Recipe for Beowulf: A Blend of Two Religions A recipe for Beowulf: One part Paganism. One part Christianity. Blend well. Beowulf is an epic tale that combines the contrasting ideals of two different religions. Beowulf was originally an oral folktale that was told at a time when Paganism dominated Anglo-Saxon England in the fifth or sixth century. Two hundred years later, the poem was interpreted by a Christian writer who inserted Christian references into the story of Beowulf, while leaving the original Pagan references intact. The epic highlights the traditionally Pagan ideals of vengeance, fate, and heroism, yet reconciles Christianity’s contrasting virtues such as forgiveness, God’s will, and selflessness of one’s actions. The narrator’s …show more content…
Pagan ideals encourage man to seek recognition of his bravery and skill in battle. Contrary to these beliefs, the Christian religion teaches that a man’s actions should be selfless and not boastful. There are several instances of Beowulf boasting about his fame throughout the epic. For example, Beowulf boasts about his achievements to Unferth and proclaims himself a hero when Unferth doubts his capability to defeat Grendel. Additionally, Beowulf uses the arm he tore from Grendel as a trophy to glorify his victory. Furthermore, Beowulf shows his Pagan philosophy when he proclaims, “Let whoever can / win glory before death” (Beowulf 1387-1388) while informing King Hrothgar of his intent to avenge Aeschere’s death. Although on the surface, Beowulf’s actions reflect the Pagan concept of heroism, the narrator inserts many Christian references to God perhaps as a way to present Beowulf’s actions as selfless rather than heroic. Beowulf describes the outcome of a difficult battle with Grendel: “It was hard-fought, a desperate affair/ that could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, / the outcome would have been quick and fatal,” (Beowulf, 1656-1658). In this quote the narrator incorporates Christian ideals by crediting God rather than man with the glory of victory. An essay written by Maloney explains that the narrator uses the references to God to make the Pagan theme of heroism