Christianity in Beowulf,

The Christian Elements in Beowulf

Though the circumstances of Beowulf 's composition are surrounded in mystery and controversy , the Christian elements can be seen in the theme and treatment of this epic poem . Close examination of the text also suggests that the Scandinavian hero 's character and his exploits are influenced by Christian values . Beowulf 's mind is fixed on God 's benevolence and he follows the duty of an ideal warrior 's desire to alleviate the suffering of the Danes of his neighboring land . He has two encounters with the

colossal embodiment of evil - the monster Grendel and his mother . Finally , in old age with fifty years of reign with the same steady faith and keen sense of duty , he has the final encounter with the fire-breathing dragon in his own land and successfully kills the monster at the cost of his life . His mortally wounded body is buried with the treasures of the dragon . There are overt and covert allusions to the melancholy stories of the Old Testament and its stoic characters in this epic

There are references to divine intervention in Beowulf 's fierce battle with the gigantic monster Grendel , his blood-thirsty mother and the flying dragon in Part II . When he plunges into her den which she has ruled for fifty years , Beowulf is helped by a miraculous discovery of a waterless illuminated hall there and later the sudden availability of a giant sword hanging on the wall - two factors which lead to his victory over the monstrous mother and the son . Other similarities can also be traced . The twelve Geats spreading the news resemble the twelve apostles of Christ and Grendel , like Satan , is envious of people who worship God . Some people think that the Christian elements were added later by the Christian clergy to the epic dealing with the history , mythology of a Teutonic race . In the nineteenth century the epic was thought to be pagan - an essentially heathen poem -- but in the twentieth century the prevailing opinion of the scholars is that it is decidedly Christian though the possibility of some sort of interpolation can not ruled out In Old and Middle English Poetry Treherne and Wu trace the influence of Christianity on heroic poetry : It was not until 597 and the arrival of Kent of Augustine , that the long process of converting the Anglo-saxons began in the South of the country . In the North Christianity was spread by Celtic missionaries from Ireland and Scotland . In 664 , at the Synod of Whitby , the Roman and Celtic Christians came together to decide upon the course of Christianity in England . religious poetry often concerns the presentation of the heroic code in action through the Christian protagonist (Treherne .2-3 . In the epic some Christian references are too obscure to be called Christian doctrine . The poet of Beowulf may have been a Christian at heart but he had no clear intention of preaching any creed . However , Graham Holderness holds the view that Some of the heroic...