How Did Beowulf Influence The Greek Gods

The substantial influence from monotheistic cultures and cosmic deities are evident in Homeric Greek literature and Anglo-Saxon literature. The characters of Beowulf and The Iliad had connections with gods or god throughout the literature. In The Iliad, the characters are controlled and manipulated by the Greek Gods. Mortals in Homeric literature were depicted as fearful creatures. They lived in fear of displeasing these gods, and every mortal abided by the rules or laws that each Greek God commanded. The Greek Gods portrayed in Homeric literature interacted with the mortals manipulating their feeble existent according to their will and desires. Within the text of The Iliad the Gods are pitted against humans, amongst each other, against Zeus’ will, and Fate. Influence from Christian aphorisms and morals are dominant in Beowulf, these elements are infused with the Pagan culture of the time period. Christian morals are a point emphasized that impacted the characters throughout Beowulf. Both epic poems focus on a specific mortal and their conflict with themselves and divine forces. Beowulf and Achilles had divine forces that assisted them throughout their lives. Without the assistance of divine forces the characters would not have attained their notoriety and glory. The relationship

between divinity and men is a significant similarity between Beowulf and The Iliad. The collected works articulate the immense affect that a divine presence has on life on earth.
Achilles and Beowulf have similar characteristics. Achilles goes to fight at Troy to achieve fame and glory for himself. Beowulf is more selfless, the warrior rids a small Danish kingdom from the torment of a monster. Both men are fueled by their pride and want of glory. Achilles’ pride is what causes the death of his friend Patroclus. In result, unleashes Achilles’ anger upon the Trojan armies. Beowulf’s actions are fueled from his anger. He wishes to defeat the monster Grendel. Both me receive forewarning of how their glory could ultimately result in their downfall. Achilles’ mother, Thetis, warned him of his fate, “two fates bear me on to the day of death. If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, my pride, my glory dies “(Homer). Hrothgar, the Danish king, reminded Beowulf to be cognizant of his hubris. Twice Hrothgar spoke to Beowulf about the dangers of his desires. “Hrothgar’s sermon” is his most notable speech after Beowulf defeated Grendel’s mother.
O flower of warriors, beware of that trap.
Choose, dear Beowulf, the better part,
Eternal rewards. Do not give way to pride.
For a brief while your strength is in bloom
But it fades quickly; and soon there will follow
Illness or the sword to lay you low,
Or a sudden fire or surge of water
Or jabbing blade or javelin from the air
Or repellent age. Your piercing eye
Will dim and darken; and death will arrive,
Dear warrior, to sweep you away. (1785-1768)

The king believed that Beowulf was fixated on obtaining glory. He related Beowulf to the Greek tragedy of Heremod. His focal point was to advise Beowulf to “not be like the wretched and greedy king, Heremod, for he will die alone and miserably” (Christian Elements in Beowulf). The greatest common characteristic Beowulf and Achilles share is their mortality. Both have exceptional fighting ability, strength, and intellect. None of those attributes can overcome their mortality and fate. The warriors’ constant battle against their mortality is what ultimately defines their heroism.
Beowulf illustrates the struggles of the hero’s ethos, failure of humanity, and confrontation of mortality. Initially, the virtues of the early Anglo-Saxon culture are explained. Beowulf is the representation of this time period of heroism. He abided by the Scandinavian custom that the epic poem abides by is Wergild, “man-payment”,
The price set on the person’s life according to his social or political station, if a lord or one of his thanes were killed in a feud, the fighting might go on indefinitely, one side killing for vengeance and then the other. However, the fighting could be stopped by a payment of Wergild (About Beowulf).
