Beowulf is the greatest of the surving works composed in
Old English. An
Epic poem,
Beowulf was composed orally in a form of
poetry in which each line is effectively split in half, with the first half linking with the second
alliteratively. It is the
epic story of Beowulf, the man's man, a
badass whose dark side you would not want to
experience. He embodies all of the
social ideals of the
culture that created him:
loyalty,
honesty,
courage,
justice, and
generosity. Despite much of the
blood and
horror,
Beowulf proves to be a story of
good versus
evil and one
man's
quest to become
immortal through
fame. (The
Geats did not believe in much of an
afterlife, therefore the only way to live beyond
death was by the
legends you inspired.)
Believed to be composed
circa 700
c.e.,
Beowulf has instances of
blatantly obstrusive Christian influence in an otherwise
pagan work. The snippits of
Christianity were likely inserted by a
priest who recorded the
narrative in
writing. (
Priests were practically the only people in that
day who were
literate, and they probably didn't like all of that
profane, godless
paganism.) Apparently the
priests would insert bits of
Christianity (who knows what they took out?) as not to fully
corrupt anyone who might read
Beowulf. Take, for
example, this
passage:
At times they prepared sacrifices in temples,
war-idol offerings, said old words aloud,
that the great soul-slayer might bring some comfort
in their country's disaster. Such was their custom,
the hope of the heathen; they remembered Hell
in their deepest thoughts. They knew not the Lord,
the Judge of our deeds, were ignorant of God,
know not how to worship our Protector above,
the King of Glory. Woe unto him
who in violent affliction has to thrust his soul
in the fire's embrace, expects no help,
no change in his fate! Well is it with him
who after his death-day is allowed to seek
the Father's welcome, ask His protection!
So Healfdene's son brooded continually
over his sorrows; the wise man could not
ward off the trouble The strife was too great,
hateful, long-lasting, that had come to the nation,
cruel spirit's envy, gigantic night-evil.
Notice the
completely obvious intrusion in
italics.
Beowulf is
idealistic and
grand in nature. Many times there are great
exaggerations (consider the time he falls through the water for "hours") and extensions of
truth.
Themes that are prevalent in
Beowulf are
Good versus
Evil, famehogging, and the
idea of
ubi sunt. In every
age those living look back to the great deeds of those deceased, and more often than not, they
mourn. Because those days are over, and
it is all generally going to shit.