Logo
Search
Search
View menu

Beowulf

Documents | English

Beowulf belongs to the Germanic religion and mythology. it's also a part of the broader tradition of poetry. Many incidents, like the tearing-off of the monster’s arm and also the hero’s descent into the mere, are familiar motifs from folklore. the moral values are manifestly the Germanic code of loyalty to chief and tribe and vengeance to enemies. Yet the poem is so infused with a Christian spirit that it lacks the grim fatality of the many of the Eddaic lays or the sagas of Icelandic literature. Beowulf himself seems more altruistic than other Germanic heroes or the traditional Greek heroes of the Iliad. it's significant that his three battles don't seem to be against men, which might entail the retaliation of the feud, but against evil monsters, enemies of the full community and of civilization itself. Many critics have seen the poem as a Christian allegory during which Beowulf, the champion of goodness and lightweight, fights the forces of evil and darkness. His sacrificial death is seen not as tragic but as befitting the tip of an honest hero’s life.

Picture of the product
Lumens

Free

PDF (9 Pages)

Beowulf

Documents | English