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What Is Paganism In Beowulf

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Beowulf was originally written as a pagan oral tradition before the Christian monks infused their religion into it. The epic hero showed his faith to God as he battled the monsters and depicted the world of Christianity. However, the ideas in the poem are presented in both Christian God and pagan power which exemplifies Wyrd. Christianity and paganism are at opposite ends of the religious spectrum and each represent different beliefs and customs. Christians believe and follow the teachings of Christ and depend on the Bible for Spiritual guidance, but paganism is based on the belief and worshiping of other gods through sacrifices. Interspersed in each line is both elements, from the prologue to its end, each element tells its own story.
The poem reflects Anglo-Saxon concepts which present pagan traditions. The texts show a …show more content…

All gifts of such strong power are believed only to be obtained from the Lord Almighty. “Afterward a boy-child was born to Shield, /a cub in the yard, a comfort sent/ by God to that nation” (Beowulf 12-14). God became the reason for the birth of Beowulf, to imply control of the superior power of Christian divinity. In this case, God is the known giver of life, to whoever follows his ways and the all earthly gifts flow from God only. Beowulf is presented as a hero who uses his powers for righteousness to please God. In the text, Beowulf was presented as a gift sent to Shield who will later become a hero to save people from monsters. He makes his minstrel sing in Heorot of the Creation of the earth and the lights of Heaven (Tolkien). Heorot hall, which is synonymous with the Garden of Eden, where men lived in perfect peace and harmony with the God of Heaven, the giver of life and all good things, is where the plot begins. The old king recognizes the visitations by Grendel as allowed by God because of prowess in his power and wealth

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The scene depicts the introduction of war into the world and the punishment the giants received for it. Beowulf himself is in a battle against giants—Grendel and his mother. They are fearsome and have been terrorizing Heorot. Beowulf states that they “suffered a terrible severance from the Lord; /” (1691). One of the giants in the context of the text is Grendel — a descendant of Cain, according to Bodek (131).

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The thing that stands out when reading the stories of Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and the Canterbury Tales is that the writers use Christianity to show conflicts in human nature. Also with these stories taking place in different times with writers who have different opinions about Christianity and how it has influences Society. For example, in Beowulf, the writer chooses to mash up the ideas of Christianity and paganism because during the time that the writer was transcribing the story there were missionaries trying to convert the Anglo-Saxons that lived in Britain, so the missionaries used Beowulf as a way to reach the pagans. This is also been done to other stories like in the Viking legend Thor god of thunder where at the end of the story the world

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Of all the great heroes in epics and movies alike, each one of them has his or her great traits as well as fatal flaws. Unfortunately, our hero’s fatal flaw is losing faith in God and he loses his life because of that. In the epic Beowulf, many references to Paganism and Christianity are found throughout the tale due to the author’s belief that faith in God assures victory whereas faith in paganism assures defeat. Paganism and Christianity parallel the struggle of holiness and evil throughout the epic, and in many cases, faith in God is the key to Beowulf´s success as he defeats monsters and protects the village of Herot. Beowulf faces foes such as Grendel and Grendel’s mother who utilize magic spells to fight as read, “that sin-stained demon/

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All in all, throughout the story of “Beowulf” there are many beliefs that favor paganism and christianity both throughout the story. Both beliefs play a role in determining how effective the story is. This is a symbol of the time period in which religion was a key factor in determining how stories were expressed. The story is developed through thoughts that influence the story's meaning. This is why the beliefs that are chosen are crucial to the plot of the

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By the time this monastic scribe began his work, the stories of Beowulf were already legendary tales of this era; legends that were passed down orally. The poet cautiously uses this information to compose an epic poem while also combining the notions of the pagan wyrd (fate) and dom (worth), along with the Christian ideals of refinement and final judgement. A pagan poem in its own right, steeped in ancient Germanic culture, yet it is baptized in lax Christian comments and passages. However, while the passages are referred to as Christian, there is never any reference within the poem, to Christ Himself. When we are first introduced to Grendel, we see the first signs of Christian passages appearing: God had condemned them as kin of Cain.

