A Religious Outlook on Beowulf
“Beowulf”. Trans. Seamus Heaney. Bilingual Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2001. 102–114, 700- 702. Print.
The introduction to Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney started off with not only the main characters and setting of the epic poem, but also rich religious connections. Within the first thousand lines, readers see several references to Christian faith. Heaney made sure to include these in the translation because religion is used to tell readers about symbolism, allusions, historical background, themes, and beliefs/culture within the plot of the poem.
Lines 102–114, clearly connect to the religion that is reiterated through the story. Grendel is introduced, who is an antagonist to the story. He is a demon from Cain’s Clan (a.k.a. Satan’s Clan), and was banished by the creator (a.k.a. God). With his banishment came other evil spirits, which can clearly represent the different sins that Christians try to avoid in the practice of their faith. Line 110 reads, “because the Almighty made him anathema.” Heaney directly has the word Almighty translated, which means that the Danes clearly believed in one single higher power. These lines are also an allusion to The Book of Genesis, where Satan is first introduced and casted away by God. This just gives reader more textual evidence on the culture of the Danes and stories that are passed on.
Furthermore, Lines 700–702 clearly show an expansion on the Danes reliance on the Almighty. It reads, “The truth is clear: Almighty God rules over mankind and always has.” These words are written to give background of why there is a Grendel at all, and the faith that Hrothgar has in their creator. Yes, they believe that Beowulf is a courageous warrior, but they also believe that their God will protect them. These lines also can be used as an overall theme of the story; That life is overseen by God, and he is control.
