Beowulf was written during a time when Christianity was arising in England. Throughout the story, there are multiple references to both Christian and Pagan rituals. The characters in Beowulf are predisposed Christians who try to remain true to the idea of this new relgion, but they still fall short to this new faith. In times of trouble, these characters resort back to their Pagan traditions and praise the gods out of fear. Pagan rituals found in Beowulf are present only as reflections of the past or in times when characters are facing difficult times, while during times of happiness and exultation, they worship their mighty Christian God. At the beginning of the poem, Grendel is attacking Heorot which causes everyone to become panic stricken. The people “… vowed in their heathen fanes/ …show more content…
An example of this is during the telling of Grendel’s origins. Grendel is said to be “… kin of Cain was the killing avenged/ by sovran God for slaughtered Abel” (107-108). With this reasoning, they justify their belief in monsters. The people believe that if they say that the monster comes from a Biblical character, they will not hold themselves as blasphemers for believing in the Pagan idea of monsters. All the citizens in Heorot are scared, not only because of the thought of Grendel taking their lives, but also what will happen if they show a lack of faith (183-188). Another fearful rationalization is also made when Beowulf is talking about all of his victories. In the middle of talking about his heroism, he stops and says, “—I boast not of it!” (587). Holding too much pride is known to be the downfall of many Biblical characters and is the first deadly sin in Christianity. Beowulf then proceeds to tell the rest of his story after he has put on a facade of humility. He demonstrates that he certainly is not an orthodox Christian, but pretends to be