Role Of Paganism In Beowulf

The epic poem of Beowulf is regarded as one of the most important pieces of literary composition in the old and the modern world today. Not only does it provide scholars with an epic story, but it gives them a look at where the English language came from. Beowulf does not have a known author, but was more than likely written by a monk around 700 A.D., after the rise of the Holy Roman Empire. The setting is composed around Scandinavia, and tells of an epic battle between good and evil between the Scandinavian tribes. Around the time of the composition, Europe was undergoing a religious revolution; the spread of Christianity was undermining that of the once-dominant Paganism. Because of the feuding of the two religions, Beowulf
One believes that if one were to live a full, happy, and successful life, one will get another chance to do something great. Pagans value sustainability; the environment plays a key role in the religion. Although there are some guidelines one should follow, such as worshipping and praying, Paganism is different in that it does not have a set line of beliefs that one should follow in order to call himself a Pagan. Paganism is a religion about personal ethics; what one is deemed to be fit on a spiritual level. In the poem, Grendel is the ultimate force of evil. Beowulf appears to be the god-sent hero that King Hrothgar has been looking for. Grendel is a descendent of Cain, who is a biblical figure that had been banished for committing the murder of his brother, Abel. Because Grendel is a depiction of evil, he is to be categorized with the Pagan belief of good versus evil. Another Pagan belief was the importance of an individual’s sword. Held within the Pagan faith, swords were treated with the utmost respect; they were also given a name. In Beowulf, Beowulf was given a sword by Unferth. The exchange of “Hrunting” as the sword was commonly known, was a very important moment in the poem. This symbolized the unification of Beowulf and Unferth; as Unferth had previously not liked Beowulf. The gifting of Hrunting to Beowulf showed Unferth’s acceptance of what Beowulf was capable of; a powerful and great
Instances of both Paganism and Christianity are spread throughout the poem, thus, the poem is very diverse in the spiritual context of content held within it. The Geats and the Danes allow readers to understand how the differentiating cultures still practiced different religions through ways of worship sprinkled throughout the text. For example, Beowulf recognized one god, while the Danes were described to have worshipped the stone gods, which is a key instance of Paganism versus