Beowulf and Christianity

It was a dark time and the devastating effects of war had taken their toll. Many had given up hope entirely that things would ever get better, that the land of present day England would cease its bloodshed. From the conquests of the Romans, to the Germanic tribes, to the Vikings, the people of the British Isles had been battered. They needed a hero, someone who represented strength, decency, and bravery. So came the story …

…story's content had changed to reflect the beliefs of the people at the time. The people of the British Isles had seen many groups of people arrive in their land and Beowulf was one of possibly many oral stories that had a pagan hero. The subtle and sometimes not too subtle Christian overtones that appear in this story simply show the complexity of a people and a land that had been conquered time and again.