Essay On The Blending Of Beawulf

The blending of Paganism and Christianism in Beowulf

The legend Beowulf, which was translated by Seamus Heaney among others, brings within it a conflict to be discussed. This original Anglo-Saxonoral tale was written by Christian monks. Therefore, many contradictions are present as regards Christian values and pagan elements. It is through out this epic that the blending of Christianism andpaganism is depicted in the customs, the references and the hero’s personality the writer makes.

Right through the very first lines, the writer explains how is it that a king was dead and thehonours his people had made to him. In these lines the author names the God:
Shield was still thriving when his name came
andhe crossed over into the Lord’s keepings (i. 26-27)

And a few lines after this, he pictures the funeral ceremony in which the king is put into a boat to be sailed among his treasures. It is clearlya contradiction, thus a Christian would be buried without any object, for in heaven the only characteristic needed is to have been a good person in life, regardless of your merits or treasures youhave possessed:
The great ring-giver. Far- fetched treasures
were piled upon him, and precious gearI never heard before of a ship so well furbished (i. 36- 37- 38)

There is evidence of the differences the writer makes between paganism and Christianism. In these lines theauthor shows pity for those who worship anything else but God, making his position very clear and also stating the result for such choices as choosing to worship a pagan god:Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed
offering to idols, swore oaths
that the killer of souls might come to...