The first noticeable clue to Christian authors is the story of Grendel’s origin, as written at the end of chapter one. According to the legend, Grendel was spawned from the slime of a pair of “monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished by God, punished forever for the crime of Abel’s death.” Grendel is also referred to as “the Almighty’s enemy”. These references suggest that Grendel was the epitome of evil, the very opposite of God, and even a representation of the devil, or demonic being.Since Grendel is evil, he is therefore

All of the gathered references and mentions of Christian beliefs imply the religious nature of the epic poem’s authors. Because there are just as many non-Christian beliefs present, we can assume the authors were writing during a time of religious change and during the centuries when Christian monarchies were conquering over pagan cultures. This epic poem therefore, may hold some fantasy, some truth, but mostly faith and imagination.

Another minor Christian facet worth mentioning, is the usage of the word heathen, (obviously Christian), to describe those men of Hrothgar’s worried council who made sacrifices to stone gods and idols. And following is a long passage condemning all “heathens” who do not turn to the Christian God in times of trouble. Although the word heathen does originate from old English, meaning “one who dwells on the heath (moor or wasteland)”, it came into great verbal use during Middle Age Christianity as a word used to describe a person who was not adherent of their religious system.

A concept of sin against God is also prevalent in the story of Beowulf. Along with

Some topics in this essay:
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