Also, the Lady of the Lake, an enchantress, gives Arthur a magic sword, Excalibur, which protects him until his exodus. The use of the supernatural force in the story of Ivanhoe is not even present until a Saxon crone, Ulrica, at Torqulistone chants an eerie death song to her captor, Front-de-Boeuf, as she is engulfed by the flames of the burning bastion. This song could represent a curse she put on the villain or it could simple be the author adding a bit of mystery to the novel. Furthermore, Rebecca the Jew was accused of using witchcraft to make a noble, Brian de Bois-Guilbert fall in love with her. This accusation led to her trial where, if found guilty, she would be burned at the stake as a witch. Rebecca, revealing some chivalric behavior, tries to defend herself. The use of a supernatural power other than God in these English tales is present in a way that brings a sense of mystery and thrill.
The role of Christianity in the epic of Beowulf and the adventure of Ivanhoe is displayed in two different ways. The first, in the story of Beowulf, two ideas, Christianity and paganism, are blended together as the monster is named as a descendant of Cain, in reference to the Cain of the Bible. Also when Beowulf defeats Grendle's mother, he gives credit to God, but his people later bury him with great treasures because of their pagan belief and trust in an "afterlife". The second way is portrayed, in the culture of Ivanhoe, as there is a distinct line drawn between two classes, Christian and Jew. When two Jews, Isaac and his daughter Rebecca, are in search of a place to rest, Cedric, despite the disgusted remarks by de-Bois Guilbert and Prior Aymer, allows them to sit with his jester, a low position at the table, instead of as a guest. During the Twelfth century, Jews were hated by Christians, insulted by all those around them, and looked down upon because they practiced usury, the lending of money and collecting interest.
