Although the author of Beowulf is a Christian, he depicted a hybrid pagan-Christian culture in Beowulf, which is completely different from the Christian community advocated by Paul in the Bible. While Paul advocates a united divine community full of love and care, Beowulf’s community admires people with superior fame established by their individual courage and strength. Because people in the two communities behave under different values, the principles of belonging to the two communities become distinct. In order to belong to Paul’s community in the Bible, one should be consistent with others in both thoughts and behaviors. At the beginning of 1 Corinthians, Paul states “all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, …show more content…
Hrothgar, the builder of the great hall Heorot, once promises, “And for [Beowulf’s] heroism I will recompense him with a rich treasure.”, showing his appreciation for heroism (Beowulf 384-5). Take Beowulf’s fight with the dragon as another example. When Beowulf is facing the savage dragon, he actually has a chance to cooperate with other warriors to fight against the dragon, reducing the risk, which is supposed to happen in the united community in the Bible when people have the same thoughts and actions. However, Beowulf prevents the warriors from fighting with him by saying, “This fight is not yours, not is it up to any man except me to measure his strength against the monster or to prove his worth.” (Beowulf 2532-2535). Beowulf thinks that he should be the only one who takes the responsibility of protecting his people, being a hero, although the feud is between the dragon and the entire community. Therefore, Beowulf pursues his glory as the only hero, and gains people’s …show more content…
For instance, we can find words such as “almighty God rules over mankind and always has” and “with the Lord’s assistance” in book Beowulf which reveal their Christian belief (Beowulf 701-702; 939). However, although people in Beowulf believe the existence of God, they never treat God as the foundation of humans’ mind like the Bible. Hrothgar once praises Beowulf by saying “But you have made yourself immortal by your glorious action. May the God of Ages continue to keep and requite you well.” (Beowulf 953-955). As we can see, it is Beowulf’s actions that glorify him, and Beowulf can get God’s blessings through his heroic actions. While God in the Bible is the central focus of all human activities, God in Beowulf works for humans’ glory. In addition, Beowulf says, “As God is my witness, I would rather my body were robed in the same burning blaze as my gold-giver’s body than go back home bearing arms.” (Beowulf 2650-2653). In this case, God only acts as the witness of Beowulf’s courage and strength, but God himself does not exist in Beowulf’s heart as his faith, giving him spiritual power. Therefore, although the book Beowulf regards God as their belief, God is still a minor existence in their mind. One’s courage and strength shown by one’s own actions are still more
In Beowulf the Christian influence is revealed through approximately 70 passages in which the form of expression or the thought suggests Christian usage or doctrine (Blackburn 3); The Saga of King Hrolf Kraki is in its own way infused with Christian values even though it preserves remnants of the cult of Odin.
It is common opinion that Beowulf was written by a Christian poet. This was probably true because at the time when it was written, most of the few people who knew how to read and write were in the clergy. There are various references within the poem to elements of the Christian religion. However, the story is about Pagan people and certain aspects of their culture are even glorified. The ambiguity of Beowulf’s religious content has caused confusion as to what significance religion had in inspiring the author and in what manner the author meant to inspire or influence his audience. I do not think that Beowulf is a Christian allegory because Beowulf had very little in common with the Biblical figure of Jesus Christ. I think that religion was not the primary thematic concern of the writer. Although there are discrepancies between the two styles of thinking, Beowulf seems to praise values which were considered moral and good among all humanity, both Christian and Pagan.
In conclusion, although Beowulf possessed many heroic qualities he would not be considered a hero in today’s world. A hero varies from culture to culture. The Anglo-Saxon appreciated different things in a person that what do not we appreciate today. Many things have changed a lot with time, the requisites for being considered a hero have also changed. Today we do not like to solve problems with war. Pride and honor are not as important as the willingness one has to help others. Beowulf is not feeling that contact with people he doesn’t identify with them because he believes himself better, a part of a hero´s cycle is to be identified with the community. To be part
The Old English epic poem Beowulf poses something for an enigma for scholars. The poet was surely a Christian, but the poem depicts a pagan society, so what sort of religion is being expressed. Most recent scholars have argued for a Christian reading, but others still hold out for a pagan one. Some have suggested Christian-pagan syncretism. Pagan beliefs involve sacrifices to the old stone Gods, making heathen vows, hoping for Hell’s support, the devil’s guidance in driving their affliction off. This was their way and the Heathen’s only hope.Some suggest Christian-pagan syncretism. Anglo-Saxon epic heroes are willing to put their own lives in danger for the greater good. Beowulf highlights the code’s points of tension by relating circumstances
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
The Epic poem of Beowulf is a story of heroism, loyalty, ego, and fate. To be a great leader of men; a great king of the people, you must be respected and trusted. Loyalty is given to those who earn the respect and trust of their people. Beowulf was blessed with great physical strength, the pride and fearlessness of a warrior, and an equally strong command of the spoken word, which he used skillfully to his advantage. He gained the respect and trust of nearly everyone he came in contact with, largely because he possessed the characteristics of a true hero, but in the end it was his ego that sealed his fate. Although it could be said that Beowulf’s character was flawed by an enormous ego, fueled by thoughts of immortality, it is this very trait that made him an ideal hero and king.
