Comparing Beowulf And Pre-Christianity

In Beowulf he is not interested in being Christian or following the Christian morals, Beowulf is stuck in between his Christian backbone to help the people and his selfish prize of paganism. Even though he wants respect from Christians he has a passion and drive for fighting.

In the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf, there is plenty of controversy over whether or not the poem was considered Christian or Pagan. It is understandable that there may be both themes seen throughout this particular work. Beowulf is referred to as a very outstanding piece of British literature during the eighteenth century. Although re-written in the eleventh century, Anglo-Saxon themes represented the ideals of Christianity in a more virtuous, and outright manner. Whereas, in Beowulf, the author makes use of many purposeful situations that lead readers to consider the intentions and major themes that they considered rare at the time. I will discuss how both of these ideologies are seen within this poem, and how Beowulf is a pagan story with undeniable

Beowulf is an old story that originated from the Anglo-Saxon time period. It was often told by a Scop, a man that memorized stories and told them to the entire tribe, and each story often had a message that was supposed to be given to the warriors or the king. These stories were often told to younger generations for it to be remembered, and every time it was passed down, it had some changes made to it. It was finally recorded by two monks. Since then, there have been many movies of Beowulf, with the most recent being made in 2007 as an animated movie with somewhat related plot, but it had many revisions to make the movie mostly different from the poem itself, and with those changes it shows how our society is different from the Anglo-Saxons. In the Beowulf movie and poem, there are similarities and differences in Beowulf himself, religion, and themes, which reveals themes that reflect both Anglo Saxon and modern societies.

Christianity’s Role in Beowulf In Beowulf, the author implements Christianity throughout the novel to express their strong beliefs on Christianity. Therefore religion’s role in the novel is to attempt to convert readers, which is shown through the character’s actions, thus creating religious symbolism. This is shown in the novel in various ways: before anything is done, God is always put first; and where Grendel and his mother live symbolizes separation from God. When Beowulf goes and fights Grendel’s mother, and Beowulf himself dies saving the people of his land, are just a few symbols of Christianity in the novel.

Beowulf, the oldest surviving epic poem, has been recognized as one of the most important works of Old English literature. It deals with battles, warrior culture, and redemption in a Germanic society. Many writers have analyzed the relationship between Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf, and how these were a depiction of an early medieval Scandinavian society. J. R. R. Tolkien, renowned author of the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series, presented his view on the Pagan and Christian elements found in early medieval societies, as shown in the poem Beowulf. Tolkien explained that the poem shows “the nearness of a pagan time,” and with it “the shadow of its despair, as an intense emotion of regret” is conveyed throughout the poem (Tolkien).

Critically assess the extent of Christian and Latinate influence on Beowulf. When first reading Beowulf it would appear that the Christian references within it superimpose onto the essentially pagan view that makes a huge body of the poem. Therefore, within this assignment, there will be investigations of inconsistencies. Sources clearly show that Beowulf was written by Germanic pagans that had been debauched by some leftist ecclesiastic wordsmith , to the insistence that the author designedly created the Christian allegory along the lines of Book 1 of The Faerie Queen. It is know that Germanic traditions and techniques were used by Anglo-Saxons to frame Christian literature, just as it was with the poet of Beowulf.

P, sorry I didn’t reply sooner but I’ve been swamped. I have to say that your point on how you could use Grendel’s arm to refer to the crucifix is brilliant, I love it. Please never help me decorate though.

I believe that Beowulf can be seen as a Christ figure throughout the epic of Beowulf. He shares many characteristics with Jesus. He faces a devil figure, sacrifices himself, and is recognized as a savior by his people. Beowulf to the Danes is a savior, taking away the fear that Grendel will kill all of Hrothgar’s people. In the Christian sense Jesus Christ is a savior to all Christians. One can make an argument that he isn’t by saying Jesus never battles anyone, or that Jesus is reborn but there is a clear comparison between these two people.

The names of Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr. are known worldwide. They have lead many fighting what they believe in. One man many people think of when being a leader to fight for his beliefs of the people is Jesus Christ. Jesus is loved by many and hated by the powerful, just like these three other men, but their is one comparison that has been made to a certain protagonist of ancient times. In the epic poem ,Beowulf, the protagonist, Beowulf, is a leader who fights for the betterment of society while being the one that many look up to. Beowulf is a Christ-like figure because of his selfless leadership to protect others, not for himself. Beowulf is seen as a Christ-like figure because he is unearthly . Jesus and Beowulf are leaders who make loving decisions and

In Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, religion and hell are referenced to many times throughout the story. “Because the poet 's obvious references to religious matters are infrequent and elementary, he would-appear to have had a slight grasp of Christianity as we understand it, unless he disguised his erudition with characteristic Anglo-Saxon understatement (Whallon).” Chapter two of Beowulf “is most interesting when it collects the familiar evidence for Christian education in the early Anglo-Saxon (Parker)” era. When he speaks of the arrows of the devil in lines 1743 through 1744, “Grown too distracted. A killer stalks him, An archer who draws a deadly bow,” “one may therefore look to a passage in Ephesians, observe that the image was common

A hero's journey is a pattern of narrative identities that appears in many dramas, storytellings, myths, and psychological development. The journey consist of twelve different steps and in the story Beowulf we read about the magnificent and rough journey that Beowulf and this men accomplish. Many people question if Beowulf is considered a hero and if what he did was good. The journey that he embarked on, leads me to believe that Beowulf is a hero and always will be.

During the eighteenth century when Beowulf was written, only priests and high religious leaders were literate. Considering this as a main factor, Beowulf was written specifically for people of the Catholic religion. This proves to be effective because when reading Beowulf, the connection between the poem and religion was made. For example, in the beginning of Beowulf, many people fled from the land they were living, in fear of “Grendel.” “Grendel” represents the sin and evil throughout world.

I chose to write my essay over the first topic given in the unit one Assessment document. I analyzed how religion was a common motif throughout “Beowulf”, “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight”, and “ The Wife of Bath Prologue”. In the Poem “Beowulf”, him and his community had a tendency to view god highly, and thank him for their accomplishments. They were highly influenced by religion, which is why they applied it in their every day life. Then in “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight”, the community also was influenced by religion because of the code of chivalry. The code demanded that every knight follow and attend church regularly. The teachings changed how people think. They viewed god highly as well, but did not thank him as frequently as in “Beowulf”.

The poem remarks a biblical reference as “Grendel … A kindred of Cain” first surfaces. Moreover, the poem often alludes to God as well as the worlds of Heaven and Hell further elucidating the Anglo Saxon views. Beowulf clearly demonstrates his acknowledgement of God countless times: In fact, Beowulf could well have been slayed by Grendel’s fiendish mother had “God not saved him [Beowulf].” The presence of religious influences are reinstated by the glut of glorifications and innuendos of Christianity and the concept of God within the Anglo Saxon society. Even the mighty King Hrothgar depicts these values showing his scarce concern for material objects “Sharing the gifts God had bestowed on him” signifying his compassion, a requisite for Christian

Each branch of The Mabinogion reveals an adventure or trial that most of the characters must overcome in order to achieve some level of success. The effects of these trials or tests serve to measure the strengths, weaknesses, and leadership abilities that each character may or may not innately contain.