...Eng 201 September 7, 2012 Analysis of Christian and Pagan Themes in Beowulf The heroic poem, Beowulf, written circa ninth century after the Common Era (C. E.), presents a bloody chronicle of a king’s role in the violence and tumultuous Germanic tribes shortly after the Roman Empire’s expulsion from the low countries of Northwestern Europe. Evolving from oral narrative’s, Beowulf’s origins, while traceable to a general place and time in history, remains obscure, and comes to modern readers through a manuscript written around the year one thousand C. E.. Written in the language of the Anglo-Saxons, Beowulf, namesake for the title, defeats three monsters, Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and finally after many years of ruling his lands, a dragon. While fictional, the author weaves the main plot centering on defeating these vicious adversaries with a mixture of both pagan and Christian customs. Beowulf illustrates numerous biblical references and Christian influences, while simultaneously reflecting a core of Germanic pagan customs. Christianity and its religious elements, alongside, pagan customs and practices, play a fundamental role in the heroic poem, Beowulf’s narrative. Grendel, the monster that terrorizes Hrothgar’s great Hall of the Hart, traces his lineage back to Cain, one of the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain commits the first murder according to Christian teachings, slaying his brother, Abel (The Holy Bible, Genesis 4-8). Grendel sprang from, “Cain’s clan, whom...
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...encompasses both the traditions and religions of the culture they are created in. As an example, the Odyssey uses the Greek pantheon and the tradition of hospitality in most of the epic to create conflict and solutions. This combination of characteristics help create a great and flowing story that is filled with interesting and creative plot that the audience can relate with. However, these characteristics can also be analyzed, as they sometimes cause conflict with one another and therefore, can cause interesting patterns and themes to emerge in the epic. This happens to be the case with another great epic, one which is the oldest surviving epic in old English, has tons...
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...Christianity in Beowulf Although there are constant battles between religions about which religions’ values and practices are correct, one thing is clear in all religions: the contrast between good and evil. Take for instance the Christian faith: in the Christian faith, a good man is someone who is virtuous, and has passion for what they believe in, and follows the bible but an evil person is someone molded by corruptions, including sins and vices. The Christian faith depicts evil through monsters such as demons and serpents, and their impacts in their tales. In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf’s fight against the monsters represents a fight between the Christian concepts of good and evil. The first depiction of good and evil in the poem can be seen in the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. Often times, biblical allusions are used as a means to describe characters Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. This is illustrated in Andy Orchard’s criticism of the poem, when he states, “As for Beowulf, there seems no getting rid of the poet’s clear references to the biblical tales of Cain and Abel” (Orchard 131). Grendel’s depiction of a demon is derived from these tales in the text when it reads: Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell Not hell but earth, He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's Death (14-17). In this...
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...Beowulf: Christian or pagan? The epic poem, Beowulf, which was composed about 850 CE, is a tale of a warrior named Beowulf. The plot of Beowulf primarily revolves around the expeditions and fights that Beowulf undertakes throughout his life. Regarding this poem, one of the essential controversies is whether it is a Christian or pagan poem. In the text, Beowulf is depicted as the one who values his own fame most and is hallowed highly by people due to his violence in battle. These characteristics of Beowulf seem to separate the poem from Christianity. Although the poem appears to be originally pagan, Beowulf is a Christian poem in terms of its historical background, biblical allusions, and the characters’ beliefs and reliance on God. First, the author of Beowulf lived in a period when the transformation from Germanic paganism to Christianity occurred. When Beowulf was written, the old paganism was dying out, and the influx of Christianity from Europe and Ireland had taken place. “This transformation reached every level of society and affected nearly every aspect of daily life” (Streissguth 83). Due to this Christian influence, people had to make a radical change, discarding the old beliefs that value courage, vengeance, and violence in gory battle. The poet of Beowulf was also a part of this drastic change of the era. The “nameless author undoubtedly was a Christian” (Bloom 1). We can observe the author’s Christian quality when he blames people who return to paganism in the poem:...
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...Assess the ways canonical texts provide insights into different contexts. In your response, discuss TWO texts from TWO different eras covered in Masters in Pieces. Beowulf, composed by an unknown author between the eight and the tenth centuries AD was an epic poem from the Medieval Era. Faustus was a play written in verse by Christopher Marlowe during the Renaissance Era between 1564-1593, both reflecting the dominant ideas and values of the context. The Medieval Era was a politically unstable time predominantly influenced by Christian culture and storytelling, where heroic tales of the noble were highly valued and as a result reflect religious ideas. The Renaissance era marked a major cultural turning point for British Culture as the philosophy of humanism emerged, which engendered literature to become increasingly vibrant and free- thinking. Both canonical texts provide significant insight into both the Medieval and Renaissance era. These concepts are explored through the principals of Christianity and the prevailing conflict during each context time. The importance of religion were relevant in both contexts, Beowulf reinforcing the beliefs of the time while Faustus indicates Britain's shift to humanist values and intensified the assertion of personal independence and individual expression. Beowulf demonstrates his trust in God easily into Christian context and repeatedly acknowledges God as his protector. “The captain of evil discovered himself in a grip harder than...
