Christianity in Beowulf

Kieran Klukas
Carrie Klukas
Writing

Beowulf is not the tamest or most civilized of classic writings and one could easily, at first glance, believe that it was written by wild and untamed pagan Norsemen with no knowledge of God. The narrative of the book revolves around the gruesome and descriptive tasks of killing Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and subsequently a dragon. Upon closer inspection of the text, it can be found that God is mentioned many times throughout the book, indicating a familiarity with Christianity and its teachings.

In line 92-94 it says, “… the Almighty had made the earth / a gleaming plain girdled with waters; / in His splendor He set the sun and the moon / to be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men.” This directly parallels the creation story in genesis and refers to God in the singular. Again in verses 107-110 we have mention of Cain and Abel from genesis. These narratives are markedly distinct from that of the gods of Asgard, Valhalla, and Midgard.

After going into battle with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf credits his victory to God with these words, lines 1656-1658, “It was hard-fought, a desperate affair that could have gone badly; if God had not helped me, the outcome would have been quick and fatal.” He also gives thanks for the treasure that he has won right before he dies with these words:

To the everlasting Lord of All,
to the King of Glory, I give thanks
that I behold this treasure here in front of me,
that I have been allowed to leave my people
so well endowed on the day I die.

Many instances can be seen as representations of divine intervention. The coming of Beowulf to relieve Hygelac’s troubles with Grendel, the magical sword being in the cavern with Grendel’s mother just as Beowulf needed it. The dragon can also be seen as a punishment for the people’s wickedness, sent by God and Beowulf’s loyal ‘thane’ Wiglaf coming to his rescue when all the others turned tail. These are all instances of God’s divine intervention and help or punishment.

The inclusion of biblical narratives, prayers, and divine interventions collectively forms the narrative backdrop of Beowulf. This, in turn, strongly suggests that the authors were Christians or had knowledge of their beliefs, resulting in a fusion of pagan and Christian worldviews. The presence of Christian elements in Beowulf, including references to God and biblical tales, underscores the influence of Christianity on this ostensibly pagan epic.