Religious_Themes_In_The_Poem_Beowulf

Religious Themes In The Poem Beowulf All societies throughout history have been based in one way or another on religious beliefs. They influenced types of governments, political parties, and laws set by those governments. Just like all other preceding it’s time, the Angelo-Saxons had many forms of government which were based on religions. The two main religions that were chosen between were Christianity and paganism. In the epic poem Beowulf, the governments are based on religious beliefs of the leaders and the citizens. The poem Beowulf displays the similarities and differences between different governments due to the relations between the two religions of Christianity and paganism. The government before Beowulf’s time was based on pagan beliefs. Beowulf’s ancestor was Shield who formulated his government under pagan religion. The idea that the government was formed on pagan belief is backed by their rituals. When Shield died, the burial ceremony was a pagan ritual. They stretched their beloved lord in his boat, laid out by the mast, amidships, the great ring-giver. Far-fetched treasures were piled upon him, and precious gear. I never heard before of a ship so well furbished with battle-tackle, bladed weapons and coats of mail. The massed treasure was loaded on top of him: christianity, people, beowulf, beliefs, government, religion, pagan, governments, time, poem, paganism, god, based, religions, two, shows, because, set, ruler, out, one, lord, changed, between, beowulf’s, believe, before, while, throughout, slowly, side, should, shield