Beowulf As A Christian Poem

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In my reading of the Story Beowulf, I have found what I believe is evidence that the tale is in fact a Christian poem. From the beginning, the warrior known as Beowulf is painted as a warrior of god; in this quote, early into the story, Beowulf’s birth is spoken of as a blessing by the lord. “Afterward a boy-child was born to Shield, a cub in the yard, a comfort sent by God to that nation. He knew what they hold tholed, the long times and troubles they’d come through without a leader; so the Lord of Life, the glorious Almighty, made this man renowned.”(Pg. 42) It is this portion of the story that establishes the tone of Christianity. God himself bestows a leader into the lands of Shield. Although his purpose has yet to be disclosed the reader …show more content…
The mission can be anything; it may be a simple task, such as spreading the word from the good book. Or it may be something much more difficult like vanquishing evil from the face of the earth. In Beowulf, the journey sets the protagonist on a path to accomplish the ladder. As far as Christianity goes, when a man accomplishes anything of significant importance all praise is given to the most-high, the almighty himself. Beowulf is quite verbal in his ideology of achieving glory in the name of God. He reiterates his points of strength under the lord numerous times throughout the poem. As a Geat, the loyalty Beowulf holds to his king is one in the same as the loyalty a Christian holds toward the king of kings. With this said, there should be no reason his ultimate quest does not yield the same results; that is glory in the holy name. The evil I mentioned before, that Beowulf must face off against, manifests itself in the form of a …show more content…
“So times were pleasant for the people there until finally one, a fiend out of hell, began to work his evil in the world. Grendel was the name of this grim demon haunting the marches, marauding round the heath and the desolate fens; he had dwelt for a time in misery among the banished monsters, Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed and condemned as outcasts.”(Pg. 44) The being called Grendel is referenced as a member of Cain’s clan. This allusion places connotations of biblical evil on the antagonist. From here all the pieces of the puzzle are in place that bring this story into focus as one of a Christian tale. The theme of community is stressed within Christian stories; usually whole masses of people come together to sing and rejoice in the name of god. They come together as a community to eat and drink and enjoy each-others company. In Beowulf, this theme is seen; a large group of towns people come together singing, eating, and drinking in their mead hall. It is the very sound of praise and song that torments Grendel; he comes down on the townspeople in a rampage of violence to disrupt the community. It is then Beowulf is told to do battle with Grendel. In his glorious battle, he delivers a tormented town from the wrath of a vile demon. In the descriptions of Grendel’s death, the author talks of hell itself giving claim to the monster. “With his death
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