Beowulf ( / ˈ b eɪ ə w ʊ l f / ; [2] Old English: [ˈbeːo̯wulf] ) is an Old English epic story consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines . It may be the oldest surviving long story in Old English and is commonly cited as one of the most important works of Old English literature . - Wikipedia
By now, everyone should have heard of Beowulf or is familiar with the Germanic tale of dragonish (draconitas) monster verse man; Beowulf verse Grendel. If we go back in time, we can see how linguistics and beliefs changed over time. From 1800 to 1500, we have the Early Modern period. From 1500 to 1100, we have the Middle English period, and going back further still to the 8th century, we have Old English. If we go back even further, to 449 A.D., we would have saw the first Germanic Invaders coming ashore in England. England has not always been an English speaking country, but it is believed by some, to have been home to the earliest Celtic tribes of Indo-European descent who brought with them their beliefs, languages, and customs, but that is not the subject of this post, so let's move right along.
"Then at dawn, with the first light, the war - strength of Grendel was revealed to men. Then after feasting wailing arose, a great city cry at dawn." (Beowulf)
Tolkien believed Beowulf as the most successful poem in Old English, and that "lovers of poetry can safely study the art, but the seekers after history must be aware lest the glamour of Poesis overcome them." Beowulf has been critiqued from an allegorical poem, primitive or pagan writing, or a "heathen heroic lay," but it is none of these. It is a poem and should be thought of as such. Beowulf is, at its base, a poem devoted to a singular theme: "men at war with a hostile world." Beowulf was written at the onset of Christianity as the pagan world was coming to an end, and is why the poem hints at Biblical scripture. It might even be said, the poem is a nod to the pagan past and for whom the author is contemplating past heroism and its sorrows as a symbol of what once was. (Tolkien, 1936)
The relationship between the post-pagan world influence and the emerging Christianity are elements that helps the author to explain the mystical and religious elements contained in the poem. In fact, the author probably takes his influence from the catholic missionaries who set upon the earth to convert as many people as possible to Christianity by combining these two elements. Soldiers chivalry, heroism, and a belief in an afterlife, provides a backdrop for how the two beliefs were combined, and still evident today in such films as "Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." Germanic tales are based on pagan beliefs and honor. They did not believe in an afterlife in the same way that Christian's do. Christians believe they will be rewarded in heaven if they lead a good life, whereas, Pagans do not have this belief and feel that honor while living is the meaning of life. I think the best fantasy, epics contain a little of both.
References:
Greenblatt, Stephen. Beowulf. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Trans. Seamus Heaney. 8th Ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2006. 34-100.
Tolkien, J.R.R. Beowulf. The Monsters and the Critics. Proceedings of the British Academy 22 (1936): p245-296.