Beowulf and Christianity
The author of Beowulf writes in order to provide a link between the Christians of 8th century England and their pagan ancestors. Throughout the poem he allays to the reader the mystical war-laden world of the Anglo-Saxons, where a great hero fights for his people against several terrible foes. However, throughout this mystical pagan story, filled with pagan values like revenge and self-righteousness, there are numerous examples of the Christian morals and values widely known across early medieval England. Through close analysis of the poem it is clear that the author intends to use this age-old pagan story intertwined with his own Christian values and morals, to produce a story which both entertains his audience and provides a meaningful history for the English people. The tendency for cultures to bridge the gap between the old pagan ways and the emerging Christian world, and create a history for themselves worth believing in, was prevalent throughout medieval Europe. In England, with its conglomerate of both contrasting and similar cultures, from the Anglo-Saxons of which the poem is based, to the warrior culture of the Celts, to the nature worshipping societies of the ancient Druids, this tendency is very evident. Even
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1542
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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