Christian Beliefs In Beowulf

The story of Beowulf describes a tale of heroics and beliefs. It presents the reader with a combination of different beliefs that conflicted but would transform the beliefs of the Anglo-Saxon people who were responsible for writing the story and had their lives affected by its impact. The presence of pagan Nordic culture existing alongside Christian beliefs reflected the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons into Christianity. The depiction of Beowulf as a great and courageous warrior who was also a humble servant of God served as an ideal for the Anglo-Saxons to strive for. Beowulf was a major factor in assimilating the original Nordic culture the Anglo-Saxons brought to England with Christianity, creating a cultural evolution.

Beowulf‘s

In the story, Beowulf is a valiant warrior that exhibits the values of courage, loyalty, and dignity. These qualities were glorified and commonplace in that original culture. Throughout the story, Beowulf’s strength and prowess as a warrior is on display. There is also an example of the lifestyles of the people in Nordic culture displayed during that time. “As day after day the music rang Loud in that hall, the harp’s rejoicing Call and the poet’s clear songs, sung Of the ancient beginnings of us all” (Beowulf 21). Before Grendel’s attack, Hrothgar’s men are depicted eating and drinking to celebrate their conquests and this highlights the heroic behavior that would be revered and celebrated by the inhabitants of Nordic culture. “And then As now warriors sang of their pleasure: So Hrothgar’s men lived happily in his hall” (Beowulf 21). This specifically shows how much they celebrated their way of life, with the description of how the warriors expressed their emotions with raucous laughter, song and dance, and their feast painting a vibrant description of their lifestyle during such events. Another element that was central to the story of Beowulf was how mythical creatures and

“They have seen my strength for themselves, Have watched me rise from the darkness of war, Dripping with my enemies’ blood” (Beowulf 24). Part of the story talks of strength and glory in battle and death which is celebrated by Norse culture and is a theme that comes from paganism. The origin of the Anglo-Saxon people who were responsible for writing Beowulf comes from Nordic countries. They carried over their stories from their predecessors while trying to convert to Christianity. Because of this, the thematic differences between the two different beliefs are more easily noticed. The worship of more than one god was a large difference and was reflective of the pagan status of Nordic culture. They practically worshipped warrior-kings similar to Hrothgar and Beowulf and believed their warrior-kings were lent power from the Pagan gods they worshipped. The method of funeral in the story is also another detail that reflects how different the Nordic culture was from Christianity. One funeral was done by putting a body in a boat that was lit on fire and cast off to sea, while another was done through