As far as I'm aware, most people in Anglo-Saxon England post-Christianization were only very basically educated on the stories of their religion, and most of them almost certainly couldn't read. In fact, if you could read and write, you were either rich, a monk, or both. So the original transcriber of the oral myth was likely a monk who had an agenda in finally making a written version of the Beowulf story; to teach non-Christians the bare bones of the Bible. While the many mentions of God could simply be written off as a dodgy attempt at making Beowulf a religious tract, one specific passage makes me think that the original author spent a large amount of time doing research to add plot elements revolving around Christian themes and characters while still being careful to preserve the original heroic flavor.
The passage I had in mind can be found on page 68, lines 1265-1274. The author describes the lineage of Grendel and his mother, saying they sprang forth from Cain as "misbegotten spirits... banished and accursed". Cain, of course, is the biblical brother of Abel, son of Adam and Eve, who was cursed after he slew his brother out of jealousy. Most people today are acquainted with the story, but this is clearly an attempt by the author to teach his audience about the other stories in the Bible.
The author shifts back to the heroic mode when he recounts Grendel's death. Beowulf, the "watcher in Heorot", springs mercilessly into action, driving his enemy before him like so many Arnold Schwarzeneggers circa Conan the Barbarian. However, the author is always watching for a way to tie it back in with religion. While Beowulf was "mindful of his mighty strength" and undoubtedly quite proud, the author is careful to note that these were "wondrous gifts God had showered on him", saying Beowulf "relied for help on the Lord of All."
So, with all that out of the way, I want to know everything about the writer of this story. Do we know his (or her?) background? They were clearly someone of relatively good education, especially for the early Medieval period, but who were they? Monk? Wealthy lord?
Solid work on your analysis, and that passage is certainly one of my favorites. Dean, part of the fun of Beowulf is that we know next to nothing about the writer besides what is in the text itself. Certainly the writer is a more than proficient poet, storyteller and Christian. Besides that though we just have to look at the text. While asking what the author's intention was is moderately useful the simple answer is we will never know. The tone certainly suggests some ideas though, which we will discuss in our final day on Wednesday.
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