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Paganism, Christianity and the Homeric Hero in Beowulf

BY APRIL ROSE FALE Some might consider it the workings of wyrd, the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the Greek Fates, that only a single manuscript of the English epic Beowulf survived the tumults of British history. Indeed, Beowulf is among the fortunate few of vernacular Anglo-Saxon poetry that prevailed in the face of theChristian evangelism of England (Damrosch et. al. 7). It seems even more fateful that tales of the exploits of a pagan hero survived through the writings of a Catholic cleric. Pure luck, however, is not to be praised for the endurance of this world renowned epic. For centuries, Beowulf has been the subject of study and scrutiny among scholars because of particularly interesting features it possesses. One area of study is the comparison of Beowulf and the Western epic hero. There is, however, no one example of the Western epic hero. Instead, recurring heroic qualities are gathered from different heroes in various epic poems of the West. For purposes of comparison, Beowulf will be analyzed against specific characteristics of the Homeric hero: the tragic choice between an obscure life or a glorious death, the pursuit of excellence, particularly in battle, and the need for public affirmation. The Homeric hero is constantly faced with a tragic choice: to live a simple but obscure life or die a glorious death, usually in the battlefield, and be remembered forever for the greatness of his deeds. Homers Achilles finds himself burdened by this knowledge. On one hand is his mother pleading him not to go battle; on the other is lasting glory and the triumphor defeatof his king and country. In a society that presents a harsh view of life and death, he focuses on aspects of existence that he can manipulate: the quality of his life and the manner of his death. However, the hero never forgets that death is his ultimate fate (Rosenberg 119). Of Beowulf, C. L. Wrenn writes, A Germanic hero is a tragic hero, who shows his greatness not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle (Greenfield 91). It would seem then that Beowulf also faces this tragic condition. However, the manner in which the story is written lessens the enormity of this tragedy. While Beowulf also knows that in the end, death will claim everyone, he reacts more maturely to life-and-death decisions than does Achilles. When Beowulf hears of Grendel, he promptly sails

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to the land of the Danes with the intent of slaying the monster. When Hrothgar pleads that he kill Grendels mother, he accepts the challenge immediately. Toward the end of his life, when the dragon threatens his people, he goes off to battle, knowing that his old age might mean he is no longer as strong a warrior as in his youth. There is very little focus on moments of human vulnerability where Beowulf may have hesitated or feared for his life. Thus, there is a sense of Beowulf being portrayed not as tragically troubled, but almost as an invulnerable superhuman. Striving for excellence in certain areas of human behavior, or arte, is also manifest in the Homeric hero (Rosenberg 119). In a warrior society, this excellence amounts to bravery and skill in battle. As Achilles and Hector rise above their peers as warriors of extraordinary skill and courage, so is Beowulf distinguished as the best and most valorous of fighters. Unferth, Hrothgars own champion, shrinks from the thought of fighting Grendel, but Beowulf eagerly crosses the whale-road so he can kill the monster. While other warriors accompanied him along the treacherous path to Grendels mother, Beowulf alone plunges into the bloody depths to destroy the giant in battle. Arte changes as the Homeric hero grows old, shifting from courage and prowess in battle toward insight, wisdom and ingenuity (Rosenberg 120). As Beowulf becomes an old king, he displays the aged wisdom that comes with a life replete with experiences. He begins to mirror the quiet, knowing character that Hrothgar was when Beowulf was a young, unfettered warrior. One distinct trait of the Homeric hero is how his honor lies in public approval. This is crucial to the heros self-esteem. In a warrior society, public approval may come in the form of war prizes. When the hero performs impressively in battle, his commander rewards him with gold, land, power and captive womentangible prizes that are the material equal of the honor he has earned in the battlefield (Rosenberg 120). Achilles takes his war prizes very seriously that when Agamemnon retracts the priestess Briseis, Achilles prize of honor, the latter utterly refuses to go to war on Agamemnons side. In Beowulf, lines 869 to 1101 are dedicated to a great banquet where the heros victory over the monster is celebrated with the bequeathing of material wealth. The Homeric hero is also honored by lasting fame, which is the closest thing to immortality that can be attained by a human being. When his name and deeds are heard far and wide, it places him lower than the gods, but higher than ordinary men. This reward is said to be the ultimate honor (Rosenberg 121). From the beginning of the Iliad, Achilles has already attained a certain prominence for his fighting prowess. In Beowulf, the same value is placed upon heroic fame. Upon Beowulfs victory over Grendel, a grand feast is held and the weaving of Beowulfs legend begins:

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Meanwhile a man Skilled as a singer, versed in old stories, Wove a new lay of truly linked words. So the scop started his song of Beowulfs Wisdom and strength, setting his spell With subtle staves.

