Essay about Pagan Aspects in Beowulf - 1573 Words

Scholars have argued about the religious stance of the epic poem Beowulf for centuries. Although the man who put the poem down on paper, known as the Beowulf poet, was a devout Christian, the actual poem itself is pagan. There are many clues in the epic that lead us to this conclusion such as the numerous references to pagan symbols, namely the symbol of fate. Also, the central idea of revenge in the poem opposes the ideas of Christianity. The poem also contains many breaches of the Ten Commandments, which prove that the story is not Christian. However, the biggest clue to the paganism of Beowulf is the scene that contains the burial of Beowulf and the building and idolization of the tower, all of which go directly against the†¦show more content†¦There is no evidence anywhere that leads us to believe that poison is part of the Christian religion, again emphasizing the paganism of the poem. Although all of these are important pagan symbols that lead us to believe that this poem is not Christian, probably the most significant pagan symbol is that of fate. The idea of fate ruled the lives of the pagans. Their belief was that you were born with a fate, and there was nothing that could change this destiny. This idea becomes apparent in Beowulf several times. As Beowulf is dying he refers to his leaving this earth as just part of his destiny when he says that [m]y days have gone by as fate willed (Norton 1604). The idea of fate is called on again when Beowulf asks Wiglaf to succeed him as king of the Geats. He tells Wiglaf that he would have given the honor to his son, if he had one, but fate did not allow it. We see a reference to fate a final time when Wiglaf speaks of Beowulf after his death. He offers that as much as Beowulfs people tried to convince him to leave well enough alone, to allow the monster to live on forever, there was no changing Beowulfs destiny. Beowulfs [f]ate, and his will, [w]ere too strong (Norton 1611). Fate is clearl y a non-Christian idea, and its presence in the poem helps the case for Beowulf being a pagan story. A huge theme in Beowulf is the revenge ethic that all of the characters possess. During the time inShow MoreRelatedComparing Beowulf And The Epic Of Beowulf937 Words   |  4 PagesEmpire. In the story Beowulf, his actions portray him, indeed be an epic hero. Both Christianity and Paganism are both portrayed throughout the epic Beowulf. Beowulf frequently speaks of God throughout the story, while there are also many Pagan elements that are evident throughout the story as well. In addition, It s hard to ignore the Christian and Pagan elements in Beowulf. These types of elements are what define the heroic warrior in the epic Beowulf(Vengeance the Pagan and Christian Inspiration)Read MoreBeowulf Is A Pagan Work Essay519 Words   |  3 Pages The poem Beowulf was written in England sometime in the 8th century. 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