Beowulf: A Timeless Epic Shaping Anglo-Saxon and Christian Influences

Beowulf is considered one of the most influential literal work in the English language. It is based on events that took place in the Anglo Saxon community. This was a time during which the Saxons were moving towards Britain and wanted to seize it. It is a literal work that many believed was written at around &00 AD. But before, being written, it was told as stories orally to children and the rest of the people in the society. It is a poem, and the composer is unknown. During the time Anglo Saxons and Scandinavian nations had invaded Britain. The invasion brought with them some Germanic languages that have become very influential in the development of the English language. However, the events of Beowulf, as well as its characters, date far back before the invasion took place. It has both aspects of reality as well as fiction. For example, some of the charterers are linked with Swedish as well as Danish royal family and they were actual figures in the Scandinavian and Anglo Saxon communities. The Anglo Saxons, as well as the Scandinavian people, were mostly pagans, and they invaded Britain which was a Christian nation. Their entry into this nation led to their widespread conversion to Christianity. It is for this reason that Beowulf is mostly told by a poet who is Christian. However, there exists a lot of conflict between the society from which the poem was tools and the characters within the poem. The characters were mostly pagans and acted in a non-Christian manner. It is highly likely that the attributes and characters of the poem were changed to fit with Christian aspects. This shows that there exists a great difference between the Beowulf of the past and that of today (PARKER, 2017).

There exists a lot of religious tensions between, pagan’s way of life and Christianity and having a pagan story which is the Beowulf being told by a Christian makes it look weird. However, despite such conflicts the contributions that this piece of writing has had on both the pagans and the Christians is immense. More so it has been very influential for English literature and the English language itself. It is one of the oldest and the best poem surviving from the Anglo Saxon poetry. It setting was in the sixth century in what is now the nations of Sweden and Denmark. The poem describes the lives of the Anglo Saxons that make up the Danes and the Geats in the 5^th century. This was period characterized by high levels of brutality. There was always constant warfare in the land. There were raids, attacks, and fights between neighboring tribes. Blood rivalries, as well as killings for revenge, were very common among different tribes.one of the biggest aspect was heroism and was based on triumph in times of chaos and disaster. Heroism was a great aspect of the society. People would tell one another of their conquest and victories during conflicts with others. The life was characterized by feasts, bloody wars, and drinking. It was a society with little regard for life. People killed each other as they wished. It was a society filled with chaos and discord and was a bloody and very messy (PARKER, 2017).

Beowulf is a heroic narrative. It is a piece of work that belonged to an old way of life but possesses an imaginative vitality that gives it an aspect of continuous present and helps enrich the knowledge of our reality.  It is a story about the actions of a Scandinavian prince who also goes by the name Beowulf; same as the poem’s title. The poem provides actual historical facts of the Scandinavian society. Beowulf stood as the greatest hero of the people of Geats which is currently southeastern Sweden. Beowulf engages himself and his warriors on a quest where he crosses the sea and goes to Dane to offer them his assistance by getting rid of a monster that is terrorizing them.  Grendel is the name of the man-eating monster that is terrorizing the Danish people and keeping them without a piece. He encounters the monster and fights it until he kills it. During the encounter, he also meets the monster’s mother. He is involved in a second contest with the monster’s mother, and he also prevails. His victory puts him in very high regard with the Danish people as well as his people. This victory wins him leadership of his homeland, and for fifty years he rules them as their beloved king. Soon after, a dragon appears in the countryside. Like the king, he takes it upon himself to encounter the beast and fight it. He does so and [prevails whereby he slays the dragon. However, the battle costs him his own life. His heroics is considered with high regards by the Scandinavian people, and he is honored by becoming a legend of his people. His efforts show great levels of heroism and leadership in the society (York, 2001).

The people, therefore, describes three important events. The first involving Beowulf and Grendel, the second is between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother and the last is the dragon that claims his life. The poem is associated with the depiction of a great code of conduct seen in the Anglo Saxon way of life associated with heroics and war.  The story is told of a time before the Anglo Saxons migrated to Britain and it is for this reason that there is a great difference between the Anglo Saxons whose story is being told in the poem and those who reached Britain. There is also great differences in culture of the poet and those of the Anglo Saxons, and this shows the conflict between the story of the Anglo Saxon being told by the poem and the poets who have a Christian background. The heroic code is a great factor within the poem. During the time of the poem’s setting the society was characterized by having small tribes that lived around strong kings and leaders who would offer them protection. This is depicted by Beowulf’s heroics in Dane earning him kingship in his homeland. There is also a great aspect of the warrior culture seen in the poem, and this is representative of the Anglo Saxon culture and their way of life. The society demanded form their warriors and leaders great levels of courage and bravery, and they were rewarded with gifts and treasures.  The story also describes the social gathering through the depiction of mead halls where warriors would centrally gather, tell stores, drink and eat. The society was also characterized by great levels of paranoia as a result of great fear of invasion from other tribes (York, 2001).

The story of Beowulf has been regarded for many years as a historical piece of work. It offered descriptions of the Anglo Saxon society. However, it was until the year 1936 through J.R.R Tolkien that the story of Beowulf began to create more influences in English poetry and other forms of literature. It was a poem written using old English which is characterized by its use of Germanic influences. It has, however, been translated and modified and many scholars encounter it as an English r\translated piece of literal work (York, 2001).

Beowulf is, therefore, a great form of literature that explores a combination of cultures between the Anglo Saxons before they migrated to Britain and influences of the Christian society which was very influential in Britain. The poem is set back in the Scandinavian regions that are currently the regions of Denmark and southeastern Sweden. It is a poem that was first expressed orally by the before it was adopted in written form in England. It tells a story of a hero by the name Beowulf who encounters various threats. He uses his bravery and courage to face the threats and destroy them. However, he, later on, dies in the hands of the dragon which was his final encounter. His actions are greatly respected by the society that he is offered the position of king. The story explores the heroic code of the Anglo Saxon society. The people value heroic aspects of the people and is demanded by the society. The literature was written down in Britain by a Christian and has since been very influential in the English literature as well as the English language (Jordan, 2002).

References

Jordan, M. (2002). Marxism, Not Manhood: Accommodation and Impasse in Seamus Heaney's Beowulf and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club. Men & Masculinities, 4(4), 368.

PARKER, J. (2017). Beowulf Is Back!. Atlantic, 319(3), 30-32.

York, J. A. (2001). Opened Ground/Seamus Heaney/Beowulf (Book). Southern Humanities Review, 35(4), 416.