Preview

Paganism And Christianity In Beowulf

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
337 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Paganism And Christianity In Beowulf
Beowulf uses two religions, Paganism and Christianity, to form a beautiful storyline that has a lasting effect on the poem. There is religious power in the story and the mix of the two separate religions blend to form a work of art. Pagans possess rituals like believing in multiple gods and vengeance. Christians worship one omniscient being and Gods overall almighty power. Both religions believe in fate and they trust their God for their survival during battle. The use of the religious meanings abstracts the story into the most interesting poem it can be. According to Christians, man relies on the protection of God for survival during battles. Many times before a battle, the hero will mention God and how they trust in him for their lives. Whichever
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Beowulf: The Greatest Geat Soldier In The World
    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf: The Greatest Geat Soldier In The World

    Being a very humble and religious man, Beowulf was a devout Christian. All of his Battles began with the name of God and all his feats were dedicated to God. Alongside, most of his work was done with his team. Beowulf kept his top soldiers “in his hand.” He would…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Differences Between Grendel And Beowulf
    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Differences Between Grendel And Beowulf

    In the Epic of Beowulf there is a perfect example of religious conflict intermingling together in a way that creates conflict between the Danes religious views and the narrator’s Christian interpretations. In the Epic of Beowulf there are presents of Christian views that the narrator placed in the book to compare the differences between the brutal and barbaric…

    • 1122 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Paganism In Beowulf
    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Theme Of Paganism In Beowulf

    Another one of Christian beliefs that is defined in Beowulf, is the representative of Paganism. The paganism components talks about in Beowulf, fist talks about Grendel’s portrayal. Grendel is described in these lines: “Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fiend, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell” (l. 16-18). All the way through the poem the devilish monster Grendel, that has hate towards Herot Hall and the meeting of his men partying. In line for to this he waits on them till after partying are over in the Herot Hall once the men are intoxicated and comes in and murder Hrothgar’s men parting him to live in grief and mourn the death of his men. The funeral Beowulf demanded before he die also…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Religion In Beowulf
    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Examples Of Religion In Beowulf

    Beowulf is an epic poem that is filled with many different mythological character, and religious symbols. Beowulf is a story that has been retold, translated, and interpreted in many different ways. As a result of this story being interpreted and translated through the years; there is a combination of both the Christian religion and Pagan beliefs.…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Theme Of Religion In Beowulf
    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theme Of Religion In Beowulf

    Beowulf is a historical and elegiac Anglo-Saxon poem. Religion is an irritable subject and one of the main topics. The heroic character Beowulf is a depiction of superior and God. Grendel is the delineation of the Pagan beliefs as well as the corrupt in the world. This poem is composed of internal and external complications between the Pagan’s and the Christian’s beliefs. Even though Paganism is meticulously extended throughout the text, there are several references about Christianity. Keywords and phrases such as “fate”, “hoping for hell’s support, and many more help the reader understand the different religions that are visible in this poem. The anonymous author of Beowulf thrived with the legendary poem by embracing Paganism, Christianity, and the conflicts of both religions.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christian Elements In Beowulf
    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Christian Elements In Beowulf

    Beowulf is the stepping stone for the creation of many stories of good vs. evil, ending with the hero receiving unending praise and adoration. With that many of the people who read of the epic poem now relate to it on many levels, my belief is that the Christian elements throughout this poem make it more intriguing to the modern day peruser. The author of the poem is unknown but based on the style of wording used and the Paganistic elements it is believed to have originally been scribed by Christian monks. Beowulf is a 'story' that has been passed down for generations being used as entertainment by the Anglo-Saxons in 10th century England. The biblical jewels hidden throughout this story not only help a reader to relate to the author’s work…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf: An Epic Hero's Journey
    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Beowulf: An Epic Hero's Journey

    Beowulf is an epic that follows the main character, Beowulf, and his quest for glory. Throughout his journey, Beowulf fights three monsters to protect the citizens of Denmark and Sweden. When this story was first told by the Anglo-Saxons, their main religion was Paganism. Paganism is a polytheistic religion which believes in animism, that spirits control every part of existence. As time went on, Paganism began to fade and Christianity started to take over. Beowulf is a prime example of dual authorship in literature since monks who wrote down the journey of Beowulf incorporated Christian ideals into the originally Pagan story due to the spread of Christianity.…

    • 856 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Religion Essay
    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Beowulf Religion Essay

    In this epic heroic poetry, Beowulf (8th- early 11th century) the author which remains a mystery suggests that Christianity will overpower or transition the early medieval Scandinavia which is pagan into Christianity due to the fact that Beowulf being the people’s hero and main hope references God more than once which shows the introduction of Christianity context. The author specifically references the Christian story of Cain and Abel which shows the slow but growing introduction of Christianity to the pagan early medieval Scandinavia. The author purposely ties/connects the main hero, Beowulf, with early references of Christianity in order to show that although Beowulf is the narrator and is not pagan, his trust in god allowed him to protect…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Religion In Beowulf
    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Religion In Beowulf

