Paganistic Beliefs in Beowolf
The epic poem Beowolf is one of the founding pieces of literature known to man. The author of the poem is unknown. It is believed that he was a monk or someone of the Christian faith. Although during the time of Beowolf there would not have been Christian beliefs. Although in the poem there are more than twenty-five lines of references to the Christian belief. The poem is about good vs. evil, or the heavens vs. hell. Paganistic implications are also in the poem. Paganism would be the true religion in the time when this poem was written, or first told. An idolatrous person is a pagan. A pagan is someone who worships many gods. Pagans believe in fate. They think that your life is inevitably happening as though it has already been determined by a higher source or power. Which religion, paganism or Christianity, is more dominant and decides more in the poem Beowolf. In Beowolf Grendel is described as a powerful, murderous, loathsome man-eating monster that lives at the bottom of a foul mountain lake. In the poem Grendel is portrayed as one of the devil's creature or the devil himself. The following passage shows us how Grendel was born in evil; Conceived by a pair of those monsters born Of Cain, murderous creatures banished
think of dark, gloomy, grotesque places or settings. In the poem Beowolf the only time that Grendel comes out is when there are these same type of settings. This is one description of where Grendel stalked; The death of Beowolf is much like that of Grendel. They are both described in paganistic and Christian ways. The pagans believe that their life has already been made out. Pagans do believe in gods. As a matter fact many gods. They have gods for thunder, fertility, agriculture, and a god for death. The god of death, Odin, is also the god of magic. He is the most predominant god in the poem. When paganistic beliefs are mentioned in the poem, like fate, they are all aimed at death. Both Grendel and Beowolf's death were both described as a dark unpleasant experience. Here is an example of that;
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1123
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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