The first Pagan element in Beowulf is evident in the characters superhuman personifications. Beowulf took it upon himself to save the Danes from Grendal. He chose not to use weapons in the fight against Grendel, he relied solely on his super strength. This same super strength also played a role for Beowulf in the fight against Grendel's mother. Beowulf swam downward for entire day without the use of oxygen. This superhero strength continued with the battle against the dragon. By the time Beowulf fought the dragon he was an old man. Even though Beowulf was fatally wounded he still managed to deliver the final blow that killed the dragon.

Beowulf wasn't the only character that held super natural powers. For example, Grendal had no knowledge of weapons; therefore he relied on his extraordinary strength to destroy hi

Beside Christian elements, the poem has many Christian parallels. Grendal hated living in the underworld, cut off from the company of other men. He stalked the people and terrorized them because he was jealous of their joy. Grendel's stalking of the Danes is similar to the devil when he was cast out of heaven and the joys that were there. He became jealous of mankind and to this day stalks people with temptations of evil.

Beowulf's final escapade was the battle against the dragon. The dragon represented malice, greed, and destruction. He was a symbol of the power of Satan. Beowulf's fight with the dragon was a realization of a timeless foe, which represented the eternal evils that man must fight to preserve what's good.

Another trait that gives the book a non-Christian essence is Beowulf himself. He did many non-Christian things. He drank in excess and killed other people and creatures. Beowulf cared about being remembered and getting treasure more than doing a deed for the charity of it. Beowulf also wished to be cremated; this suggests that he was pagan.

While many pagan influences appear in the poem, Christian overtones dominate. Beowulf had a Christ-like behavior in his good-he

Some common words found in the essay are:
Danes Grendal, Beside Christian, Pagan Christian, Beowulf Christ, Christianity Paganism, Heorot Beowulf's, Satan Beowulf's, Finally Christ, Gethsemane Christ, Beowulf Christ-like, dragon beowulf, grendel's mother, jealous happiness joy, charity beowulf, happiness joy, super strength, battle dragon, descent mere, jealous happiness, facing challenge, poem christian,
Approximate Word count = 815
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)