God, Fate, and the Hero of "Beowulf"
Transcription
God, Fate, and the Hero of "Beowulf"
God, Fate, and the Hero of "Beowulf" Author(s): Mary C. Wilson Tietjen Source: The Journal of English and Germanic Philology, Vol. 74, No. 2 (Apr., 1975), pp. 159171 Published by: University of Illinois Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27707876 Accessed: 05/10/2010 11:31 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=illinois. 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Friedrich the first major critic to examine sympathetically the Christian Klaeber, now of for the Beowulf, argues convincingly aspects generally accepted so are almost without view that "the Christian elements exception ex cannot in of the be the fabric that very poem deeply ingrained they as the work of a reviser or later interpolator."2 The almost plained away of Klaeber's universal point?that acknowledgment quite legitimate a in is the of Beowulf unfortunately, product single Christian poet?has a host of overzealous recent years, to critics the who door have opened to throw out the baby with critics These the bathwater. proceeded assume that if Christian is an integral part of the poem, sentiment in tone and attitude. is doubtless almost exclusively Christian Beowulf insistence of Tolkien's the characters R. R. that Beowulf are conceived J. as a noble but heathen in and the of R. W. observation past,"3 "living 'Heroic that the poet shows us "the virtues of the heathen Chambers . . . new belief,"4 have both the the of Age' gentleness tempered by been largely forgotten in attempts to explain away the poem's paganism, as Blackburn to and his followers had earlier attempted just explain its away Christianity. Arthur Gilchrist Brodeur's comment on the content of the poem is of the much Germanic with pagan typical: "Although spirit, together motifs and situations descending from pagan times, remains discernible, the refashioning of ancient pagan stuff has been so complete that the a Christian extant poem is to Contributions the view essentially epic."5 Since F. A. Blackburn argued in 1897 to which Christian elements pagan poem in various ways critics have attempted concluded that the poem exhibits a unified 1 F. A. "The Christian in the Beowulf," Blackburn, Coloring 205-25. 2 Friedrich at and the ed., Beowulf Klaeber, Fight Finnsburg Introduction, p. 1. 3 The Monsters and the Critics," J. R. R. Tolkien, "Beowulf: 12 ( 1936), British Academy, 42. 4 R. W. An Introduction to the Chambers, "Beowulf": Study in 1932. book was first published 1963), p. 128. Chambers' bridge, 5 Arthur Gilchrist "Christian and Pagan," The Art of Brodeur, ley, i960), p. 183. 159 PMLA, 12 (Boston, Proceedings of the Poem "Beowulf" (1897), 1950), of the (Cam (Berke i6o Tiet jen in attitude take many different that Beowulf is predominantly Christian forms : in recent years, the poem has been interpreted as an allegory of as a Christian over on the victory of concordia salvation,6 allegory sin of pride,8 and as discordia,7 as a didactic poem about the Christian a narrative many of whose events are parallel with those of the life of Christ and whose hero is a type of Christ.9 Moreover, the pagan concept of wyrd has been pressed into the service of Christianity by Brodeur in Beowulf and Marie Padgett Hamilton,10 is who argue that wyrd an to as dictates of cannot God the and therefore considered be subject entirely pagan concept. Pains have also been taken, particularly by to strip Beowulf himself of any motives that smack of the Brodeur, pagan heroic ideals of personal prowess and earthly lof. Tolkien's argu ment that "Beowulf s real trust was in his own might"11 is contested by is just as pious Brodeur, who goes to great lengths to prove that Beowulf as s are Brodeur's Beowulf for arguments Hrothgar.12 legitimate piety is that faith in one's own strength is to be enough, but his implication frowned E. Goldsmith makes Brodeurs upon. Margaret implication sin of pride, the ideal with heroic the Christian explicit by connecting and argues that Beowulf dies because he becomes proud of his strength and earthly to God's and fame, and refuses grace acknowledge guidance.13 to make the poem's