The character of Beowulf stands as a hero to the ancient Danes because of his actions. He is constantly being cited as a "war-chief" and a "gold-giver" (61). Beowulf has achieved fame through what he has done with his own hands. His identity as a leader is based upon the Danish society’s emphasis on personal action, as opposed to the delegation of responsibility through conscious thought. It is this very sense which spurs Beowulf to fight the dragon: "In my youth I engaged in many wars. Old guardian of the people, I shall still seek battle, perform a deed of fame, if the evil-doer will come to me..." (59). Beowulf derives his power from a strong link to the past. Without his history of glorious deeds, he would see himself bereft of the very power which qualifies him to be a good King. Beowulf’s bravery never comes in to question, he does meet every challenge head-on, with deadly attention. The society which labels Beowulf as a legendary hero, recognizes his actions and his bravery as a integral part of his definition as a hero. Without the society to support th...
When Beowulf refers back to the battle with Grendel’s mother he states that “the fight would have ended straight away if god had not guarded me” (Orla Murphy, 2008). This shows that he feels more secure if god was to help him on and was by his side. God is playing a big role in this, its testing whether god is real or not and if he is able to depend on him in a time of need. Beowulf puts his faith in a a lot of people that he is unsure of if he should because of who he is
The use of religion in the story alludes to the fact that Beowulf is a Christ figure by showing the reader that God has sent Beowulf to defeat Grendel, similar to how Jesus was sent to Earth to absolve people of sin. In the following quote, Beowulf is fighting Grendel and the narrator describes God’s impact on Beowulf. “The monster wrenched and wrestled with him/ But Beowulf was mindful of his mighty strength,/ The wondrous gifts God had showered on him:/ He relied for help on the Lord of All,/ On His care and favour. So he overcame the foe, /brought down the hell-brute” (Beowulf 1269-1274). The “ wondrous gifts” that God had bestowed upon
In this religion, Christians believe that: no one can survive and be protected without the faith of believing in God, that the son of God is to be humble and unselfish, and that the life that one life and happiness was given to them by God. Beowulf a New Telling was originally written in Paganism then converted to Christianity. Christianity and Paganism are very close religions. There are many discussions rather Beowulf has Element of Christianity or not. People say that Beowulf represents God through his leadership, and risking his life for the peoples benefit, much like God did. Although others believe that Beowulf's heroic pride for defeating the demons, comes in conflicts with the Christian values. When Beowulf is taking on the monster, he says “Grendel, child of Cain, come down into Heortot. I am Beowulf, son of Ecgtheow. I am Beowulf, not afraid of you. I am Beowulf, come to kill you!”(Nye 69). As people know too much pride in oneself will lead to a decline in the person's life. Beowulf is continually referring back to God as his savior in this book, Beowulf talks about his battle with Grendel's mother and says that he would have died if it wasn't for God guarding him. People thrilled of the win, “His men were too astonished to rise a cheer. Some fell on their knees and offered thanks to God” (Nye 122). Meaning with someone’s dedication to the faith of God, with his protection you will be safe. Much like God, he sacrifices to die on the cross for his people and the future, Beowulf sacrifices his life while fighting the dragon for his
Beowulf’s fight against the dragon shows Beowulf as a hero. Although Beowulf had previously defeated two other foes, he stands fast and fights his most formidable foe yet, the dragon. Dragons were notoriously difficult to kill, and the poem states that it was a great man, who could kill a dragon, even if it meant losing one's life. While others cower away Beowulf fights the dragon. Beowulf defeats the dragon but loses his life in the same instance. Like the classical hero Beowulf loses his special status in death. Beowulf sought no compensation for his services; the mere satisfaction of helping others was pay enough. Like his two previous battles Beowulf fights for those who could not fight for themselves.
This passage, spoken by Beowulf himself, illustrates not only his confidence in himself, but also in God. He knows that he is strong, but he also knows that it is God who really grants victory. He must be in good graces with God in order to win his battle. He knows that he cannot survive without God’s approval.
Beowulf is an epic poem that offers its readers a chance to rediscover a hero in Beowulf. It prods the reader to question their stance on death, violence, fame, God, and glory. Beowulf is recognized for being an important work of literature, which represents old English and British culture. The plot of the poem touches on different aspects of Paganism and Christianity. The values of each are easily seen conflicting with one another, which come from the fact that the story was told orally by Pagans, but written down in a time of rising Christianity.
Beowulf has been estimated to have been written over twelve hundred years ago. According to The Norton Anthology Of English Literature, “It is now widely believed that Beowulf is the work of a single poet who was a Christian and that his poem reflects a well-established Christian tradition,” (37). This conclusion was likely drawn by accounting for the time at which Beowulf was written and factoring in most people in the area of where it was believed to be written had already been converted to Christianity. In a way, this provides the best explanation for why Beowulf contains a high level of Christian influences for the story to have taken place when it did. Dr. J. Michael Stitt of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas says that, “Much of this epic poem is dedicated to conveying and exemplifying the heroic code which values such attributes as strength, courage and honor. Conflicting with this ideology are other factors such as Christianity, and these tensions affect the lives and decisions of the narrative's characters.” If the one of the main focuses in Beowulf is the heroic code and the heroic code convicts with the authors beliefs than why did he write it? This is not to say that authors do not write about things that they ...
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.