    Culture defines a person’s belief, characteristics, certain practices, values, way of thinking, and acting about a certain position. Each individual is represented by their own culture, and how it is supposed to be done in a certain way. In the epic, Beowulf, and the movie Beowulf and Grendel, Beowulf shows two different perspectives and feelings towards religion. Not only this, but extra characters are added to the movie that were not a part of the poem, and causes a character conflict. During the epic and in the movie, religion is treated very seriously during the time of Beowulf because of the different cultures in the scenes and how each character is not like the other. The cultural values, within both…

    • 1427 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    What Is Paganism In Beowulf
    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages

    What Is Paganism In Beowulf

    Beowulf was originally written as a pagan oral tradition before the Christian monks infused their religion into it. The epic hero showed his faith to God as he battled the monsters and depicted the world of Christianity. However, the ideas in the poem are presented in both Christian God and pagan power which exemplifies Wyrd. Christianity and paganism are at opposite ends of the religious spectrum and each represent different beliefs and customs. Christians believe and follow the teachings of Christ and depend on the Bible for Spiritual guidance, but paganism is based on the belief and worshiping of other gods through sacrifices. Interspersed in each line is both elements, from the prologue to its end, each element tells its own story.…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Beowulf Essay
    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Beowulf Essay

    The dragon that Beowulf fights to the death at the end of the poem shows Beowulf's Christian values because Beowulf agrees to fight the dragon by himself as a selfish act of bravery and love for his people and men. Beowulf tell his men not to help him because he knows the danger he must face and he knows it could be his last battle and doesn't want to put any of his men in danger. In Ogilvy's Beowulf's Heroic death Ogilvy agrees that Beowulf fights the dragon alone "in sake of his men." Beowulf also tells his people not to bury the dragons treasure with him if he dies but to instead give it back to the people. This shows Beowulf compassion and kindness towards his people. If Beowulf only showed Pagan values then he would not have fought the dragon alone and he would have kept the treasure for himself to help better his glory and fame .…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Research Paper On Beowulf
    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Research Paper On Beowulf

    However, the story tells that there was a constant fear of invasion that plagued the Scandinavian people (SparkNotes on Beowulf). Beowulf is, therefore, a fine combination of Christian-pagan elements that together express the heroic code of honor. There are details of pagan religious traditions and funeral rituals and at the same time, there is the use of Christian phrases. The main ethical grounds of the poem are undoubtedly secular that display fidelity, generosity, and bravery while the hero gains a long-lasting fame of great expeditions carried out throughout the history (Bjork and…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Religion In Beowulf
    • 1792 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Religion In Beowulf

    Beowulf is a masterpiece that has pillaged and powered through centuries of oral retelling and translating just as the character it vividly illustrates does throughout the epic. Despite being so impressive and entertaining on the surface, the Old English classic embodies something a lot greater, and that is the moral struggle of religion going on at the time. Religion played a huge role in Anglo-Saxon culture for it was what gave the people a reason to live for, it was what motivated people to work to make it through the harsh winters. Even today, it can be seen that people require that extrinsic motivation to work hard and push through obstacles in their path. The dichotomy of Paganism and Christianity at the time is depicted by the tone of the narrator, which subliminally hints at what their own beliefs are, symbols, that accentuate the severity of the dichotomy itself, and allusions as well as foreshadowing, that further the Christian impact on the poem.…

    • 1792 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Christian Influences In Beowulf
    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Christian Influences In Beowulf

    The epic poem Beowulf is a tale of a warrior, named Beowulf, and the events that lead to his death. One of the main concerns of the epic poem was whether or not it is of pagan or Christian origin, or whether it has pagan or Christian influences. Even though the poem appeared to be originally a pagan story, there are many clues in the text that point to Christian influence and tradition. Beowulf is essentially a Christian story with Christian customs: that man's survival depends on the protection of God, that earthly gifts come from God, and also that Beowulf is a Christ-figure.…

    • 841 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Beowulf Christianity vs. Paganism
    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Beowulf Christianity vs. Paganism

    In Beowulf christianity reveals itself, in which the reader emotions may feel sympathy from the ideas in relates to the bible. The characters in Beowulf take on different roles that are similar to the characters in the bible. The setting also includes christian elements for example, Herot Hall that Hrothgar built in honor of his fame, were celebrations were held with his men. In Beowulf lines 14- 15 describes celebration and peace in Herot Hall: “As now warriors sang of their pleasure: So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall.” Even though Herot hall is the place were the celebration occurred; however, Grendel’s hatred for Herot’s celebration causes him swooped in while Hrothgar’s men were drunk and killed them all. Another Christianity Element discussed in the Beowulf is Beowulf heroism, how he uses God through all of his battles. Before the battle against Grendel, Beowulf says in lines 174-175: “God must decide/Who will be given to death’s cold grip.” In this quote Beowulf is basically saying that God will decide who will win between him and Grendel in battle because he requested to fight with his hands alone. Upon Beowulf’s death from his last battle with the dragon, he thank God from the heavens above for allowing his…

    • 1002 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics