Two Sides Of the Same Coin

As time has flown, many fictional men and women have resembled the Prince of the Christians in one way or another. But not many times other than once or twice has a character followed the life of Jesus so accordingly. As I write today, I plan to show from start to finish, just how closely Jesus and Beowulf are to one another. Maybe not in the same manner, but Beowulf lived, fought, and sacrificed himself for his people, just as Jesus had done for all mankind, making them, two sides of the same coin.

From early on in the Prologue and beginning of the epic, Beowulf is treated, special, even under the good king Hygelac just as Jesus was. At an early age, Jesus and Beowulf were raised under a King to do their bidding and to be guided. With his father long past, Beowulf, as I mentioned before, was raised underneath Hygelac and became his thane. Fighting for his glory and pride on and off the battlefield to honor him. Jesus also went about to profess his King father’s status. At the age of 12 Jesus ran from his mother to the temple to begin the long trudge toward learning and spreading God’s will (Luke 2:41-45). While Hygelac adorned Beowulf with gold encrusted armor and swords denser than pearl, God’s ways of the “ring-giver” and taking care of his thane were more majestic and mystic than material like Hygelac. Nevertheless, but men were taken well care of by their king and lead down their roads in their likeness.

Coming from their young adolesences to early adulthood, Jesus and Beowulf were as much for their King as was for showing their own might and glory. Beowulf more than Jesus, they both were challenged countless times on their drive, will, and fortitude to carry out their respective King’s will. As we come upon early...

... middle of paper ...

... the sins of the people, eating away at them forever from the soul and out to the flesh. This in his eyes was a tragedy worth the blood price. With no help from anyone and even with the burn of knowing his most trusted men would forsake him, Jesus went through every and everything for his people out of the immense love in his entire being for his people. They both sought after salvation for their people, and both in sacrifice, secured it.

As the story of their lives come to a close, in the sear magnitude of their lives, Jesus of Nazareth and Beowulf of the Geats, both share some of the greatest similarities of their lives together. Even though many different roads were beaten down by the steel tipped boots of Beowulf, his journey paralleled Christ’s. From childhood to death, more often than not, Prince Beowulf and Prince Jesus can be said to be one in the same.