With this man-payment the “offending party could pay a certain amount to have the matter settled” (About Beowulf). Before the start of Beowulf’s adventures with Hrothgar’s kingdom, his father was to make a payment to buy out of a feud from Hrothgar. It is part of Beowulf’s motive to come fight the monster Grendel in order to appease his family’s debt. Beowulf strictly followed, “The Germanic code of comitatus- the honor system that existed in Scandinavian countries in the fifth and sixth centuries between a king, or a feudal lord, and his warriors” (About Beowulf). As a warrior Beowulf abided by this code of conduct when he came to Hrothgar’s people. “Thanes (warriors) swore devotion to their leaders and vowed to fight boldly, to the death if necessary, for him” (About Beowulf). Beowulf’s agreement to fight the monster Grendel was an example of his comitatus to Hrothgar. Comitatus associated with the Christian virtue of loyalty. “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,” (Titus 3:1) The Bible excerpt precisely described how Beowulf conducted himself. The connections found from early customs to Christian virtues displayed the religious and cultural connotation that was found in Anglo-Saxon literature.
The Iliad reflected upon the divine intervention that took place in the Homeric era. Religion played an important role throughout The Iliad. The gods were sacred to the mortals and received respect and honor in Homeric literature. These celestial beings were immortal, had infinite physical ability, and could be at any place they wanted at any time. Zeus was the most powerful and the subservient gods lived with him atop of Mount Olympus. Mortals of Homeric literature believed their fates were determined by these gods. Therefore sacrifice, rituals, and prayer for a gods favor was an important part of their culture.
The characters make sacrifices and pray to the gods to obtain their assistance. Formal funeral rites are a necessity for dead warriors, and it is a ritual respected by both societies. Although the gods do not control the mortal's fate, they are recognized as an influential spiritual power (Religion and Ethics in Homer’s Iliad).
Religious devoutness was customary for early Greek society. Divine interaction between mortals and gods was a prominent theme found in The Iliad. Homer’s gods’ interference with favored mortals caused conflict between gods. Ultimately, the Greek gods’ conflicts created the Trojan War and the outcome was decided by these gods. Multiple gods watched over the mortals that they favored. Homeric gods frequently intervened in the mortal world when there was an emotional attachment to a specific mortal.
The gods were active in Homer, but there was a power to which even they were subject—fate (moira). The Homeric fate was not determinism, but that portion which comes to you, one’s “lot” in life. One’s fate included evil, but one could bring even more on himself. Life deals certain circumstances, but in the classical Greek understanding there were always alternatives. (Theology)
Achilles’ was chained to the Homeric fate. His options were to remain at home and live out the remainder of his life or fight at Troy where he will achieve glory. As the mightiest god, Zeus was determined to keep Fate of the war and mortals. He did not dwell on the conflicts between the lesser gods or favored the Greeks or the Trojans. Zeus is perceived as the checks and balances for the involvement of the subservient gods. As the overseer, Zeus prevented complete chaos within the war. Most importantly, Zeus ensured that the decreed fate of the people would ultimately occur. Zeus’ words to Achilles’ chariot shows his pity for the mortals. “There is nothing alive more agonized than man of all that breathe and crawl across the earth” (Homer). What causes this agony is mortals own awareness to their own manipulation by divine forces. It is appropriate that Zeus is aware of the human agony because it is the gods that are the core cause. Mortals were helpless against the will of the gods. Manipulation by the gods was a main cause for their agony. The poor creature must “breathe and crawl across the earth” with the knowledge of their own fate. Achilles and Hektor were aware of their fate of death. Hektor knew as well that his city was fated to the Greeks and that his family will be extinguished. These men bore the burden that their fate is imminent and that none of their actions or deeds can change the gods’ will. The inability to change their fate displayed the one-sided relationship between gods and mortals.
Lesser gods were prone to intervene with the mortals. Hephaestus, the smithing god, created the armor that Achilles wore into battle. Zeus himself altered that armor after Hektor took it off of Patroclus’ body in order to give Hektor honor before he fought Achilles. The goddess Athene favored Achilles in battle against prince Hektor. Athene’s assistance to Achilles brought him victory against Hektor.
Balanced the spear far shadowed, and threw it; but glorious Hektor kept his eyes on him and avoided it, for he dropped, watchful, to his knee, and the bronze spear flew over his shoulder and stuck in the ground, but Pallas Athene snatched it, and gave it back to Achilles (The Iliad).
