Christian Influence In Beowulf

Christian influence has long dominated European tradition. One clear evidence of the church’s permeating control of culture is seen in the epic Beowulf, written circa 1000 A.D. Despite Beowulf’s pagan influences, the unnamed author still manages to fill a guts-and-glory Viking tale with continuous references to a Christian God. Beowulf has Christian influence beyond its explicit and seemingly random attributions to God; by interweaving varied kinds of diction within a greater theme of warfare, Beowulf’s speech to Hrothgar is reminiscent of the theme of Christian warfare, in which there is a constant inner battle between the Christian’s sinful flesh and his reborn spirit.
The constant referral to battle in Beowulf establishes an overall theme

But this does not contradict the Christian theme of warfare. In the Bible, the flesh and the spirit are two sides of the same person – in other words, two sides in the same heart (or, in the case of Heorot, the hall of the heart). Thus, the similarities between Grendel and Beowulf actually solidify the theme of spiritual warfare. They are not separate, isolated entities - they are two halves of a single being. As an example of some of their similarities, both Grendel and Beowulf are preceded by tales of their great strength and power. Beowulf, as a great hero with a great history, is known for his “awesome strength” (418). Yet Grendel, too, possesses an air of legend: Beowulf acknowledges that the “news of Grendel” is “hard to ignore” (408-409). Beowulf, when speaking of Grendel, even adopts a scop-like formula as he speaks, saying, “I have heard...” (433). Beowulf undoubtedly has his own scop, who manifests himself as the narrator of this tale. Yet Grendel too earns this compliment: In a way, by using formulaic diction to tell the story of Grendel, Beowulf becomes Grendel’s scop. In a culture where the oral tradition was the prominent literature, for Grendel to have a scop is a testament to his reputation. It is important to note here, too, that both Beowulf and Grendel have significant reputations, and for similar reasons: They are both known for their strength. And not only are the two similar, but they are also intertwined: With the poem’s use of temporal interlace, the stories of Beowulf and Grendel are weaved together – Beowulf’s past is interspersed with tales of Grendel’s past, and soon their futures collide as well. The idea that Beowulf and Grendel are two sides of the same entity is highlighted when Beowulf says that he means “to be a match for Grendel” (425). The word “match”