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Most readers often question the concept of queer theory and ask themselves, “Did the author/poet purposely add these homoerotic quotes or did it just happen?” In a close reading of some Anglo-Saxon readings, there is plenty of evidence to support the case of there being queer theory works implemented and how it relates to the overall plot of the story. The poem of Beowulf contains a lot of hidden imagery, symbolism, and other underlying messages throughout and the hidden theme or theory that is most prevalent throughout the poem is the queer theory, or that Beowulf is actually a homosexual. There are multiple situations and circumstances that would give the reader this impression within the text and the use of different literary devices give the poet, who is unknown, the ability to express them. In the poem, the poet utilizes phallic symbols, coding, and heteronormative roles in society to show the possibility that Beowulf was queer in a time where heteronormative roles were what was the social norm in society.

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All types of stories reveal certain aspects of the culture that it is associated with. These stories display certain values and beliefs a specific culture has shown through the characters, just as it happened with Beowulf. The poem had combined Christian and Pagan ideals to reflect on the time and place in which it was written, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the culture of the pagans was completely forgotten. Beowulf was written sometime between the 8th and 10th centuries in modern day England. At this time, the dominant religion was Paganism, but their belief system was undergoing great transformations due to the influence of Christianity.

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Beowulf is one of the greatest poems that exhibit the characteristics of conversion in a pagan society. There are beginnings of change, evident in the poem, from a pagan history to an acceptance of a new Christian meaning. This history of a pagan hero was infused with Christian symbols and morals to help smooth the conversion for pagans. When studying Beowulf, it is important to uncover the meanings and symbols of what Grendel and his mother represent in a Christian society with reference to the pagan society, as well as, look at the final fight between the dragon and Beowulf and Beowulf’s pride. History is a major part of understanding Christian symbols apparent in Beowulf and understanding his actions in a pagan society.

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This is seen multiple times throughout the poem beginning with his quest to kill Grendel. Beowulf personally sought out permission from Hrothgar to help the Danish people. Beowulf was able to help the suffering community; furthermore, he had a chance to receive great recognition for his actions. After defeating Grendel, Beowulf was given the opportunity to receive more glory and once again help Heorot by taking the life of Grendel’s mother. This was an extremely dangerous challenge because he knew her capabilities.

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Christopher Cain, professor and expert in Old English and Medieval Scandinavian literature and culture, published an essay analyzing the relationship between Beowulf and the Old Testament, as well as the presence of paganism in this poem. In the essay, it is noted that “the general tone of the poem and its ethical viewpoint are decidedly Christian;” the poet relied heavily upon the Bible, as can be evidenced by “allusions to Cain, the Creation, and the Deluge,” which are all Old Testament allusions (Cain). The characters themselves also serve to represent Christian ideologies, though references to Germanic culture appear frequently. For instance, this is embodied in the scene where Beowulf is fighting to rid Heorot of Grendel, and “Beowulf recognizes it to be God's will that determines the outcome of the fight—” not his own strength (Cain).

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640 Words | 3 Pages

Two very important ideas in Pagan belief are Loyalty and Faith. Beowulf is very loyal to his comitatus and is also very loyal to Hrothgar. He would give his life for the safety of his brothers and would never stab them in the back. He also always had faith in himself and God. He trusted that he would be victorious over his enemies with God having his back.

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I believe that Beowulf can be seen as a Christ figure throughout the epic of Beowulf. He shares many characteristics with Jesus. He faces a devil figure, sacrifices himself, and is recognized as a savior by his people. Beowulf to the Danes is a savior, taking away the fear that Grendel will kill all of Hrothgar’s people. In the Christian sense Jesus Christ is a savior to all Christians.

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The epic poem Beowulf presents insights into the importance of boasting in Anglo-Saxon culture. On the eve of Beowulf's battle with Grendel, he has a scuffle with Unferth. Beowulf ends up using a notable skill, boasting, an important mechanism to assert prowess and triumphs. They can serve as a certification of reputation, bravery, and power, all values of Anglo-Saxon society. The exchange between Unferth and Beowulf exhibit the value of boasting in a society that values the truth.

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He knew what they had tholed, the long times and troubles they'd come through without a leader; so the Lord of Life, the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned." This quote describes how God played a large role in the success of Beowulf. Assuming that all acts of heroism proven successful are really acts of God. Thus, leaving you thinking success must be a form of divine assistance, in the hands of God. The poem takes on both beliefs of Paganism and Christianity.

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The Anglo-Saxons mixed both Pagan and Christian traditions. Beowulf contains traces of both beliefs. In Beowulf, God is mentioned by two of the main characters, Beowulf and Hrothgar. In the poem, Grendel represents Lucifer and is described as a son, or descendant of Cain, a clear Biblical reference.

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