Another interesting feature of the Beowulf epic is the presence of both pagan and Christian influences in the narrative. On one hand, there is a scattering of Christian elements. Heaven and hell, for example, although not specifically Christian, are occasionally mentioned. The Danes ill fortune is attributed to devil worship, as the elders swore before altars of old war idols, offering prayers for the soul slayer to succor their people (Line 151). In their fear, the Danes revert back to the worship of old gods, which are vilified in the Christian belief system (Damrosch, et. al. 35). The story begins with an invocation of the Judeo-Christian god, which is reminiscent of the adoration commonly found at the beginning of a Catholic prayer. The overcoming of evils is also attributed to the Christian god. Even before Grendel comes out of his lair to attack Beowulf and his men, the triumph of the Geats is already assured as The Lord lent them aid in their anguish, weaving their war luck, for one man alone had the might and main crush him in combat, to fight off the fiend,

proving who ruled the races of men, now and forever: God, the Almighty. This is seen as evidence of a conscious rewriting to validate Christian beliefs, regardless of what the characters in the story may have believed (Damrosch et. al. 46). After Beowulfs victory over Grendel, Hrothgar exclaims, My thanks for this sight go straight to heaven! Grendel has given me grief and grievance, but God often works wonders on wonders (Damrosch et. al. 50). Beowulf also attributes his victory over Grendels mother to divine providence (Damrosch et. al. 64), saying in line 1457: My foe would have won our war underwater had the Lord not looked after my life. Hrunting failed me, though finely-fashioned; But God vouchsafed me a glimpse of a great-sword.

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All-Father fosters the friendless. One specific biblical reference is the poets attempt to explain Grendel, the horror from hell, as a descendant of Cain (Damrosch, et. al. 33). Making reference to the first murder in the Hebrew Bible, line 94 describes Grendel: He had lived long in the land of the loathsome, born to the band whom God had banished as kindred of Cain, thereby requiting the slayer of Abel. On the other hand, however, there are manifestations of distinctly pagan elements that one would not expect to find if the story has Christian origins. For example, whereas Christian belief asserts the sacredness of the body, cremation is commonly practiced in the society that Beowulf depicts. If this element was a later addition, it hints at a shift in religious perspective, from a view in which both body and spirit continue their existence in the afterlife, to that which believes that the body is simply a vessel for the spirit (Rosenberg 383). Beowulfs battle helmet is significant as it depicts the figure of boars, added so blades of foemen would fail to bite (Damrosch et. al. 60). This charm-like quality of the boar figures correspond to Tacitus report of a neighboring land where a cult worships a female god under the emblem of a wild boar, which is worn instead of armor or human protection (Rosenberg 382). The German ethic of vengeance is successfully retained as the Beowulf poet restricts his biblical references to Old Testament events, where vengeful sayings, such as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, can be found. The New Testament mandate of forgiving ones enemies is conveniently excluded (Damrosch et. al). In one summary of the epic poem, there was frequent mention of the Sun, Heavens jewel (Rosenberg). This is reminiscent of the worship of solar deities, which thrived vigorously in the Roman Empire during the first few centuries of the Common Era (Carpenter). The centuries surrounding the writing of Beowulf shed light on how the epic poem came to contain both pagan and Christian elements. The action of the poem takes place around 500 CE. Many of the characters in the poemthe Swedish and Danish royal family members, for exampleare believed to correspond to actual historical figures. In history, the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian invaders were originally pagan warriors. Then, at the end of the sixth century, the land that will become Britain experienced a large-scale conversion to Christianity (Kestler). A few centuries later, Beowulf was written by an unnamed Anglo-Saxon poet who, it is believed, was a Christian clergyman who loved the pagan tradition of his ancestors

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(Rosenberg 384). While religious tension is not uncommon in Christian Anglo-Saxon literature such as The Dream of the Rood, the mix of a pagan story and a Christian storyteller is quite unusual (Kestler). In the case of Beowulf, the poet integrated the Christian values of his own country and time into a preexisting pagan tale (Rosenberg 384). The result is a grand tapestry of a pagan epic with occasional patches of conspicuous Christian elements. Influences from pagan beliefs and the Christian faith, as well as reflections of the Homeric hero in the character of Beowulf, almost assures that the Beowulf that we now know is different from what its Anglo-Saxon audience heard over a thousand years ago. But rather than detract from the value of this globally significant epic, it lingers as a testament of the richness of individual cultures. It speaks of the human capacity to accommodate differences and meld them together to create a classic and a masterpiece, in spite of our long history of self-imposed isolation and ethnocentrism. In Beowulf, we realize how men, while separated by cultural practices, religious beliefs and political boundaries, are by nature essentially the same.

Works Cited Carpenter, Edward. Solar Myths and Christian Festivals: The Pagan Origins of Christian Beliefs. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2005. Damrosch, David et. Al. Masters of British Literature Volume A: The Middle Ages, The Early Modern Period, and the Restoration and the Eighteenth Century. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. Greenfield, Stanley B. Beowulf and Epic Tragedy. Comparative Literature 14.1 (1962): 91-105. 05 October 2010 <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1768635>. Kestler, Justin, ed. Sparknotes: Beowulf. New York: Spark Publishing, 2002. Rosenberg Donna, ed. World Mythology: An Anthology of the Great Myths and Epics. Chicago: NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group, Inc., 1999.

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This was submitted as a research paper to Dr. Vincent Cooper, professor of English at the University of the Virgin Islands, on October 21, 2010.