pagan These critical discussions that undertake as an elements with Christian compatible thought (citing, they do, abundance to of references the liturgy, the Church Fathers, Boethius, our in and the Seven Deadly to Beowulf Sins) impoverish approach that we are reduced to dealing with a poem of considerable complexity in terms of what amounts to a narrow Christian didacticism. But despite such efforts to ignore, explain away, or the pagan elements underplay of the poem, a careful consideration of the text reveals that the story told is undeniably both Christian and pagan in attitude by the Beowulf-poet and tone: the society presented to us is one in which the heroic ideal has remained an ideal?although the Christian concept of God's grace is also 6M. B. McNamee, "Beowulf?An 190-207. 7Morton Allegory of Salvation?" JEGP, 59 (i960), W. An Interpretation and Christian of Bloomfield, "Beowulf Allegory: 7 (1949-51), Unferth," Traditio, 410-15. 8 E. Goldsmith, "The Christian M JE, 29 (i960), Theme of Beowulf" Margaret in Beowulf" and "The Christian 14 81?101, Literature, Comparative Perspective 71-80. (1962), 9 Allen and the Liturgy," 195-201. Cabaniss, 54 ( 1955), JEGP, "'Beowulf 10Marie in Beowulf" 61 "The Religious Hamilton, PMLA, Principle Padgett 309-31. (1946), 11 Tolkien, p. 45. 12 Brodeur, pp. 191 if. 13 see n. 8, above. Goldsmith; 161 God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf in which men are subject both to the Christian God and present?and to the pagan power of wyrd. The ideals, divine and human, of paganism exist side by side in Beowulf. The poem contains con and Christianity a both of blind and whimsical force whose dealings with men are cepts unrelated to their merit, and of a benevolent Christian deity who affords is pre to himself and the grace guidance Similarly, Beowulf worthy. and renowned war sented both as the pagan heroic ideal of the mighty rior and as the Christian ideal of the virtuous hero who rightly attributes his special powers, and the deeds arising from those powers, to the grace the co in the paragraphs that follow, to discuss of God. I propose, existence of these Christian and pagan concepts in Beowulf, and to show accommodates both. how the poem effectively "a parallelism Charles W. Kennedy notes in his discussion of Beowulf of reference to the blind and inexorable power ofWyrd and to the omnip otence of a divine Ruler Who governs all things well," and points out, are in addition, that sometimes "God and Wyrd into juxtaposi brought tion in such a manner as to imply control of Fate by the superior power are taken over by Miss of Christian arguments divinity."14 Kennedy's in support of the view that the Beowulf -poet's concept of wyrd Hamilton is similar to that which appears in King Alfred's paraphrase of Boethius: we wandriende his de hatad [God's] fter faerd wyrd forponce pios wyrd swa swa he tiohha? pset hit sie.15 However, ~1 aeft his gepeahte, textual is subject to God evidence which serves to indicate that fate in Beowulf is limited to two passages. says to Beowulf: After the Geats is min wigheap gewanod; on Grendles gryre. |x>ne dolscea?an arrive at Heorot, Hrothgar fletwerod, hie wyrd forsweop God eaj)e maeg daeda getwaefan! (11. 476-79 )16 second passage occurs after Beowulf has defeated Grendel; here the that Grendel would have killed more of Hrothgar's men, poet comments nef ne him witig God wyrd forstode / ond 3 smannes mod ( 11.1056-57 ). the various occurrences of the idea of wyrd in Beowulf, By glossing Alan H. Roper concludes that although the poet may in two instances share with Boethius a Christian view of God's control of fate, the concept of wyrd itself as it consistently appears in the poem is neither Boethian The 14 Charles W. Kennedy, The Earliest English Poetry (New York, 1943), pp. 87, 88. 