This divine intervention from Athene is allowed, because the death of Hektor by Achilles was fated. One of the main themes from The Iliad, Achilles’ anger, stemmed from Zeus’ control of the war. Achilles was able to turn the tides of the war in favor of the Greeks. Zeus had to step in and halt their progress and only allow the Greeks to take Troy when it was fated for them to do so. This caused a conflict between Achilles and the gods. Before the death of Hektor the warrior warned Achilles about his wrath against the gods, “Be careful now; for I might be made into the god’s curse upon you, on that day when Paris and Phoibos Apollo destroy you in the Skaian gates, for all your valour” (The Iliad). This relates to earlier in the text when Achilles disrespected a temple for the God Apollo. Hektor believed that Apollo would avenge Achilles’ blaspheme. It was Apollo that guided Paris’ arrow into Achilles’ heel. This manipulation from Apollo brought the fated death of Achilles to fruition.
In connection to Beowulf, both epic poems depicted a time period of piousness and devotion to religion. For example, once Beowulf reached the land of the Danes, the first thing he and his men did was recite a prayer of thanks to God for their safe passage. In The Iliad, Chryses prayed to Apollo after the Achaeans dishonored the Sun God.
Over and over the old man prayed as he walked in solitude to King Apollo… ‘If ever it pleased your heart that I built your temple, if ever it pleased you that I burned to pass this wish I pray for: let your arrows make the Danaans pay for my tears shed (The Iliad).
Chryses’ prayers and pleas were heard by Apollo. In result the god, “strode down along the pinnacles of Olympos, angered in his heart, carrying across his shoulders the bow and hooded quiver” (The Iliad). Apollo then attacked the Danaans for nine days in revenge for the disrespect shown to a priest of Apollo who came trying to ransom his daughter.
Acts of vengeance from lesser gods caused conflict among each other. The Homeric gods had a desire to commit acts of kindness. The kindness toward mortals is what created strife between the gods. The goddess Athene favored the mortal warrior Diomedes; this caused Ares to be wounded by Diomedes. Ares voiced to the overseer, Zeus, “Father Zeus, aren’t you incensed to see such violent brutal work? We everlasting gods…Ah what chilling blows we suffer- thanks to our own conflicting wills- whenever we show these mortal men some kindness”(5.1007-10). Zeus allowed the lesser gods to quarrel among themselves. As well as continue to manipulate the mortals because it did not conflict with fate. This part in literature could be perceived as criticism of the gods by Homer. Ares’ complaint is not unfamiliar by gods in Homer’s writing. Homer illustrates these gods to be entitled and driven by their own self-interest. This led to friction when the lesser gods were not denied their will. Homeric literature portrayed the Greek gods as erratic, vengeful, and petty. This view of the gods explained the pandemonium and folly of mortal life. The relationship among the gods and between men and god is concisely encapsulated by Ares complaint to Zeus. Mortals are simply pawns on a chess board for the gods to maneuver to their will.
Christian virtues were imbedded throughout Beowulf: Loyalty, humility, sacrifice for the greater good, and the sympathy of those less fortunate.

Beowulf succeeded in accomplishing noble deeds for the Danish people. “Beowulf survives only through the protection of God, that all earthly gifts flow from God, and that the only proper bearing of men is to be humble and unselfish” (Christian Elements in Beowulf). Within the text Grendel is an enemy of God. The hero’s conflict with the monster Grendel represented the battle between good and evil. This is a main focal point for the Catholic teachings. Beowulf’s determination to defeat Grendel is interpreted as God’s will to defeat

evil.
This cursed creature lived in a monster's lair for a time after the Creator had condemned him as one of the seed of Cain - the Everlasting Lord avenged Abel's murder… the Creator sent him into exile, far from mankind because of his crime. He could no longer approach the throne of grace, that precious place in God's presence, nor did he feel God's love (Beowulf).
