true to what Jesus said and felt. One other way Beowulf is linked to Christ is through the way the people act towards him and speak of him.
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.
Beowulf is the single greatest story of Old English literature and one of the greatest epics of all time. Ironically, no one can lay claim to being the author of this amazing example of literature. The creator of this poem was said to be alive around 600 A.D. and the story was, since then, been passed down orally from generation to generation. When the first English monks heard the story, they took it upon themselves to write it down and add a bit of their own thoughts. Thus, a great epic and the beginning to English literature was born.