Monday, August 6, 2012
Beowulf #9
Look at the religious references in the poem: what are the names for God? What biblical events are mentioned, and who mentions them? What specifically pagan practices (sacrifice, burial, augury, etc.) are described? How do the characters see their relationship to God (or the gods)? Why would a Christian author write a poem about a pagan hero?
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ReplyDeleteThere are many references of God within Beowulf these include: Eternal Lord, The Almighty Judge, Head of the Heavens, High King of the World, simple "God," Lord of Life, the Almighty, the Lord God, Creator, God Himself, mankind's Keeper, True King of Triumphs, etc. A prominent biblical even is the very history of Grendel: Cain's killing of Abel. Cain is jealous of his brother and slaughters him. Characters relate themselves to God in a constant sense: God's blessing of safety is wished on line 315, they cry out that God should stop Grendel from attacking in line 475, they wish for glory by the grace of God in 685, etc. God is mentioned so many times throughout this poem that it is unavoidable to recognize that the author is clearly devout to God. He has his characters addressing God in every facet of the story. Pagan practices within the text include the burning of Beowulf's body at the end of the epic, as well as the treasure that surround him, another one I would assume to the inclusion on monsters in the story instead of real people as Beowolf's foes. No Christian holy readings, that I am aware of include monsters. I like what the introduction of the poem says about it concerning a Christian author and pagan characters: "the entire poem could be viewed as the poet's lament for heroes like Beowulf who went into the darkness without the light of the poet's own Christian faith." Since the author was writing a word of mouth poem, he could add any element of God that he wanted.
ReplyDeleteAt the time of the story of Beowulf, religious practices were a mix of pagan and christian. Many references to the Christian God were made in the poem such as "Lord of Life, the Almighty, the Lord God, Creator, Head of the Heavens, God, High King of the World" and many more. There were also many references to the early stories of the Bible of Cain and Abel and of Noah.
ReplyDeleteThere were also a few pagan references made to the form of burial at sea, which was the Nortic way of burying and honoring the dead. There was also mention made of praying at pagan shrines which the warriers happened upon in their journeys. I believe that the characters believe that in honoring and supporting their families with their brave deeds that they were honoring God. I believe that the christian author wrote the story this way because this is the way life was, not one religion was totally practiced by all as it was a time of changes in beliefs.
Often they refer to god as God, the eternal one, great lord. They often refer to cain form the bible. They also talk about the funeral pyre at the end, which is pagan. The author came from a world which both pagan and the church were just starting to meet. They often would allow new conferts to use their old ways to become a bridge to the new church. You see that in the story and the fact that the man apointed by Beowulf to rule next was a young man, mostlikely a chisten, is to show giving way to the new ways of the church.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I've never fully understood about Beowulf. According to historians, the story's origin is estimated around the 8th century, but Christianity didn't really reach the pagan people of Europe until close to the 11th century during the time of the Norman Conquests. I suppose the actual events of Beowulf happened long before it was ever recorded on paper. Most likely sung by bards or poets for centuries prior and eventually recorded by a Christian who wanted to remove pagan aspects.
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