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Beowulf Christian Vs Pagan Values Essay

660 Words3 Pages

Life is full of options. You could live in a world of fate or a world of hope for an after-life, live a culture that believes in fighting for power or honoring the Bible or be a part of a time period stuck between the Pagan values lived for centuries before or the Christian values introduced in time. Beowulf, anonymously written in the seventeenth century during the oral tradition, is an Old English poem about the courageous and bold epic hero overcome with all those choices. The story about Beowulf consists of the hero himself defeating those of the supernatural decent in a series of three battles, while also contrasting Pagan and Christian religious values in his daily life. The tale of Beowulf fighting for his fate, but at the same time thanking God for the protection in battle, generated a need for clarification as to which one was more actively adhered to. …show more content…

Wyrd, or fate, controlled Paganistic people's lives. Beowulf strongly believed in the courage powered by fate. In the text, he stated this strong opinion when he said, “often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked” (Beowulf 572-573). Fate will bring courage and strength to men who stride in working hard to achieve success. Fate has the power to predestine the actions in lives and maintaining the pagan lifestyle will bring wyrd into your hands allowing “fate [to go] ever as fate must” (Beowulf 455). Being Pagan meant that living with an unknowing future controlled your life. Beowulf’s journey in the battle against Breca, his conquest to the mead hall where Grendel was attacking and the strength to defeat him were all part of Beowulf’s fate. Pagan belief in fate control actions of Beowulf because in his mind, if he was not courageous, he would not have a favorable

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