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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page essay that discusses how Christian influences can be seen in this primarily pagan epic poem. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khbeoci.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
groups living along the Baltic and North Sea coasts," namely the "Danes, the Geats or Gotar, and the Swedes" (Saupe 97). The tale was brought to Britain and set to
paper by a British monk at some point during the eighth century. Therefore "Beowulf" is a hybrid of Nordic pagan culture, with Christian overtones that were added by the anonymous
poet who recorded the tale. Considerably scholarly attention has been paid toward the coexistence of both pagan and Christian values in "Beowulf" (Saupe 97). Eighteen-century scholars, who wrote when
Romanticism was in vogue, tend to favor viewing the poem as primarily pagan, "overlaid with Christian motifs"; however, twentieth century scholarship favors the view the poem from the perspective that
it was composed by a "Christian scribe for a Christian audience with some pagan sympathies" (Saupe 97). In the new translation of "Beowulf" by the Irish poet Seamus
Heaney, lines 2329-31 state, "The wise man thought he must have thwarted/ancient ordinance of the eternal Lord,/broken His command" (Saupe 97). There is another Christian reference at the end of
the epic when Beowulf dies and a literal translation of the text reads that "His soul fled from his breast/to it destined place among the steadfast ones" (Saupe 97).
As these examples illustrate, there are instances where there are definite Christian allusions in the text. Furthermore, at the beginning of the saga, Beowulf is pictured as calling for hand-to-hand
combat and arguing that God will determine the victor. Also though the poem, the warriors are picturing as calling on God for assistance or thanking God for their deliverance (Beowulf
11). For example, Hrothgar offers thanks to God for sending him Beowulf. They "Blessed God/out of his mercy this hath sent/to Danes of the West/as I ween indeed/against horror
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