In Beowulf on page 60-61 lines 956-978 there is a dramatic switch between heroic and christian modes. This portion of the story comes after Beowulf's victorious return to Hrothgar with his trophy of Grendel's arm. Hrothgar speech is aligned with the christian mode as he makes references to biblical ideas, suggesting that Beowulf's victory would have been impossible without God's blessing (924-955). In response, Beowulf begins describing the ways he would have liked to mutilate Grendel's corpse. This is an abrupt change to a heroic mode as it suggests a strong desire to avenge Hrothgar's kin through the most brutal punishment possible. At the end of the paragraph Beowulf does switch back to a Christian mode saying "he must await the mighty judgment of God in majesty" (977-978).
Either Beowulf and many of the other characters in the story are bipolar, switching franticly from praising God to ranting about grappling someone to death, or the original story was layered with Christian beliefs. There are times when both modes flow well together, but this is one of the instances that the blending appeared forced.
1) I would like to know more about the song from lines 1070-1158 and its context. I'm not sure if it is referencing Beowulf and Hrothgar's ancestors or if it is just a common story to tell after a battle.
2) Why is there a clear reference to different beliefs in 1197-1201? The footnote tells of a goddess in Germanic mythology which seems out of place if the story was originally heavily Christian.
I think your observation is very perceptive that some moments feel more forced than others with the switching modes. Beowulf does seem to want to take credit for his actions, but always seems to throw in the tag, "it wasn't me though, it was God" at the end, almost to keep up a veneer of Christianity. I will say that in future responses I want you to go a bit deeper, either pulling in a few more quotes or taking more time to analyze the passage, as your current post is a little short. Still, I appreciate what you do talk about and I think it works really well. As far as the song is concerned, I believe the relevance is how the tribes more often than not do not get along and fight eachother, whereas now they are working together. There is a lot of emphasis on Beowulf as a rival tribesman coming to the aid of a fellow clan. Your second question is also perceptive, as there are actually lots of symbols of pagan gods, such as the boars on the fighting men's helmets. This shows that the old gods are certainly very present, even if Christianity seems to be dominant. This type of religious interlacing is very present in cultures that shift from their original religion to a new one like Christianity. For a while the old ways and the new coexist.
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