15 Version Old English De Consolatione of Boethius, King Alfred's ed. Walter 1899), (Oxford, p. 128. John Sedgefield 16 All are taken from Klaeber's from Beowulf edition, quotations ences appear within in the text. parentheses Philosophiae, and line refer i62 Tietjen nor Christian.17 in Beowulf: the notion Roper finds three ideas of tvyrd to die"; "the fact of ... that "man from his birth is doomed [a man's] own that the idea of the death"; sweeps men "body-snatcher" particular are some of away. Although arguable, the aspects Roper's interpretation as a whole in clearly demonstrating that the con is valuable discussion is in with death. of connected the almost poem cept wyrd consistently once ( 11.572-73 ) does the poet tell us that fate bestows favour on Only men as God does, and in that case favour falls on the man who is only as we find it most often in Beowulf, is the bringer of mis Fate, unfsege. to the merit of those fortune and death, and its dictates are unrelated who are subject to them. It is the workings of fate that are said to be behind the onslaughts that the war of Grendel. Hrothgar tells Beowulf riors in his hall have dwindled because hie wyrd forsweop / on Grendles and just before Beowulf defeats Grendel the poet gryre (11. 477-78), : comments waes Ne he ma |)33t \>set wyrd manna moste ofer J)a niht. ?icgean pa. gen, cynnes (11. 734-36) Fate is also for Beowulf's death, and his last speeches demon responsible strate very clearly a calm acceptance of the fate allotted to him. Ic on ear de, he says, bad / 11. ( 2736-37 ) : mselgesceafta mine magas on eine; eorlas In the parts of the poem of fate, there is a that consider sense strong ealle wyrd forsweop to metodsceafte, ic him aefter sceal. that the implications the and irreversible. Just before preordained, at Heorot, the poet tells us that the men geosceaft grimme, eorla manegum; and after Beowulf's death we Wyrd swa lifgesceafta, mod mid of the dictates are mysterious, the arrival of Grendel's in the hall ne mother cuJ)on, hit wear? agangen (11. 1233-35) learn that Wundur eorl ellenrof of men destinies (11. 2814-16) hwar J)onne ende gefere f)onne leng ne maeg his magum meduseld buan. (11. 3062?65) A few lines later, Wiglaf fate was irreversible; explains that Beowulf's him from fighting the dragon and the Geats could not have prevented the gold, because he acted according to destiny's decree: winning 17 Alan 386-400. H. Roper, "Boethius and the Three Fates of Beowulf" PC, 41 (1962), God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf Ne we meahton rices ?;>aet hyrde he ne lete hyne grette wunian Heold on grimme goldweard J^eoden, J^one, peer he longe waes, licgean, wicum leofne gelaeran raed aenigne, 163 o? woruldende. hord ys gesceawod, heahgesceap; waes geogongen; pe Sone Joeodcyning |)aet gife?e to swiS, (11. 3079-86) J)yder ontyhte. is sometimes controlled by God is subject The idea that fate in Beowulf state that God can avert to qualifications. Both passages which explicitly to fate the dictates of refer God's future control over events, and not to on as itwere, have to God's part any ability change decrees of fate that, set in motion. In the first instance (11. 476-79), already been Hrothgar an is making oblique reference to his hope that Beowulf will undertake to defeat Grendel; that in the future God can thus, he tells Beowulf hinder Grendel his that if from murderous deeds, implication being as once God's the fate kills be will monster, Beowulf, agent, prevented and for all from decreeing the deaths of the Danes by Grendel's hand. to God's control of fate is a post facto repetition The second reference of Hrothgar's words: [Hrothgar] |)one aenne heht aer golde forgyldan, |)one 8e Grendel mane swa acwealde,? nefne him witig God ond ?aes mannes mod. he hyra ma wolde, wyrd forstode (11. 1053-57) Thus, God's control over the decrees of fate consists in Beowulf's killing of Grendel so that, as the poet comments, "never again would fate decree that he could take any more of the human race for his food, after that future decrees of fate; he does not reverse its night."18 God prevents dictates. This idea that the decrees cannot be of fate, once set in motion, averted by either God or man is evident when we examine the context uses the words in which the Beowulf-poet "fsege" and "unfsege" "fated to die" and "not fated to die." In his on the speech swimming match with Breca, Beowulf that nered / unf gne eorl, explains wyrd oft and later when we are told of the ponne his eilen deah (11. 