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...The key character in the poem Beowulf, is a heroic and a legendary character whose actions are embodied to the Anglo-Saxon culture. As a hero he has the accepted and the most ideal characteristics that are accepted in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The tale revolves around these characteristics to make up an epic tale. Beowulf is moulded to possess the virtues, traits and beliefs that were highly respected and requires in the Anglo-Saxon culture. Therefore, is displayed to have these virtues in his own actions and words during different circumstances in the tale. Reading Beowulf brings out lots of similarities with many pieces of literature from the Ancient Greek and the Modern literature. The Beowulf carries is similar to many Greek dramas that focused on a protagonist who was turned out to be a tragic hero. There was an element of belief in the gods who had super- human powers and had unique and ultimate special skills of their own, and overcame unsurmountable problems. However, in Beowulf, there is no Greek or Roman gods, but there are other supernatural beings defined as monsters that exist and are difficult to win over. Beowulf is extra-ordinarily strong, agile, and super intelligent. He is portrayed as one who overcomes many obstacles and was able to kill Grendel and his mother and the others in the sea. In addition, the wide character list and meaningful names is similar to those of other types of literature of the early eras. The story of Paradise lost opens in hell. Satan...
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...Empire was the rise of a new religion, Christianity. The Christianity religion was the doctrine or belief that there is only one god which differ the Roman culture. The poet as historian is known as the scop in the Anglo-Saxon culture. To understand culture, one has to understand the belief set. The hero is the most dominant archetype in Beowulf because it deals with the fraternity warrior’s culture. Although the pluralism of Anglo-Saxon culture is very similar to our American culture, the archetype of The Ruler takes place in America today because everyone wants to take control and have power over their own lives and others around. In Literature, an Archetype is a typical character, an action or a situation that seems to represent such universal pattern or human nature. There are many set archetypes; The Innocent, The Lover, and The Rebel. However, the one that dominates the most in Anglo-Saxon culture is the Hero. “I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me” (Beowulf’s Last Battle 607-610). In Anglo-Saxon culture being boastful and prideful is praised because it is a characteristic of a Hero. The poem itself was named after Beowulf to show that he was the dominant hero, the one who stood in the spotlight. “Then he stepped to another still body, clutched at Beowulf with his claws, grasped at a strong-hearted wakeful sleeper” (Beowulf 268-270). That night,...
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...The characterization of Sir Gawain and Beowulf stems from the concept of heroism and moral superiority that was common in early British literature. Sir Gawain is quickly introduced when he responds to the Green Knight’s proposal, but the author of Beowulf introduces his character slowly, describing every detail of his grand entrance. Although Beowulf is introduced from the very beginning as a great and valuable warrior, and Sir Gawain as one of little loss, we can learn the most about each character not from the author’s description, but from their own words, actions and the praise they get from others. Sir Gawain sees himself as feeble and worthless, but his friends hold him in much higher regard. “Much mournful lament was made in the hall...
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...Jorge Romero British Literature Kinzer September 20 2014 Beowulf Beowulf is the heroic tale of a warrior that goes through the infamous hero cycle throughout his journey. Beowulf fought many monsters to defend his kingdom, contributing to the great tale of the mighty Beowulf. The mighty warrior evolved the moment he stepped into Herot. Beowulf is considered a heavily influenced Anglo-Saxon piece of literature, as well as the main character undergoes the hero cycle. Beowulf has many different Pagan and Christian beliefs that are present throughout the story. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon piece of literature in form of poetry considered an epic. For a story to be classified as Anglo-Saxon, a story must follow certain criteria. It must have began as an oral story passed down from generation to generation. To be considered an Anglo-Saxon poem, a story must have a hard beat, heavy alliteration, and next to no rhyming. Beowulf demonstrates all this characteristics fit to be Anglo-Saxon, it also includes multiple caesuras through the story. “Knowing a man had come--and then nothing But war could have followed. It’s breath came first.”, 667-668 and, “Bent back as Beowulf leaned up on one...
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...Characteristics of Old and Middle English Literature In many works from the Old English period, which was approximately between 600-1100, there were many distinguishing characteristics, which included heroism, a strict class system, religion, and teachings of moral behavior. Some different characteristics of Old English literature, which is a language derived from Old German, include a strong belief in fate in a very poetry dominated era. Many of the poems are called elegies of that time, which were sorrowful poems, such as “The Wanderer.” Another large characteristic of Old English literature is that of praising or honoring heroes of any kind, especially ones that prevail in battle. Some of these include the Cross from, “Dream of the Rood,” Beowulf from Beowulf, the lost hero in “The Wanderer,” Judith from “Judith,” and the biggest hero who is included in almost all poems and pieces of Old English literature, Christ. Many of these works express much religious faith having to do with Christianity. The Anglo-Saxon people also had a very strict class system. Going along with the faith they believed in the Great Chain of Being, which said that when God made the entire world each creature was put in their position. God made a monarchy and put the members of that high status position there for a reason and did the same for a person who was a slave, God made them that and put them in that position in society. The people on the top of the chain are supposed to help the others...
