Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
The Christianity Of Beowulf - Online Term Paper

The Christianity Of Beowulf

It is agreed by almost all critics that Beowulf was once a pre-Christian poem but no one is completely sure how it went from pre-Christian to Christian influenced. There are many ideas of how it was written and one of the most popular theories is that the poem was already in poetic form and the author's own beliefs were added. Another theory is that the poem was written by a Christian who heard the story and added some of his own beliefs when he wrote it. A third theory is that the poem was already written and a Christian revised it and added his own beliefs (Blackburn, p.1). Throughout the poem there is an underlying non-Christian feeling with Christian beliefs added in. It is obvious ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

the many references to fate, and blood revenge. These are all things that Christians are against and are often considered sins. Though mostly minor things, these are seen quite frequently and show that the author was familiar with knowledge of the bible and Christian terminology. If the poem was originally Christian, then probably non of these things would be mentioned. On the other hand, there are absolutely no references to angels, saints, the cross or Christ. These are things that are often in Christian stories but fail to show up in Beowulf.
It is also believed that when the Christian beliefs were added later, the author may have changed a significant amount of the story. This can been see through the character of Grendel. Grendel is a type of man-monster and represents all evil and darkness, just like the Christian devil. They often say Satan related things about him such as calling him "God's enemy", "Hell slave", and at one point even call him "the devil in Hell" ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

The Christianity Of Beowulf. (2007, June 14). Retrieved January 27, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Christianity-Of-Beowulf/66447

"The Christianity Of Beowulf." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 14 Jun. 2007. Web. 27 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Christianity-Of-Beowulf/66447>

"The Christianity Of Beowulf." Essayworld.com. June 14, 2007. Accessed January 27, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Christianity-Of-Beowulf/66447.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/14/2007 11:14:46 AM
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 906
Pages: 4

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier