God In Beowulf

In today’s society it is common practice among Christians to thank God for blessings in one’s life. It is said that God has a plan for us and that everything happens for a reason. However in the poem Beowulf as translated by Seamus Heaney, the emphasis on God is much greater. Throughout the poem God is given thanks for everything; from day to day occurrences to great feats accomplished by others. God is also the one who decides the fate of every person, whether good or bad. Given all these things, it is apparent that according to Beowulf, God is the one who is ultimately in control of everything. To start, right from birth, your destiny is decided by God. Take for example the Great Shield Shiefson. He was the most legendary of all the Danes

Before each battle, Beowulf makes it clear that he is not afraid of the outcome of his fight. Whether he comes out as the victor or perishes, Beowulf knows that he is not the one in control, nor is his enemy. Instead, before his battle with Grendel, Beowulf announces that “it will be, a life-and-death fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells must deem it a judgment by God” (31) and asks that “the Divine Lord in His wisdom grant the glory of victory to whichever side He sees fit” (47). Beowulf then braves the battle, knowing that God will be the one to either protect him and lead him to victory, or let him die by the hand of the other. The same faith on God to decide the fate of battle is exemplified with the fight between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. It is said that the “holy God decided the victory. It was easy for the Lord, the Ruler of Heaven, to redress the balance” (107). Such was Beowulf’s faith in God that he entered the battle “indifferent to death” (101) completely trusting God to aid him in battle. With this faith in God and the fact that the outcome of battle has less to do with your own actions and more on God’s judgment, it is clear that God is in control of people’s

Whenever something good is done, thanks is given to God, rather than the person who directed the act. The most compelling example of this is when Grendel is defeated. After Beowulf kills Grendel, King Hrothgar gave a speech. He said “First and foremost, let the Almighty Father be thanked for this sight. I suffered a long harrowing by Grendel. But the Heavenly Shepherd can work His winders always and everywhere” (63). Even though Beowulf is the man who slayed Grendel, God is given thanks over him. Even Beowulf himself gives thanks to God for his own actions. While recalling his fight with Grendel’s mother, in Heorot, Beowulf admits that “if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal” (115). So Beowulf and the rest of the characters in the story all agree that God is the one to be thanked for the occurrences that happen in the world, even if they are directly done by