Paganismo e Cristianismo no Poema Beowulf

The epic poem Beowulf is generally considered the oldest surviving epic in any other European language. It is also the longest piece of imaginative literature in Old English or Old Saxon and was composed during the seventh or eighth century by a gifted anonymous Anglian poet, probably a monk or a cleric, who succeeded in fusing Scandinavian history and pagan mythology with Christian elements. The poem refers to semi-historical events from a distant past which can be dated roughly to 520, since many of the persons referred to are known to us from other sources; it tells of Scandinavian kings and heroes and their feuds. The action involves not only Anglo-Saxons but also a few northern tribes, mainly Swedes, Geats, Frisians, and Danes. The poem, however, is genuinely English in spirit: it shows us scenes of real life, not in the 6th century Scandinavia, but in 7th or 8th century England. Through the story, the impressive and noble figure of Beowulf clearly represents the Anglo-Saxon heroic ideal of fighting prowess, generosity, and courage; in him, pagan fatalism or destiny is subtly harmonized with Christian qualities. The present paper is an attempt to examine the combination between pagan concepts and Christianity demonstrated in Beowulf.