This is an interesting adaptation of a pagan practice. Instead of taking revenge on his son he chooses to go to God and die. It’s a strange way to Christianize the tale. There was no forgiveness or atonement for sin. It was merely a choosing of God over the pagan practice of revenge killing. Honestly, this seems just an easy way to sneak in God into an otherwise completely pagan practice. The idea of a death-price has no place in Christianity and therefore the poet saw an opportunity to just avoid the situation and he did. It still puts forth Christianity, but it attempts keep it separated from the concept of Wergild and avoids changing the story drastically by adding forgiveness of sin.
There is also the tradition of ring giving which has …show more content…
Beowulf dies for treasure which he sees as honor. He goes forth to conquer the dragon who has hidden a hoard. This is the cause of his demise. Multiple scholars have agreed that his death was due to avarice and they point directly at the fact that Beowulf wanted to see the gold before he died (Marshall 1-3). He is seen here as rejecting faith to look for more worldly goods (Marshall 4). Another interesting point that is made is that the poet consistently speaks of a curse on this gold and we are told that the “poet writes about renowned lords (þeodnas mære) solemnly proclaiming that until the day of judgment (domes dæg) that man who plunders this place would be guilty of crimes (synnum scildig), imprisoned in pagan shrines (hergum geheaðerod), and punished with misfortunes (wommum gewitnad)” (Marshall 3). It is interesting that the curse on the gold involves the imprisonment within the pagan shrines, because it is once again a knock against that religion. Also, the fact that Beowulf still goes for the treasure though he feels uneasy about this may imply that he has reverted to a pagan lifestyle by the end of his life. Many of the scholars researching Beowulf have an issue as to whether Beowulf is a Christian hero or a pagan hero (Marshall 5). Personally, I think that that is the whole point of the epic. Readers are not supposed to be able to tell. By creating a hero that is
There is also the tradition of ring giving which has …show more content…
Beowulf dies for treasure which he sees as honor. He goes forth to conquer the dragon who has hidden a hoard. This is the cause of his demise. Multiple scholars have agreed that his death was due to avarice and they point directly at the fact that Beowulf wanted to see the gold before he died (Marshall 1-3). He is seen here as rejecting faith to look for more worldly goods (Marshall 4). Another interesting point that is made is that the poet consistently speaks of a curse on this gold and we are told that the “poet writes about renowned lords (þeodnas mære) solemnly proclaiming that until the day of judgment (domes dæg) that man who plunders this place would be guilty of crimes (synnum scildig), imprisoned in pagan shrines (hergum geheaðerod), and punished with misfortunes (wommum gewitnad)” (Marshall 3). It is interesting that the curse on the gold involves the imprisonment within the pagan shrines, because it is once again a knock against that religion. Also, the fact that Beowulf still goes for the treasure though he feels uneasy about this may imply that he has reverted to a pagan lifestyle by the end of his life. Many of the scholars researching Beowulf have an issue as to whether Beowulf is a Christian hero or a pagan hero (Marshall 5). Personally, I think that that is the whole point of the epic. Readers are not supposed to be able to tell. By creating a hero that is