The Christian themes that the Beowulf poet tried to impose upon the story stick out like a sore thumb. Running across references to Christian mythology in the poem feels akin to hitting a pothole while driving - it's jarring and knocks me out of the groove of the story. 'Beowulf' is rife with themes of pride, honour, and glory, all of which were Viking and Saxon virtues derived from their Pagan roots. Christianity's values teach one to follow and be meek. In fact, 'Pride' itself is one of the seven deadly sins of Catholic tradition! It seems odd, then, that some people actually view Beowulf as a tale of Christian redemption, when the actions of just about every character are steeped in the quest for glory and pride. The core values of these two cultures simply do not mesh.
On top of the value systems clashing, the Christian references feel like an afterthought, as if they'd been tacked on after the poem was written. Most of these references are trite (many instances of simply name-dropping God when something good happens, i.e. "a hope for the people, sent them by God..." [Longman 36-37]), and often offer only a very, very thin veil over what was obviously a reference to a Heathen god or theme. "From Cain came down all kinds misbegotten - ogres and elves and evil shades - as also the Giants who joined in long wars with God." [Longman 39]. If we simply replace the figures from Christian mythology with figures from Norse mythology, this passage makes much more sense:
From Ymir came down all kinds misbegotten - ogres and elves and evil shades - as also the Giants who joined in long wars with the Gods.
Thus we have textbook Norse myth. While these references to Pagan beliefs are quite specific, there is a "notorious absence of any explicit references to Christ in Beowulf" (Chickering 24). I believe that this arises from the incompatibility of the epic with Christian mythology - an incompatibility that made it generally difficult for the poet to Christianize it with full and complete success.
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ReplyDeleteI'm in agreement with the 'jarring' Christian additions to Beowulf; they do seem to be odd or out-of-place, that is, for someone that knows and recognizes both Norse and Christian dichotomy. Yet, I can see the reasoning behind applying such Christian belief to that of the Pagan's, but it is the people during that time (8th century) that possibly could not tell the difference. For us it's obvious, but for them, mixing the two belief systems could have been considered one and the same. Although the two are distinctly different, there is still the relevancy of good versus evil--that idea always remains the same; and perhaps it is the only aspect that bonds the two beliefs into one poem. Beowulf is like a super-charged Jesus, so to speak. He takes care of Grendal--comparable to sickness plaquing the village--and then faces Grendal's mother, which is a good parallel to demons seeking to possess and destroy man. The scene where Beowulf dives into the murky swamps where in dwells Grendal's mother, is a wonderful depiction of good--or the light--piercing the darkness. The swamps are temptation, the epitemy of evil, and Grendal's mother is the cause. The seamonsters and snakes, are a lovely touch of Norse doctrine, but nonetheless they do not degrade or lead one to doubt Christian credibility. Even the last section of the peom, the dragon's scourge, can easily be tied to Christian rite. The dragon, the ultimate enemy, or devil as mentioned in the New Testament, is not a farfetched concoction of Norse belief alone. By Beowulf giving his own life to slay the dragon, there is the subtle, but evident, connection to Jesus' giving of his life to save his people from the blight of Satan.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, the Catholic religion follows many customs and doctrines that were intermingled by Pagan belief. Some aspects of Catholic tradition have been so influenced by other mythologies, that the Christian derivation is no where to be found.