572-73), escape of the slave from the clutches of the dragon whom he had robbed, the poet 18Ne comments: s w ma moste manna / ?icgean cynnes pset wyrd pa gen, / pset he of er I follow G. N. niht and Jacqueline Simson's translation (734-36). pa Garmonsway's of this passage, in Beowulf and Its which appears (London, 1968), Analogues p. 21. The italics are mine. 164 Tietjen Swa wean maeg ond ea?e gedigan se ?e Waldendes unfsege wrascsi? (11. hyldo gehealdej)! 2291-93) is that a man's fortunes can is implied in both of these passages What be reversed if he is unfaege, but cannot be reversed if he is fsege. The first passage points out that fortune favours the brave man if it has not that he die, and the second, that a man requires the already decreed favour of fate as well as the favour of God if he is to survive misfortune, is a victim of wyrd, the geosceaft ?schere (1. 1234), and he is grimme mother before Grendel's arrives, as fus ond fsege described, consequently on to Hygelac that he the other hand, explains (1. 1241). Beowulf, nses ic f ge his life with because from Grendel's mother pa gyt escaped ( I.2141). is inextricably the The concept of fate in Beowulf bound up with in common with fact of man's death, and has nothing whatever the a in Christian the God decrees whose also of poem, concept, present accord with a wise plan, conceived for the good of man. While the dictates of fate are supreme and irreversible in determining the circum stances of a man's death, the actions of men on earth, before they meet their inevitable end at the hands of fate, are controlled and judged by a benevolent Christian God who is the source of all favour and honour. as a at Heorot is interpreted by Hrothgar The arrival of Beowulf gift from God and himself his attributes Beowulf (11. 381-83), strength to in the God's favour ( 11.1270-71 ). God grants Beowulf fight with triumph Grendel and permits him to see the sword on the wall of (11. 696-700), Grendel's mother's I* 1S t0 God that the charac (11. 1661-64). dwelling ters in Beowulf in their ventures, look for safety and guidance and it is God whom they thank for desires granted and favours bestowed. in Beowulf of the concepts of a benevolent The peaceful co-existence God and of the inexorable force of wyrd ismost clearly illustrated when warns Beowulf of the in doing so Hrothgar pitfalls of pride, and explains the functions of God and fate in the universe insofar as man is concerned. Hrothgar says: is to Wundor hu mihtig God sidne J)urh eard ond sele? sefan eorlscipe; he 011 lufan Hwilurn momies modge]}onc on him ef)le to healdanne gede? him side rice, his manna unsnyttrum swa secganne, cynne snyttru brytta?, he ah ealra laete? geweald. hworfaii maeran eorj3an cynnes, wynne hleoburh wera, gewealdene worolde daelas, ne masg J)aethe his selfa ende gej^encean. (11. 1724-34) God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf 165 He goes on to point out, however, that this same man may grow proud, s ser him dal wuldres God / Waldend, sealde, (11. p pe weor?mynda a As he misuses the of God: 1751-52 ). result, gifts J)ince? him to lytel, gytsa? gromhydig, faette J)aethe lange heold, nallas on gylp sele<5 (11. 1748-50) beagas. is his failure to keep the transience The root of his pride, says Hrothgar, of life inmind :he pa fordgesceaft / forgyteS ond forgymed ( 11.1750-51 ). is inevitable decay and death by decree of His fordgesceaft, moreover, fate: Hit on endestaef J^aetse lichoma eft gelimpecS, laene gedreose?, (11. faege gefealle?. 1753-55) use of the to make honourable cautions Beowulf Hrothgar consequently in to that has and God the of fate mind: ravages given him, gifts keep oferhyda maere cempa! ane h wile; eft sona J^aetpec adl o??e o??e fyres o(58e gripe atol forsite? J)aet?ec, dryhtguma, blaed eafoJ)es getwaefed, flodes o??e o??e o??e yldo, ond forsworce?; o??e gym, bi?, ecg feng, meces, ne is J)ines maegnes Nu gares eagena wylm, fliht, bearhtm bi?, semninga dea<5 oferswy?e?. (11. 1760-68) Beowulf's defeat by the dragon is the proof of Hrothgar's words. When we first hear that the dragon is threatening the Geats, the poet comments: se ?one secean gomelan sawle hord, lif wi? lice. neah, ?ngemete wyrd sceolde, gretan sundur gedaelan (11. 