The epic poem Beowulf is one of the earliest examples of English literature. Originally written in Old English, the story has been translated and passed down through generations. The poem's basic plot follows an Anglo-Saxon hero named Beowulf, who is responsible for saving his city from multiple evil creatures. However, one interesting thing about the poem itself is the use of Christian elements and themes throughout the poem. Although the exact date of the original story is not known, it is suggested that many of the pagan elements present in the poem were altered by the recent establishment of Christianity. Because of the establishment and popularity of the new religion, many translations found it necessary for Christianity to play a more important role in this early Anglo-Saxon culture than it actually had. That said, the element of Christianity could have been imported to give Anglo-Saxon culture the opportunity to make Christian beliefs seem like part of their deep cultural heritage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe inclusion of Christian elements in the epic poem was included because of too many cultural changes that were starting to occur at the time of the original writing. Many of the Anglo-Saxons of the period in which Beowulf is based were beginning to look to the new religion of Christianity to help develop and improve their culture as a whole. This new religion also began to shape the writing of their time period, as illustrated by Charles Kennedy in his translation and criticism of the work: "We have seen that the early material of Beowulf was derived from pagan folktales, chronicles, and legend, and they slowly coalesced into new unities. It was up to the Old English poet to complete this process of fusion by the conversion, or transmutation, of this material from pagan to Christian” (Page xlix). was beginning to have an impact on Anglo-Saxon culture and writing, and eventually began to shape their beliefs. Kennedy goes on to mention how drastically the Christian conformation of the poem has altered the writing: “This mutation, moreover, is not simply a matter of altered phrases, or interpolated references to the weak Christian, but it is a profoundly pervasive infusion of the Christian spirit which colors thought and judgment, governs motivation and action, a continuous and active agent in the process of transformation" (xlix). This verse explains how significant the inclusion of Christian elements was in this poem, and how many of the traditional pagan beliefs that the Anglo-Saxon people had before Christianity were obscured in this form of literature. By including Christian elements throughout the Beowulf epic, Christianity began to gain greater mass visibility. Christianity, at the time Beowulf was written, was a relatively new concept that had not yet gained the widespread popularity it has today. This fact can be illustrated in Thomas D. Hill's article “The Christian Language and Theme of Beowulf,” when he states: “The Anglo-Saxon Christians, however, faced a problem that all European Christians of the first millennium faced, the fact simple and indisputable historical fact that Christianity itself, and in particular their Christianity, was not particularly ancient” (199). The fact that Christianity was a new development helped the Anglo-Saxon people overcome many of their previous moral dilemmas and add further ethical beliefs to their historical background. However,even though it was a relatively new religion, early Anglo-Saxon culture felt it was necessary to make Christianity a fundamental aspect of their society. This is emphasized with medieval literature, where elements of Christianity were often inserted deeply into the stories and cultures of traditional pagan beliefs: “One of the ways in which medieval authors approached the problem of paganism and its consequences was to pretend that history of their nation began with the conversion to Christianity and that nothing of real consequence occurred before this important date” (199). An example of how these Christian elements were inserted directly into the story can be seen when the speaker states, “The truth is clear:/ God Almighty rules over mankind/ and always has” (lines 700-702). This quote shows how the author of this story is illustrating that even before the founding of Christianity, God was in control of the destiny of the Anglo-Saxon people and will forever play an important role in their culture. Another direct biblical allusion can be illustrated with the direct lineage of Grendel, one of the creatures Beowulf must fight, and his relationship with Cain. The relationship between Cain and Grendel is a fundamental aspect of the insertion of Christianity into typical pagan values. The relationship between the two is established when Grendel is first introduced: “Grendel was the name of this grim demon/ who haunted the marches, plundering the moors/ and waste areas; had dwelt; had dwelt for a time/ in misery among the banished monsters,/ the clan of Cain, whom the creator had banished/ and condemned as outcasts” (102-107). This introduction and relationship with Cain gives Grendel an evil legacy and shows that Grendel was created because of the curse that God had placed on Cain's bloodline for killing his brother. Grendel's portrayal throughout the story shows him to be a truly evil character. The supreme evil demonstrated by Grendel makes him seem related to another character in the Bible, as illustrated by p. Klaeber in his article “The Christian Coloring”: “The figure of Grendel, in any case, although originally a common Scandinavian troll, and passed through the poem as a sort of man-monster, is at the same time conceived as an impersonation of the evil and darkness, even an incarnation of the Christian devil” (Klaeber). This depiction of Grendel as the devil comes from the fact that he is a direct descendant of Cain and the fact that he and his mother reside in a deep underground cave that appears to have many characteristics of the Christian Hell. While the relationship between Grendel and Cain depicts how the Anglo-Saxon people incorporated Christianity into their heritage, many of the traditional pagan elements of the story are overshadowed by the moralistic Christian behavior that many characters possess, including Beowulf himself. While many of the original pagan elements of this time period have been retained throughout the story, many of the moralistic or behavioral traits possessed by the characters are influenced by traditional Christian beliefs. The character of Beowulf possesses many qualities typical of an epic hero, such as superhuman abilities, being praised by his society, and being tested on multiple occasions to prove his worth and skill. Along with these qualities of the epic hero, Beowulf also demonstrates many qualities of a good Christian. This quality is described by Klaeber: "Those readers who, impressed by the martial aspect of Beowulf at the beginning of the action, expect to find an aggressive warrior hero of the Achilles or Siegfrit type, will sometimes be disposed to think him a little tame ,.