Greensboring.com | Greensboro, NC

So I felt some negative feelings today, when I blurted out my possible interpretation of Beowulf with my professor today. An off the cuff response I had formulated in my head that made perfect sense to me, but made me look like a nutter to the class.

We were discussing the religious aspects of the piece, to which my instructor suggests, were just the result of some over zealous monk, who upon recording down the story of Beowulf chose to add his own "religious flair" to the story. In other words he added the Christian elements.

That's when I had an idea. Perhaps, the whole story of Beowulf is about Christianity. I could see my teachers face beginning to turn red as her lips already began to say "no." I stopped her with an explanation. Beowulf, is faith based character who believes God's will and destiny will make him right, even when he's wrong. He is Christianity, and Grendel represented Paganism, secularism, part man, part beast and a descendent of Cain and Abel sent to die in isolation. I wonder if there's a bit of sarcasm from the author, as he see's the choice of mankind's transition between paganism to Christianity. Perhaps this is an argument against Christianity, as the story beckons to ask by its end "What must we sacrifice?" for this belief in pre-destiny, this new belief structure? By willing our lives to God, we're absolved from responsibility of our own lives, and in the end mankind, has no heroes. Mankind is no longer responsibly for saving itself. It doesn't have to, it now has Jesus.

This is when my professor looked at me, just shook her head, and said "you're an idiot" with her glare. I bothered not, to enter into Grendel being a descendent of incest from Even and Cain and Abel.

I'm inclined to agree with your teacher, Beowulf is a legendary saga. Christ is a legendendary saga, but that does not mean that Beowulf = Christ.

Beowulf is about school. The hero teacher spanks a naughty monster and its mommy comes round to complain to the principal.

I'll buy that. It sounds like a perfectly reasonable interpretation to me!

I don't see any problem with it except that you blurted it out in an undergrad class instead of a grad school class (Grad school level teachers are much more interested in hearing your own thoughts rather some regurgitation of something they taught you). LOL Shame on that teacher for being so damned close-minded.

I'd also always heard the theory that Beowulf was an ancient story that the monks had put a Christian spin on it too, but apparently what this teacher had forgotten is that nobody really knows what the heck the truth is, so your interpretation is just as valid as any. And I love your idea of Grendl's mother as Eve and Grendl as the incestuous offspring of Eve and Cain. Too bad you weren't in this class with Dan Noland from UNCW. He would have LOVED this. Remind me to tell you about my interpretations of King Leer some time. LOL

I guess I need to watch the movie again. Or maybe read the Wiki notes on it... Sounds like Liv's religion-radar is returning false echoes.

Jamy wrote:nobody really knows what the heck the truth is, so your interpretation is just as valid as any

Only if it's consistent with the evidence

However Beowulf does undoubtedly contain numerous biblical references - to Genesis, the flood, the 'twelve Earls left behind telling their tales' and it's difficult to see how you could discuss it without exploring whether it was a pagan legend with Christian elements layered on after - or a contemporaneous pastiche of pagan and Christian traditions.

So I've been thinking about it more. I think there is two Beowulfs. The original story, likely a Celtic tale that parraells many tales that come out of Wales in which the three battles represent three sins. Such as Incest (Grendel), Adultery (Witch), and perhaps Vainglory (Dragon)? (Still working on the last.)

Then Beowulf is re-written by the monks, to represent a the last hero, the evil of cain within all mankind and the battles (metaphorical) we all have must fight within. Basically the story of Christianity.

Like any work of art, the subjective reaction is as vital as the craft of the piece itself.

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:Like any work of art, the subjective reaction is as vital as the craft of the piece itself.

Exactly. I think that's what bugged me about her reaction. I had a professor in College version 1, a film critic from the NR, who refused to consider others had different viewpoints. I think art is something that means different things to different people. That's how I expect my books to be read....

Still, I think a good teacher would have taken the opportunity to allow the class to discuss it.

We are discussing it, (more now) but there's this odd culture in the class right now.

I get the feeling since many of the early British literature stories are either religious, or from the Bible, that there may be some hesitance from the professor to fully explore the concepts because it may have some influence on her own beliefs.

Not that I know her beliefs. (God forbid if she Google's this...)

I mean, I'd love to know, because, typically most people are Christians around here. So how do you approach these stories, as mythological, while maintaining your own faith?

I love the class to death... no serious, I'm not just saying that... but there does seem to be this narrow focus, that seems to be regurgitated from "scholars." Which is great and all, and I respect that, but as someone whose been fed countless hours of biblical text as pure fact, and later found out those "experts" were wrong, I'd like to, as college is meant to teach, make my own opinion for it and have it considered as valid.

The problem, is not that there isn't an opportunity to speak, because I have, (though I did feel a bit stupid afterwards) it's that I don't think this class, (I suppose I shouldn't speak for all of them, because several are very abstract) overall, as a collective, lacks the ability to see these works from alternate perspectives. They're reading it from a Christian-American point of view.

Oh well, I've carried on enough... I'm going to go shower and get ready for class now.