Beowulf: The Trojan Horse of Christianity.

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Juan Carlos Trujillo                                                                                     Trujillo 1

Professor Miller

English 45A

19 March 2003

Beowulf: The Trojan Horse of Christianity

        One of the most written about topics and still uncertain topics in Beowulf is the topic of the Pagan and Christian elements found throughout the poem.  While I tend to believe in the former, one of the main questions has been, as posed by F.A. Blackburn: Does a Christian, who used old lays in his material, compose the poem?  Or is it a heathen, either from old stories or from old lays, and at a later date revised by a Christian?  Again, it seems to me that a Christian poet wrote Beowulf—it is too consistent to be otherwise.  What the poet appears to be doing is taking familiar pagan stories (or at least stories which are pagan is style), and embedding in them Christian elements.  

        What evidence is there that the Beowulf poet is doing what is described above?  There is quite a lot of evidence.  One of the most obvious features is the occasional insertion of Judeo-Christian consequences/behavior after or during pagan-like behavior.  For example, when the poet describes the people’s natural reaction to Grendel’s attacks, he writes that “Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed / offerings to idols, swore oaths / that the killer of souls might come to their aid / and save the people […]” (175-178).  Then, a couple of lines afterwards, I believe the poet removes himself from the role of “narrator” and takes on the role of “Christian” when he warns, “[…] Oh, cursed is he / who in time of trouble has

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to thrust his soul / in the fire’s embrace, forfeiting help; / he has nowhere to turn.  But blessed is he / who after death can approach the Lord / and find friendship in the Father’s embrace” (183-188).  Another noticeable passage is found soon after Beowulf’s final boast, before fighting Grendel.  Here, we find another instance where the poet puts on hold the role of “poet” and take on the role of “Christian” when he states, “[…] The truth is clear: / Almightily God rules over mankind / and always has” (700-702).

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        While the two above examples are pretty clear examples of how the poet used paganism and Christianity in juxtaposition to produce a strong effect on the reader, there are other, more implicit ways in which he is able to give this predominately pagan culture a Christian education.  In a sense, the poet is using the pagan setting and culture (e.g. the traditional Anglo-Saxon warriors, the formal boasts, etc.) as a Trojan horse of Christian thought.  For example, Beowulf is, by the means of his time, a traditional Anglo-Saxon warrior.  For example, he gives formal boasts about defeating Grendel, and later ...

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