Beowulf

In my essay I will be giving answers to certain questions that were given to me. Well from the beginning the book really didn’t interest me. But then we were asked “Who composed the book Beowulf?” No one knows who or why it was composed. A huge part of the book was based on three great tests that Beowulf had to confront. While inhabiting both a Christian and Pagan world, I Believe Beowulf embraced Christianity. In the introduction of the book it states that No one really knows who wrote the book Beowulf and why? (pg. 2) I think that this book was made that way because they wanted this epic poem to survive and the only way it could be told was through stories which would the catch reader’s attention. In the Navajo tradition cultural stories are told with no date or purpose. However, it is a way to keep track of a history rich with beliefs, showing how peoples’ minds were very creative. In the book, Beowulf had three great tests that he must confront and overcome. The first thing that Beowulf had to overcome was that he had to swim across the ocean where he had to be strong against the dark ocean waters. Within the ocean waters monsters lived and tried to take Beowulf’s life, but in his journey and match against Brecca it was a success. (pg.24) I think Beowulf had a strong belief and strong mindset that he could overcome anything that encountered him. In the book Beowulf states that throughout his travels he killed “lucky or not, nine was the number of sea-huge monsters”. (pg. 27) After young hearted Beowulf’s defeated these monsters he heard of another Monstrous story from the kingdom of Herot. A place where the people of Herot needed help. Beowulf’s second challenge is to confront the evil werewolf like beast called Grendal that hunted Hrothar’s kingdom. When darkness fell Grendal left his lair and commended with his night slaughtering. (pg. 8) When Beowulf arrived in Herot he was confronted by one of Hrothar’s men who was a lieutenant that kept watch for travelers that came into their kingdom. There at the base of the hills and mountain the guard made his way down with his horse meeting and asked Beowulf, “Whose soldiers are you?” so Beowulf told the lieutenant “We are Geats” (pg. 14) and why he travels there and for its purpose and then made their way to Herot. Hrothar and his men were so glad that such warriors came to defeat Grendal and so they made plans to celebrate his arrival and a sort of a way it was like a good luck/ preparation celebration that Beowulf and his men would defeat the monster. After Beowulf and his men celebrated and rejoiced they made their way to rest for their defeat against Grendal. So the men surrounded Beowulf laying there ready for battle in the gabled hall were they hoped that there will be no evil, but Grendal made his way to the hall creeping and wanted the warriors flesh and souls that would satisfy his belly. There Grendal found that there were warriors that slept in rows resting together “And in his heart laughed, he relished the sight, intended to tear the life from those bodies.”(pg. 33) Grendal made his first attempt to take one of the Geats and killed him taking his life by a snap of his strong jaws and sharp teeth. His next victim was Beowulf where he was a “strong-hearted wakeful sleeper” (pg. 34) there Beowulf woke and grab Grendal’s claws crushing it and keeping Grendal from escaping. Grendal tried to flee for his life and freedom and soon the monster’s screams were so loud that it woke the warriors to help their prince and try to kill Grendal, but Grendal had bewitched the men’s weapons that he would be hurt or killed by their blades. Soon Grendal's powers and strength began to weakened so Grendal “twisted in pain, bleeding sinews deep in his shoulder tell it snapped, muscle and bone split and broke” (pg. 37) there the battle between the strong prince Beowulf and Grendal had ended but the monster escaped to his death into the marsh and died. Beowulf kept Grendal’s arms to show that he had killed the monster with just his hands and strength. Then Hrothgar gave the Geat prince Beowulf gifts in his honor with horses and weapons and celebrated his defeat. But what the Danes and the Geats didn’t know was that Grendal had left behind a mother who had found that her son was killed. The third test Beowulf must confront is that he had to kill Grendal’s mother who had revenge in her heart to kill those who had killed her son. After the Celebration the men went to sleep but readied for the call for their prince’s help and prepared for war. So she came in to kill some warriors and one of them was “Esher, Ermlaf’s older brother and most trusted counselor” (pg. 59) Then she made her way back to her murky cold lake where her home was at and so Beowulf had to kill that evil beast and before he left to conquer that beast he said “let your sorrow end! It’s better for us all to avenge our friends, not mourn them forever.” (pg. 62) Beowulf and his men made their way to the lake and found Escher’s bloody head and Beowulf made his way down into the lake where he found the evil beast waiting for battle. Down in the lake Beowulf was battling the evil she-wolf and found that his sword was no match for her powers and spells and soon found himself weak and not able to fight against her strength. There pinned down by the beast stabbing him with her dagger but not piercing the woven mail shirt to get to his body he made his way back up on his feet battling with the she-wolf and saw a “heavy looking sword hammered by giants, strong and blessed with their magic, the Best of all weapons” (pg. 68) Beowulf used it with all his might and strength and cut off the evil witch’s head. There he won the battle and took the head of that evil witch and showed the Danes what he had accomplished. The Last thing that Beowulf had to overcome was that he must kill a dragon that was stirred with anger because its treasure had been taken by a slave who only wanted to please his own master (pg. 95). So the dragon made its revenge while searching for his treasure killing some Geats. This only made the old prince stronger in his heart believing that he could still defeat anything that confronted him so, he set forth on his journey to the dragon’s dungeon and there found himself alone ready to die from a dreadful bleeding neck wound that the dragon had inflicted. Beowulf fought against the beast’s firry breath, his shield no longer withstanding the heat from the dragon’s breath. But only one of Beowulf’s young soldiers came to help his old prince by making his prince believe that he could defeat the dragon by driving the princess’s sword into the lower part of the dragon’s head (pg. 110) thus, making the fire die out from the breath of the dragon. And so the prince leaped up slicing the dragon in half and killing it. (pg. 110) There Beowulf died but still accomplished his test and still got to see the treasure that he had fought for. I think that Beowulf believed in Christianity and I think that is what kept him strong to defeat anything that was confronted with. He was a pagan who loved treasures but still believed in one god. Based on what Beowulf said right before his death, “For this, this gold, these jewels, I thank our father in heaven, ruler of the earth for all of this…” (pg. 113), I think that Beowulf was a great leader and believer of Christianity. Over all I think that this book was one of the greatest epic poems I have ever read. Through the three great tests that Beowulf confronted he had great success in killing them and he does so by being a pagan who in the end believe in and embraces Christianity.