The legend of Beowulf is a fictional story inspired by fact. Today experts are still unsure who created it. What we can know is the action of the poem takes place in the sixth century in Scandinavia. But the poem was written in Anglo-Saxon period and it is believed to originate in England. What’s more, it is considered that there is a certain connection between the legend of Beowulf and the Christianity.
Christianity had recently taken root in England at the time of the writing of Beowulf. The poem reflects a society that has a deep pagan background and that has stories that come from its pagan past. But the poem recasts these stories in a Christian mold, so that its listeners would be able to keep touch with their past. So they would reinterpret it in a Christian way.
Beowulf is the mythical hero of North world locked in an epic battle of man against monster, destined to confront not one, but three terrifying beasts in a quest for undying glory. There are three monsters called Grendle, Grendle’s mother and the dragon of Earnaness.
Grendle was the first of Beowulf’s three monstrous enemies. Grendle had a litigating link to the Christian Bible. The text says that he was descended from the line of Cain. According to the Old Testament, Cain was the son of Adam and the mankind’s first murderer. He killed his brother out of jealous and came to symbolize the worst of human passions. Grendle inherited that vile legacy. Grendle resented the human who was feasting in the halls. So he went to the hall and terrorized the blood-soaked hall of king at night. So our hero Beowulf appeared and designed a trap to lure Grendle at night. But no sword can hurt Grendle, when Grendel came to the hall. However, Beowulf refused to give in. Beowulf grabbed grandle’s arm, and he twisted it. Then grendle’s should was dislocated. Presently grendle died.
Grendle’s mother was the second of Beowulf’s three monstrous enemies. Grendle’s mother was a very enigmatic figure in the text. She wanted to revenge for the death of her son. So she went to the hall and killed people, when they slept. Then Beowulf had to find and kill Grendle’s mother. Grendle’s mother and Grendle lived at the bottom of the haunted mere. The mere is an icy lake swarming with poisonous snakes and sea dragons. Then, Beowulf swam down to the bottom of the sea and used
a sword to kill Grendle’s mother. It is the death of a second evil, dawn of a new hope. Beowulf has proven his bravery again. But this is more than a mythical story. It is a reflection of the changing world in which the North people framed the myth, and a world where paganism had eroded and Christ had risen. We might see Grendle’s mother as a religious metaphor. Just as Grendle’s mother dies, so paganism is dying and Christianity is rising. Just as Beowulf frees hrothgar’s kingdom from the threat of Grendle’s mother, so Christianity is bringing light to the world of paganism that preceded it. A religion revolution was underway in the British Isles about 600AD. Roman Christian came north to convert all nonbelievers. And the Anglo-Saxons were ultimately converted. But their pre-Christian legends lived on in the stories. They passed down including the legend of Beowulf. Beowulf attempted to update and bring into Christian present. When the Christian conquered, they recast myth of Beowulf as a metaphor of good versus evil.
Beowulf ruled Geatsland in peace for many decades. He was no longer young but still brave. In this period, the last of Beowulf’s three monstrous enemies called the dragon of earnaness who guarded a large amount of gold and treasure. The dragon was irritated when it found that a slaver stole a cup from its treasure. So the dragon set fire and ruined the house and the farm for revenge. So Beowulf went to fight with the dragon and killed it. Unfortunately, Beowulf also died in this battle. Within a sort of Christian tradition, dragon represents human greed or the super serpent a gigantic manifestation of Satan. So it is clear that Christianity will defeat the evils finally.
As far as we concerned that there are a lot of symbols of Christianity in the legend of Beowulf. For example, Grendle had a line of Cain. The dearth of Grendle’s mother symbolizes the dying of paganism. The dragon symbolizes the greed of human being or Satan. In conclusion, Christianity exerts a significant influence on the poem of Beowulf.