Essay On Beowulf

Kassandra Valle Reflection of Christianity

“Afterwards a boy-child was sent to Shield, / a cub in the yard, a comfort sent/ by God to that nation. He knew what they had tholed, / the long times and troubles they'd come through/ without a leader; so the Lord of Life, / the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned” (Beowulf 12-17). Beowulf is one of the oldest existing poems in the English Language today, the story portrays an epic hero who follows his own quest to defeat vicious monsters, and then finally becomes King and dies of old age in a fight with a dragon. Although Beowulf is a pagan myth, many people believe that it was originally written by a Christian monk who incorporated Christian elements into the dialogue and plot. This poem reveals many aspects of Christianity that associate with the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf. During the course of the story of Beowulf, one can find many elements of Christianity. Epic literature like Beowulf reveals values of religion (Christianity) through characters, frequent asides about God, Heaven, and hell,

Just like in the book of Genesis where one is rewarded by God with material wealth and at the same time symbolizes ‘glory’ or ‘fame’ , in the poem Beowulf his heroic endeavors are praised by the Danes and treasures are heaped upon the hero Beowulf’s heroic accomplishments are praised by the grateful Danes and treasures are lavished on the hero. “Then the gold hilt was handed over/ to the old lord, a relic from long ago/ for the venerable ruler. That rare smithwork/ was passed on to the prince of Danes/ when those devils perished ;…”( 1677-1681). Both parts of the Bible and the poem Beowulf can be associated to one another in different