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...the Swedes and the Geats, and then reminds all present how Beowulf has “kept our coffers and our kingdom safe” (3004). Naturally, as the king “keenest to win fame” (3182), Beowulf is then rewarded with a supremely grand funeral pyre. Despite just having sacrificed his life to win the enormous hoard of treasure guarded by the dragon, he decides to burn it at his funeral to honor himself. Having fought so hard to win this prize, why is he now completely disposing of it to satisfy a funeral that he will not even really attend? I believe that these lines raise a meaningful question about materialism in Beowulf’s culture. For example, lines 3010-3011 read, “His royal pyre / will melt no small amount of gold:” It indicates specifically that the grandeur of Beowulf’s final resting place will be worthy of royalty, and that a considerable amount of valuable gold will be sacrificed in it. Additionally, the text points out how no follower nor lovely woman will be able to make use of these treasures, even though he is regarded as “the man most gracious” and “kindest to his people” (3182). This portrays Beowulf as an incredibly materialistic individual who has to satisfy...
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...Smith 1 Nick Smith Mr. Farrington English 3 23 October 2016 The Significance of Glory After Death in Beowulf and History In Beowulf, the aspect of attaining glory throughout one’s life is an integral part of their culture. Warriors battle to protect their land, serve their king, and to be remembered and have their legacy carry on after they have died. People such as these worked their entire lives, and dedicated them to serving their country and king as a way to attain glory themselves. The comitatus, or the bind between a king and his people, shows that the people of Beowulf’s time fought together, as one united people, and that even kings were willing to lay their lives down in the line of duty to protect their nation and to attain the...
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...• The narrator tells us that a clan called the Spear-Danes, in "days gone by" (that's the past, to you) had some awesome heroic kings. • The first of these hero-kings is Shield Sheafson, who is basically awesome because he could rampage and pillage with the best of them—both on the battlefield and in the mead hall, if you get our drift. He is an orphan, but he eventually becomes king and then subjugates other nearby clans, making them pay tribute to the Spear-Danes. • Shield's son is Beow, a wise, prudent, valiant prince who sympathizes with the hardships his people have endured. • Shield dies in the prime of his life and is buried at sea in a ship loaded with wealth and treasures, according to the custom of the Spear-Danes. It sails off and nobody knows what happens to it. • Beow becomes king and rules long and well. He is succeeded by Halfdane, a warlord who has three sons, Heorogar, Hrothgar, and Halga, and one daughter. Halfdane's daughter isn't given a name in the poem, although we assume that she had one, but we do learn that she marries Onela, the king of the Swedes. • Halfdane's son Hrothgar is fortunate in battle and gradually amasses the most followers and wealth of any of the princes, so he becomes king after his father. • To consolidate his power, Hrothgar builds a grand mead-hall, Heorot Hall, which does dual duty as a throne room and a hangout for the powerful members of his "court." Okay, we say court, but it's really just a bunch of tough barbarians in grimy...
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...and mentally complex. While others might take a more philosophical position on the matter, like René Descartes who originally spoke the famous phrase: “I think, therefore I am”. A philosopher would value the fact that humans can intelligently communicate their thoughts, and these thoughts can change the very existence of man as a whole through invention and innovation. Religious groups would base their opinion of humans on their faith; we are human simply because we are not God. At times science, philosophy and religion can confuse a person opinion on what it actually means to be human. Maybe the concept of being human is much simpler then some may think. Being human could simply mean that we as a collective race are imperfect. The idea of human imperfection is not easily explained by science, philosophy or religion. They can all sometimes be too complex to understand. Science exemplifies the human race as a species, philosophy praises human race as thinkers and religion looks at the human race as sinners and how we all must be perfect to please God. Even society tells us we must be perfect in the eyes of the world. We as a human race all possess the trait of imperfection thus making us all the common men among one another in society. The concept of the imperfection of the common man is addressed in many different pieces of literature. In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, Shakespeare created his characters to depict the...
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...Jonathan Graves World Literature Debra Germany 3 March 2014 Beowulf is a story that interested me for a long time. We read this story in grade school, and now in college it sparks many debates in the minds of college students, including mine. When I read it in grade school, it was a good story about monsters and heroes. Now that my literary mind has somewhat developed there are some controversies that jump out at me. At my first glance of the story in grade school, you really don't understand the depth of the epic. Being in a college level course we learned that the original author is an unknown man from pagan times written between the 600th and the 700th century, which is another debate all on its own.(The History of Beowulf) The epic poem Beowulf has deep roots in Paganism and was translated later in Christian times. Being a story from Anglo-Saxon England one has to wonder about what was going on at the time it was written. "The Christian church had been well-established and it suffered greatly from the invasions.(BBC) When the Angles and the Saxons invaded Roman Britain it was believed that the story of Beowulf came with them and the story was later translated by an unknown Christian author. It is also believed that this story was and oral poem that was spoke and passed down from generation. Most of the mystery cannot be proven with fact. It has been debated on by scholars for the past few centuries. Some authors consider it part of the Christianization...
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