And I do mean Christian. The imagery and ethics we've seen in Beowulf aren't remotely Jewish. A lot of people like to throw around the word "Judeo-Christian" when they're talking about totally Christian things. This is one of my pet peeves. The term definitely has its use in the right time and place, but it's wildly overused. To illustrate my point, here is a brief list of Christian things people try to rope us Jews into:
- Sin.
- Damnation.
- Salvation.
- Hell.
None of these things exist in Judaism, and a lot of the religious rhetoric in what we've read of Beowulf is based on these key concepts. This story is peddling a Christian narrative, not a Jewish one. Please believe me when I say I could go on indefinitely about Christianity being thrust into Judaism. Suffice it to say that a lot of goyim (translation: gentiles) don't know a thing about Jewish religion and culture and push Christian concepts and values onto Jewish ones. Goyim gonna goy.
In any case, the two scribes that penned our single remaining original Beowulf manuscript certainly pushed their religious views onto this story (Liuzza 11). Grendel isn't just a monster; he's "God's adversary" (786) and a "captive of Hell" (787), and God has "condemned him among Cain's race" (106-107). Likewise, Beowulf isn't just a prince or a war hero; he's a warrior that "[God's] grace has guided" (382) to the Danes in order to save them from their "demon foe" (706), plus Beowulf has the added bonus of being blessed with "the Maker's favor" (670). I don't know about you, but I'm sensing a general theme. It's not particularly subtle.
Heroic stories follow a series of archetypal themes that broadly apply to most myths, legends, and folktales around the world, but stories from different cultures have different nuances that reflect the individual societal identities and values of their places and people of origin. I'm curious to know how much the story of Beowulf changed as Christian imagery was retroactively added to it.
I would also love to learn how applying Christian influence to a fairly localized ethnic myth affected the story's original audience. I know that a lot Christian myth, ritual, and iconography were influenced by religions that predated or existed around it and about how that generally popularized conversion to Christianity. I can't help but wonder if Beowulf was used as a tool to convert the heathen masses.
Although God is rather awkwardly shoved into the story, Beowulf is still an interesting and engaging read. We're actually getting pretty close to my favorite part! I've read two other translations before, but I'm looking forward reading this version for the first time!
In any case, the two scribes that penned our single remaining original Beowulf manuscript certainly pushed their religious views onto this story (Liuzza 11). Grendel isn't just a monster; he's "God's adversary" (786) and a "captive of Hell" (787), and God has "condemned him among Cain's race" (106-107). Likewise, Beowulf isn't just a prince or a war hero; he's a warrior that "[God's] grace has guided" (382) to the Danes in order to save them from their "demon foe" (706), plus Beowulf has the added bonus of being blessed with "the Maker's favor" (670). I don't know about you, but I'm sensing a general theme. It's not particularly subtle.
Heroic stories follow a series of archetypal themes that broadly apply to most myths, legends, and folktales around the world, but stories from different cultures have different nuances that reflect the individual societal identities and values of their places and people of origin. I'm curious to know how much the story of Beowulf changed as Christian imagery was retroactively added to it.
I would also love to learn how applying Christian influence to a fairly localized ethnic myth affected the story's original audience. I know that a lot Christian myth, ritual, and iconography were influenced by religions that predated or existed around it and about how that generally popularized conversion to Christianity. I can't help but wonder if Beowulf was used as a tool to convert the heathen masses.
Although God is rather awkwardly shoved into the story, Beowulf is still an interesting and engaging read. We're actually getting pretty close to my favorite part! I've read two other translations before, but I'm looking forward reading this version for the first time!
I do certainly agree that those who penned the manuscript undoubtedly shoved their religious views into Beowulf. What immediately came to mind as I read this was the 'Narrative of the Captivity of Mary Rowlandson', which I discussed/read in my American Literature class last semester. In my class, it was a major point of discussion that there were many religious lines inserted in places that seemed jarring and almost as if they were written by an entirely different author, and it was noted that a preacher (I can't recall his name) had had a hand in helping publish the narrative. We decided it was likely he had pushed her to insert these chunks or done it himself, to avoid promoting/humanizing the 'heathen' Native American culture and show that Rowlandson was still a pure, religious woman, who hadn't 'gone native' or been 'converted by the savages'.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though a similar situation happened with the manuscript of Beowulf, where someone- possibly affiliated with the catholic church, depending on when the translation occurred- inserted religious messages in order to not glorify the pagan culture and promote their own 'true' religion instead. I'm not certain I'd say it was used for conversion of non-Catholics/Christians/whatever, but to more likely pretend that it had been there all along and say 'See, look, even these ancient heathens knew about God and Jesus and some such'. Less of a tool for active conversion, and more propaganda, if you will. But that's just my thoughts!
Blog 3 Christianity in Beowulf?
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about your blog post---in-between my second cup of coffee--- wait, hold on, I need a few sips. It’s too hot. I’ll wait a few minutes and let my thoughts brew while my coffee cools. Somehow, I am trying to figure out a way to relate this. To be honest, Judaism is like coffee. It is socially constructed. People living in Europe or anywhere in Germanic Europe believed in a certain set of values and ethics. In many ways, this poem expresses an Old Testament way of thinking. It is the old land or Jerusalem where everyone wanted to finally find their way back to the promised land. There is also the New Testament which is a newer religion while still incorporating the same values, ideals—basically, it’s coffee to my boiling water. It’s just, I’m taking a moment to relate. I don’t really know much about Judaism but I have read the first book, or the Old Testament. I feel like you’re talking about a whole cultural phenomenon that expands beyond the Old Testament. It’s about how people of the Jewish faith view religious permutation in literature. We should learn more about Judaism in Britain around the time of Beowulf. I had my cup of coffee after finishing this blog comment. I can’t say that I drank it slowly or suavely. It wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it would be. Reading this blog expanded how I will look at religious wording in Beowulf going forward, and thus I would like to explore this subject further. This post will stay with me as we continue reading Beowulf. Thank you for widening my interest in the use of religion in Beowulf and literature.
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ReplyDeleteI totally appreciate your breaking down the distinction between "Christian" and "Judeo-Christian". I'm sure that a lot of people, like myself, really benefit from the clear explanation. That being said, I agree that religion seems kind of awkward in the context of the poem. That's not to imply that I don't think it has a place in the story, however when it is mentioned it seems forced or retrospectively added (perhaps by a different author?). Terms and phrases, defining Grendel as "God's adversary", as you've mentioned, puts a different spin on the poem, telling us that Grendel is from Hell, when as far as we know this is not a Christian society. Like we discussed in class today, at the beginning of the book the narrative voice tells us explicitly that "they were not aware of God" (I'm paraphrasing). So it's certainly interesting to say the least.
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