Grendel related to a “prowler” mentioned in the New Testament, as he came to the Danish hall only at night to attack the warriors. In relation, the New Testament scripture, 1 Peter 5:8 stated, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (Religion and Ethics in Homer’s Iliad). Grendel’s exile from humanity related to the exile of Lucifer from the Creator. Much like Lucifer, Grendel maintained a human form; similar to Lucifer, he was previously an angel before his descent into evil. “The monster would have murdered again and again had not God, and the hero’s courage, turned fate aside” (Beowulf). The Danish believed Beowulf carried out the will of God after his victory over Grendel. The Danes believe that Beowulf had become a “savior” for the people. Beowulf’ character related to the biblical story of Moses. In the bible, Moses led his people out of Egypt to save them from the harsh rule of the Pharaoh. Both men had extraordinary abilities and were able to emancipate their people from evil.
After Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel, the warrior claimed that it was fate and god that helped him conquer the monster. Beowulf’s admittance to God’s will is another Christian element that was widespread throughout this passage. It displayed the influence that God had upon Beowulf and the Danes. Mentioned earlier, the Danish king, Hrothgar imparted wise words for Beowulf to heed. The Christian Proverb “pride goeth before a fall” (16:18) related to Hrothgar’s words for Beowulf to “give way to pride”. The Christian aphorism that is represented in the early Anglo-Saxon literature displayed the merging between specific aspects of pagan cultures.
Hrothgar’s words to Beowulf epitomized the fleeting quality of mortality in striking verses. He refers to Beowulf, a dangerous warrior, the “flower of warriors”. This title encapsulated the fragility of all human life. With knowledge of his own mortality, Hrothgar urged Beowulf to focus upon eternal rewords rather than focus upon his own personal glory. This is a major Christian ideal that occurred within the text. As a final point, Beowulf follows the Christian ideal as he confronted his last and greatest battle. Where the character demonstrates the Christian values of humility and selflessness. Beowulf appropriately realized his glory is not as important as his people’s lives. With this realization the brave warrior gave his life for his people. Beowulf’s final act of selflessness associated to the sacrifice of Christ for the salvation of his people. Christian elements were a driving force within the epic poem that dictated the actions of Beowulf.
Divine presence was unmistakable throughout Beowulf and The Iliad. These pieces of literature illustrated the impact that celestial forces had toward mortal’s actions and lives. “In Beowulf, divine intervention is not the concrete and visual fact that it is in The Iliad and Odyssey. Nonetheless, the intervention is clearly given credit for reversing the dire circumstances” (Louden). Divine intervention in The Iliad was the core cause of conflict. Gods favored different mortals, which resulted in war among mortals, and war of mortals led to paralleling war of the immortals. Contrary, in Beowulf, God’s will is acted out through the hero’s actions. The Old English and Homeric period epic poems parallel each other in their use of a divine presence. Beowulf’s heroic actions changed the fate of the Danes and Achilles’ prowess on the battlefield brought about the fall of Troy. Achilles is a mortal man and the epic poem depicts his pursuit to gain immortality from his achievements as a warrior. Achilles achieved fame by his ability to change the tide of war for the Greeks and his defeat of prince Hektor. Beowulf achieved a kingdom through his heroic acts that saved the small Danish kingdom. Both of these characters reflect the values of the time period. Beowulf was a representation of God’s will and Achilles was a symbol of human mortality and inability to escape inevitable fate. Even though these pieces of works were hundreds of years apart the religious customs remain similar. The heavy influence of a monotheistic or polytheistic presence was archetypal for these writing time periods. The Iliad is a reflection of Homer’s views on the human condition. The writing of The Iliad had a consistent emphasis on the relationships between Zeus and the lesser gods, the lesser gods amongst themselves, and between the Gods and mortals. Alike to the early Anglo-Saxon writing that represents the heavy influence of early Christian aphorisms and principles overlaying pagan culture of the time period. In conclusion, the pieces of literature that portray the Beowulf and Achilles demonstrate the immense influence that a divine presence has toward mortal life.