The poem Beowulf had roots in the medieval era and was circulated by word of mouth. The story was first a pagan poem, however, this epic was then retold by Anglo-Saxon Christians who emphasized the Christian trends within it. Throughout the poem, pagan comments can be found, but a Christian element ultimately comes through. The author incorporates the elements of Christianity within Beowulf to allude to various scriptures within the Bible and provide insight on Christian ideals and themes.
One commentator, James Cahill, remarks that Beowulf has “a Christian resonance to it” (252). Beowulf, the main protagonist, is brought up against heathenistic monsters that must be defeated. As stated in Beowulf, Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, refers to Beowulf as their savior and proceeds to claim that Beowulf was sent by God, not fate (123 lines 476-479). This remark by Hrothgar points to the Christianity of Jesus Christ, the savior. In Rereading Beowulf, Edward
…show more content…
This beast’s actions are similar to the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel were the children of Adam and Eve who were given specific jobs. The difference in sacrificial offerings causes Cain to become jealous and murders his brother. This behavior generates anger within God to punish Cain, making him an outcast and wanderer for life, including his descendants (New American Bible Genesis 4.1-26). In Margaret E. Goldsmith’s article, Grendel is a descendant from Cain who is full of “envy and murderous hatred [intent] within” (74). He is associated with being” literally demonic” (Niles 17). In Beowulf: The Poem and Its Tradition, John D. Niles reminds the reader that Grendel is a vagabond who is not accepted into society and will be rejected from ever coming in (17). As evidence of this, “Grendel is God’s adversary, a servant of hell, of the Devil’s company, and feuding with God” (Robinson