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Pagan elements in Beowulf Old poems and ballads have become an essential part of the history of every nation. From the critical point of view, careful analysis shows that every folk experienced a creating of ballads, songs, legends and poems. Necessity to keep the culture, customs, traditions and, especially, values of society and to pass them through the hands of history for the future descendants, - those are the main reasons for epic work. Poem Beowulf was not a notable exception. Like many other traditional stories for that time, it raises a set of different themes, which sometimes look contradicting, however, such contradiction became one of the most interesting peculiarities of the epos. In particular, usage of pagan symbols in the poem could be a good example of such contradiction.
Pagan symbolism was widely used in the most of epic literature. For instance, in Slavonic traditional epos Story of Igor's Flock pagan elements were introduced to symbolize the matter of obsolete culture falling away, and transition to new philosophy Christianity. According to Ogilvy and Baker, one of the principal pagan elements in the Beowulf poem is Beowulf's funeral (Ogilvy, 33). The authors go on to add that, there can be no doubt that Beowulf's cremation is a pagan rite...
unless Beowulf is a good deal older than most scholars believe, the funeral is a traditional archaism (Ogilvy, 33). Another scholar Robinson agrees that the tomb burial of Beowulf's ashes with the treasure hard is a pagan ritual following upon the pagan rite of cremation (Whitelock, 2). The rite of cremation falls in line with the idea that the body must be destroyed in order secure the spirit. Beowulf's funeral also incorporates other pagan beliefs which do not seem to conform to Christian beliefs that the poet tries to incorporate into his work.
In the traditional Christian belief, it is understood that earthly treasures serve no purpose in the afterlife. Moreover, what happens to the body after death is a matter of science - ashes to ashes, dust to dust. God created man from dirt and so the body will return to the earth as the Bible states, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (Gen. , 3: 19). Why, then, are Beowulf's dying instructions that he be buried with the treasure hard?
If Beowulf had truly Christian motives - as the poet often tries to suggest - then he would instruct Wiglaf to use the treasure to procure the safety of his people, rather than condemn the treasure to the ground where, as the poet puts it, it is as useless to men as it was before. This commentary by the poet, according to Whitelock, is the Christian outlook upsetting the older sense of values (Whitelock, 82). However, cremation of dead is only one example of pagan symbolism. Being created in good traditions of epic literature, Beowulf applies the whole system of pagan elements. Epos always connected with warrior society.
In poem there is a notable relation between the king and his thanes. Their interaction is very simple in terms of early feudalism: the king provides for them and receives protection in return. Warrior society sets its own values, among which courage is the most important. Beowulf thinks that if he is courageous he can live in the memories of the people who remember him. Believe in fate can be also considered as an element of pagan nature.
The theme of kinship and revenge is also very peculiar to the matter of paganism. I have avenged the evil deeds, the slaughter of the Danes, as it was right to do (Norton, 48). It is obsolete tradition, which contrasts with the Christian belief of turn the other cheek. According to Abrams, Relatives who failed either to exact wergild or to take vengeance could never be happy, having found no practical way of satisfying thier grief for their kinsman's death (Norton, 23). For the medieval warrior, it was honorable to avenge his murdered kinsman. In poem, Hrothgar is reciting a lesson to Beowulf, so that Beowulf may understand how a good ruler should behave: At times He lets the thoughts of a mans high lineage move in delight, gives him joy of earth in his homeland, a stronghold of men to rule over, makes regions of the world so subject to him... (Norton, 49) In this passage, Hrothgar is explaining how God makes certain men of high lineage rulers of other men.
In most religions, all men are created more or less equal and in the image of God. On the contrary, the pagan belief that God has chosen some men to be rulers over others. Symbolism of nature and animals was always widely used in the epic literature... the guest slept within until the black raven, blithe-hearted, announced heavens joy (Norton, 50). In Slavonic epos a black raven was traditionally associated with death and sorrow (Kellogg, 146). His appearance was always considered as a bad sign.
However, in Norse mythology the fatal raven was sacred to Odin, the Danish war-god. This raven was said to be possessed of necromantic power, which allows him to communicate with dead spirits and, therefore, predict the future (Brewer, 156). Before Christianity people worship magnificent abilities of nature to create and abolish. In traditional epos, author usually treats nature not as a background for events, but as a third hero, which emphasize the historical traditions of the people. Examples of pagan symbolism in Beowulf can be found in feasts and celebrations.
The peoples tradition is to made sacrifice at the temple of idols, which is very common for obsolete cultures. Traditionally, warriors had to give a proper name for their weapons. Examples for this are very easy to find: legendary king Arthur named his sword Excalibur. Therefore, Beowulf named his weapon Hunting due to traditions and customs of that time, and this can be also viewed as a pagan element of the story. In poem Beowulf author described life, traditions and culture of the people. Pagan elements or symbols are very helpful for reader in terms of imagination and proper perception of picture.
Wild nature, sacrifices, kinship, revenge and omens were a part of our ancestors culture for many centuries, and it is always interesting as well as important to see what changes took place in human nature and his perception of the surrounding world. References: Ogilvy, J. D. A. and Donald C. Baker.
Reading Beowulf. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1983 Whitelock, Dorothy. The Audience of Beowulf. New York: Oxford University Press, 1951 The Bible, New International Version, Smiley Brothers, Chicago, 1997 Kellogg, Robert L. The Context for Epic in Later Anglo-Saxon England. Heroic Poetry in the Anglo-Saxon Period, Damico and Leyerle, 1996 Norton Anthology of English Literature, New York, 1996
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