Paganism In Beowulf

The significance of Paganism and Christianity are both present in Beowulf. Beowulf was written between the 8th and 10th century’s, when the Anglo-Saxon society was beginning to change from Paganism to Christianity. It was first written to essentially to be Pagan works, over time through different writers have changed to a more Christian perspective. Christianity is a religion based upon monotheistic beliefs, belief in one personal and transcendent God and based through Jesus’s teachings. This religion teaches that God has a path for everyone, that people may choose to follow and live by him. The epic poem through the years, has been based upon Christianity but still contains a good deal of Pagan elements. Paganism is a religion founded before

This, having the hero live on through the memories of the poems. In lines 186-190, Beowulf shows this belief when he tells Hrothgar that he will be the one to kill Grendel, “And if death does take me, send the hammered/Mail of my armor to Higlac, return/The inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he/Fro Wayland. Fate will unwind as it must!” (Greensblatt). Beowulf has the reader believe that he is a pagan, by referencing himself to becoming a hero. This quote also references fate, a major pagan idea in Beowulf. In Beowulf fate, is used in association with death and/or greatness. Beowulf shows this pagan belief when he states, “Fate often saves an undoomed man when his courage is good” (Greensblatt). Another example of fate is showed when Beowulf fights Grendel, he does not take any weapons, because he believes that fate will make everything turn out right, “Fate will unwind as it must” (Greensblatt 31). Lastly, Beowulf calls upon fate when he is fighting the mighty dragon, Beowulf states, “And for the first time in his life that famous prince fought with fate against him, with glory denied him. He knew it, but he raised his sword and struck at the dragon’s scaly hole”

In the epic, to be famous means one who has great skill and acts in heroic ways. In the quote, “Let him who can win fame before death, because that is a dead man’s best memorial” (Greensblatt), Beowulf illustrates how important the concept of fame truly is to him. He also proves to himself that he acquires fame when he states that he will “either perform some heroic feat, or breathe last in banqueting hall” (Greensblatt) as a response before fighting Grendel. In the quote, he explains that he will either achieve heroism, or die trying. When Beowulf wounded Grendel in the fight, Hrothgar states to Beowulf that “by exploits established fame forever” (Greensblatt), explaining that by conquering the fight, Beowulf achieved fame. However, when Beowulf ends up killing Grendel, Hrothgar states that this achievement happened “through the power of the Lord” (Greensblatt), which one may believe that Beowulf’s skills and fame are actually from the works of God; this meaning Beowulf is not possessing Paganism but rather