Beowulf could be considered a pagan text with Christian references or paganism. Beowulf’s author is unknown. Dream of the Rood however, was clearly influenced by Christians. “The poem shows how Old English heroic poems like Beowulf can be transformed into Christian doctrines. It is not true that Beowulf was influenced by the Dream of the Rood poem. This is more about the fact that Christian dogmas were adapted from the epic’s heroism. What is the difference between Christianity and paganism in Beowulf? Some could look at Beowulf macro from a Christian perspective. He may have used the story as an example of Christian morality, much like the Bible stories. Because of the values he held dear, Beowulf could be considered a Christ-like character. “A member or the lord’s compitatus (his group of warriors) was expected to uphold a code of heroism that stressed loyalty, bravery, and willingness, at all cost, to revenge his lord and comrades. Beowulf’s morality is a faith that applies Christianity to the foundations of government. Christian faith is, for example, to God the same as knight’s faith to the king. The characteristic of the main protagonist is probable of a Christian methodology.Furthermore, into the macro perspective of Christianity in Beowulf, Goldsmith states “that the hero Beowulf is the poet’s ideal. Beowulf is seen as the savior of his people. This could be likened to a Christian knight. There is an analogy to Jesus’s story in the last stanza.
The warriors then rode around the barrerow.
Twelve in total, athelings’ sons.
They read a dirge to express their grief.
They mourned the loss of their king, spoke of him.
They were impressed by his masculinity and his skill with his hands.
They raised their names; it’s right for a woman
should lavishly honor his lords and friends.
should be his best friend and confide in him all the time.
At last, he is taken from the home of flesh
This stanza’s most striking parallel is the reference to twelve athelings sons. The twelve sons can be seen as a representation of the twelve disciples from the Bible. Disciples can be understood as someone who is interested in learning. Parallel is that Beowulf was made in Jesus’s name. The twelve warriors learned from Beowulf about his knightly morality, and they mourned him for being a savior that killed the dragon to their safety. Beowulf made a sacrifice for Jesus’s sake. Jesus predicted his death. Jesus, in turn, was anticipating his death. Beowulf’s last lines include a reference to Christ’s burial. It is quite remarkable that the author didn’t attempt to make Beowulf a resurrection.
Ironically, the third example is that the Christian viewpoint tells the story from a third-person omniscient perspective. The all-knowing narration makes it seem like the narrator is possessed of godlike attributes. The omniscient perspective of the narrator, who is all-knowing, is ironic because surprises rarely occur unless the reader is intentionally restricted from their knowledge. This perspective is authorial and traditional in telling stories. The Bible is told through a third-person perspective because it was written by an all-knowing God. This supernatural element seems to have been incorporated into the story of Beowulf.
Beowulf’s story was derived from an Anglo-Saxon epic oral history that was later turned into a fully-written work. The views of the poet could have influenced the story. Beowulf influenced both Christian and pagan cultures. Many people could tell the story of Beowulf, which would lead to many perspectives. The story also contains pagan references. “Beowulf, however, offers an exceptional double perspective. First, it is open to the pagan patriotic code but also references Christian concepts, which are often in conflict with them. Nevertheless, paganism is not a new phenomenon. Many intriguing elements of Christianity will continue to be used. Paganism may be a way of following their own paths. However, from a Christian’s view, paganism just means that the gospel has become lost in a webof lies. Nimrod’s reign was a good example. According to the Bible account, Nimrod is a very powerful person, especially when cities grow like Babylon. Babylonia’s ruler Nimrod made the laws. These laws stated that Babylonians should not look at the God of Noah for their ruler and should instead be governed through human governments. Nimrod taught them to worship Satan by teaching them to worship objects that they could see like the sun, snakes, and other types of things. Their society held on to certain truths and principles. People would have found something that was interesting in a pagan culture. It intrigued them and gave them strength. In a culture that has Christianity and paganism, they will be assimilated.
The work also contains paganistic references. Beowulf took Hrunting’s sword, a sword that was well-respected, to Grendel’s mother. A sword, an inanimate object, had a lively element.
None of these powerful aids.
Hrothgar’s spokesperson, the hilted blade, was this sword?
Unferth, gave him in his hour.
Hrunting was the name of this unique and ancient company.
The iron edge of the venom was annealed to make it stronger.
You can temper it with blood; in combat, it will never be
Any hero who took the opportunity was defeated.
Beowulf never actually used the sword, even though it was only at the end of the battle that it fell short of the standards it claimed to be. Superstition items such as luck or luck depend on faulty assumptions. “Superstition refers to a belief or half-belief that is not supported by rational substance. The term is often used to indicate that someone has superior knowledge or evidence to support their religious, philosophical, or scientific convictions” (Britannica). It’s funny how the sword claimed that its magic power has not been lost, but it also points out that superstitions cannot be trusted. The sword proved ineffective, leading to the debate about whether Beowulf was Christian or pagan.
A second pagan reference, wyrd, is used in the poem of Beowulf. According to the lecture, wyrd refers simply to fear of fate. Beowulf may be cocky but he is actually a paganist and can take on the fights by himself. He would rather live a heroic and brave death than to be scrutinized for it. Beowulf infers that he doesn’t require God to win. Beowulf, in turn, basks in his glory and embodies paganism that is contrary to Christian belief.
The perspective that you take on the question of Beowulf’s Christian or paganistic story is what will decide. Both references to each viewpoint are present in Beowulf. After Jesus’ timeline, literature has been greatly influenced by the story about Christ. The foundation of Christ’s story is the basis for most stories that have similarities to Christianity. Beowulf could be considered a pagan reference to Christianity. Is Beowulf a fake story? We all know the story of the protagonist and the antagonist. It is common for the story to show that while the bad guy may appear to be going down, the good man always wins. Beowulf may be just another interesting imitation, like all the Netflix shows. Beowulf follows a similar story to Jesus.