2420-23) We later learn that Beowulf, has both admonitions, heeding Hrothgar's of death at the hands of fate and made kept in mind the inevitability the man whom proper use of the honours granted him by God. Unlike had said ond / (11. 1751 pa Hrothgar fordgesceafte forgyteS forgymed on earde bad / and unlike 52), Beowulf (11. 2736-37 );19 mselgesceafta whom Hrothgar had cited as a bad example, Beowulf has Heremod, avoided the misuse of God's gifts: heold min ne 19 I follow Bosworth for that which waited sohte and in due searoni?as ne me tela, swor fel? Toller's translation of "ic bad time fate would assign me." maelgesceafta" as "I i66 Tietjen a?a on unriht. Ic ?aes seoc feorhbennum ealles gefean for?am me witan ne ?earf mor?orbealo maga, Waldend ]x>nne lif of maeg habban; min fira sceace? lice. (11. 2737-43) that his actions have been above reproach is con Beowulf's conviction firmed for us when the poet tells us that, after his death, him of hrse?re gewat / sawol secean sodfsestra dorn (11. 2819-20). Beowulf dies because he is faege, God grants him one final Although earthly honour, victory over the dragon: him God u<5e, ]xet he hyne sylfne gewraec (11.2874-76) J>ahim wass eines |)earf. sigora Waldend, ana mid ecge, The final events of the poem, then, occur both according to the decree to the will of God. Beowulf's over the of fate and according victory a dictate of a is is God: death from his Beowulf's dragon gift wyrd. the treasure ( 11.2794 ff. ) conveys prayer of thanks for success in winning to us a strong sense of Christian victory that perhaps renders his death not entirely But tragic. because Beowulf's God-given victory is, of course, up in his defeat by fate, we find that his kinsmen grieve both. wishes both to bring back his chieftain's life, which has been Wiglaf robbed by fate, and to change God's decree that Beowulf fight and defeat the dragon: bound Ne meante he on ?eah eor?an, on Sam frumgare ne 8aes Wealdendes wiht wolde dorn Godes g?mena gehwylcum, he u(5e wel, feorh gehealdan, oncirran; daedum raedan swa he nu gen detS. (11. 2855-59) the tone of the end of the poem is predominantly elegiac, al we are not to that Beowulf's death constitutes though permitted forget a Christian to victory over the forces of evil. The agents that contribute the final events of the poem, the Christian God and the of Germanic wyrd are both paganism, given their due, but as the narrative draws to a close, the poet chiefly emphasizes the inevitable death of a glorious hero: Thus, Swa Geata begnornodon hlafordes cwaedon manna leodum (hry)re, Jj>aet mildust li?ost he waere ond ond leode heor?geneatas; wyruldcyninga mon ( ?5w ) aerust, lofgeornost. (11. 3178-82) This final emphasis on the work of fate, which gives rise to the elegiac tone of the poem, can be accounted for in the fact that the role of God in concerns man's activities the events of Beowulf he is on only while God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf 167 earth. Of course, the poem takes into account the eternal reward granted as Beowulf says, daer those whose activities have been honourable; gelyfan sceal IDrijhtnes dome se pe hi?e dead nimed ( 11.440-41 ). But the fact of man's death is determined by fate, and the lament here is for misfortune a power that knows out the meted by nothing of reward for merit. On other hand, God's function in the world of Beowulf is to protect the good man from the forces of evil for as as he is destined to live, and to long his activities after death has his fated occurred. Beowulf, judge earthly even until the moment of his death, is granted victory over evil forces, and after he is swept away by fate ( 11.2814-16 )we are told that he longe w re sceal I on ?ses Waldendes (11. 3108-3109). gepolian is that of The most prominent role of the Christian God in Beowulf men to merit. rewards their The of God favour upon bestowing according a in the poem is a deserved and is the wrath of God deserved favour, wrath. Grendel is sentenced to exile by God because he is from among the untijdras that sprang from Cain and his kindred, and that subse l?unnon / com wi3 Gode quently lange pr?ge (11. 113-14). The poet ments here that God him pses lean forgeald another (1. 114). Heremod, offender of God, misuses the gifts that God grants him. Hrothgar tells Beowulf that he grew up to wselfealle / ond to dea?cwalum Deniga leodum (11. 1711-12), ?eah pe hi?e mihtig God eafejjum foro gefremede. breosthord Denum Consequently, death : God maegenes wynnum, men ealle ofer stepte, him on ferhj^e greow Hwaethere nallas blodreow; aefter dome. beagas rewards Heremod with dreamleas he J)aet leodbealo geaf (11. J^aes gewinnes eternal 1716-20) damnation gebad, weorc })rowade, 1720-22 (11. longsum. after his )20 Those who please God, on the other hand, are afforded grace, both on earth and following death. Beowulf achieves so?fsestra dorn (1. 2820) after death, and in life his success in battling Grendel, Grendel's mother, as a reward for his and the dragon is due to favour bestowed by God worth. After Grendel's defeat, Hrothgar says to Beowulf: J3u {)e self hafast |)aet J^in dorn lyfa<5 daedum gefremed, awa to aldre. gode forgylde, 20 N. damnation F. Blake ("The presents Heremod convincing Digressions Alwalda }:>ec swa he nu gyt dyde! evidence that in Beowulf," this passage JEGP, 61 (11.953-56) refers [1962I, to Heremod's 278?87). i68 Tietjen Moreover, dragon the poet comments with reference to both Grendel that Beowulf was chosen by God to battle with them: and the Haefde Kyningwuldor Grendle aldor ymb waes {)onne swa togeanes, aseted; seleweard guman sundornytte eotonweard'abead. Dena, |)aet yrfe gefrungon, beheold (11. 665-68) eacencraeftig, iumonna gold galdre be wunden, hrinan ne moste |)33t ?5amhringsele g?mena aenig, sigora ?he efne nefne swa God sealde So?cyning is manna gehyld? manna, hwylcum sylfa, \>am hord <5e he wolde openian, swa him gemet ?uhte. (11.3051-57) idea that victory is granted to the man whom victory befits runs throughout the poem. In his speech about the proposed battle with Gren del, Beowulf says: The sijr?an witig God on swa hwae|)ere hond halig Dryhten swa him gemet |)ince; maer?o d?me, (11. 685-87) mother that and the poet comments during the battle with Grendel's own since Beowulf's of his corselet the enable and strength protection him to rise to his feet after being pinned down by the monster, witig / rodera R dend hit on riht gesced / y d?lice (11. 1554-56). This Drihten, if it has not marked a idea is carried over to the concept of wyrd, which, man for death, may favour him: nere? / unfsegne eorl, ponne oft Wyrd his eilen deah (11.572-73)! The idea of reward for merit is also implicit in Beowulf's reply to the boastful speech of Unferth: ic Secge })aet atol naefre aeglasca hyn?o sefa sunu to so<5e, J)e swa fela Grendel swa in Heorote, searogrim, the Christian Although the efforts of the worthy "worth" that merits God's certainly exemplifies ealdre Ecglafes, gryra gefremede, ]3inum, gif J^inhige waere, swa pu self talast. (11. 590-94) to view that God affords grace and guidance of the is evident kind throughout Beowulf, favour is by no means Christian. Beowulf most the Christian virtues of mildness and humility, but he is worthy of God's favour because of his great strength and courage. Virtue in the world of Beowulf lies largely in the fulfillment of the heroic in the poem is ideals of personal prowess and earthly lof. The emphasis not upon heavenly rewards but upon earthly ones. God's judgment of men after death ismentioned the world view several times, but because God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf 169 of the poem acknowledges the inevitable destruction by wyrd of all that men have strived for on earth, the of doing poet stresses the necessity so renown on of meets his that the the doer after he will live great deeds, encounter fated death. Thus Beowulf his Grendel's with before says mother: Ure aeghwylc sceal lif es, worolde ende gebidan aer deaj^e; domes se wyrce aefter unlifgendum pe mote pset bi(S drihtguman seiest. (11. 1386-89) is little sense in Beowulf, as there might be in a poem exclusively in attitude, that the actions of men on earth and God's favour Christian in rewards toward the spiritual those actions are directed guiding life is in For of the of the characters heaven. Beowulf, granted kingdom one must endure as preparation not a vale of tears whose vicissitudes for the joys of life after death; instead, they see man's final reward as the that his earthly deeds will survive in the memory of the living, knowledge and this knowledge iswhat makes the fact of death endurable. the heroic ethic knows nothing of spiritual reward for merit, Although is nonetheless the Beowulf-poet able to reconcile the values of a society based upon the pagan heroic ideal with the Christian notion that God that personal strength must be used rewards the worthy by emphasizing man who possesses it is to merit God's guidance in his if the properly after the poet reflects upon past events at Heorot endeavours. When Beowulf has returned to the Geatish nation, we learn that Beowulf made proper use of his strength : There Swa bealdode beam Ecg?eowes, cu? gu?um aefter dome; guma dreah heor?geneatas; ac he mancynnes godum nealles naes him maeste daedum, druncne hreoh slog sefa, craefte pe him God sealde, (11. ginfaestan gife, heold hildedeor. 2177-83) who breat by contrast, the activities of Heremod, and whose / eaxlgesteallan (11. 1713-14), bolgenmod beodgeneatas, re we were blodreow that and remember (1. 1719); Hrothgar thoughts career to the misuse of God's of views Heremod's gifts strength exemplify This passage and recalls, power. Heroic whether strength, it is abused it should be noted or rightly involves recognizing the deeds produced attributing however, used. here, The is considered proper use of a one's gift of God strength, it is God's gift and consequently to that the grace of God. Thus, by gift that 170 Tietjen Beowulf his success credits God with the treasure in winning from the dragon: Ic Sara Frean fraetwa ealles wordum Wuldurcyninge Sane, secge, ecum Dryhtne, pe ic her on starie, ?5e ic moste J^aes aer swyltdaege minum leodum (11. 2794-98) gestrynan. swyle The achievements of Beowulf, then, are in accordance with both the heroic ideal of personal strength, and with the Christian view that victory over evil is a combination of the efforts of man and the accomplished by us of The while God. tells that, grace poet fighting with Grendel, Beo : in wulf kept inmind msegenes and addition strenge, put his trust in God he maegenes gemunde ond are to Anwaldan him strenge, Se him God gimfaeste gife, frofre ond fultum; gehnaegde helle gast. sealde, gelyfde, ?y he J)one feond ofercwom, (11. 1270-74) A combination of heroic valour and Christian grace is also evident in the comment that Grendel would have killed many more of Hrothgar's poet's thanes, nef ne him witig God ivyrd forstode / ond Saes mannes mod ( 11. of heroic and Christian ideals is perhaps most 1056-57 ). This co-existence seen clearly in Beowulf's encounter with wulf's strength (which is in this instance the power of God protect his life: Grendel's Haefde 8a forsi?od sunu EcgjDeowes under Geata nemne gynne herenet grund, him heaSobyrne halig gefremede, God (11. geweold wigsigor. It is God who enables Beowulf me mother's geuSe dwelling: Beo cempa, helpe ond hearde,? Both mother. with his armour ) and connected 1550-54) to see the sword on the wall of Grendel's / past ic on wage geseah ylda Waldend, eacen (11. 1661-63); own vet :t *sBeowulf's wlitig hangian / ealdsweord use the sword a strength that enables him to against Grendel's mother, sword mare donne aenig mon oder / to beadulace aetberan meahte (11. 1560-61). In Beowulf, far God's from the pagan referable being grace, as the case ideals of personal to might sin the be of in a pride poem prowess and with and earthly therefore a more at orthodox fame are odds with Chris a view. Rather, personal strength is gift of God, and if it is men are rewarded with used victory in battle and as a conse properly quence gain earthly renown. It is therefore not out of keeping with the Christian Beowulf's death, the aspects of the poem that, in mourning tian world God, Fate, and the Hero of Beowulf 171 eahtodan demdon / duguSum (11. eorlscipe ond his ellenweorc was affirm and that he the of all the 3173-74), lofgeornost kings of the world. Beowulf's deeds of valour and his achievement of earthly fame are the proof that his activities have been blessed with the grace and guidance of God. Geats