Amanda Nunez
Mr. Martinez
English IV- Block 1
03 December 2013
Literary Influence: From Paganism to Christianity
During an era when concepts that strayed from the norm were often dejected, the notion of Christianity was not yet an established belief. However, through transitional pieces such as The Dream of the Rood and Beowulf, individuals were able to be eased into accepting this foreign concept and begin a new age of spiritual belief. Both of these texts were masked by heroic tales, yet their underlying message is one that seems to mirror a major religious text- The Nicene Creed. Through careful examination, it is evident that these literary works share a similar structure to The Nicene Creed, and therefore were able to provide Anglo-Saxon people with an insight into Christianity without overwhelming them with new ideas. The authors of these texts achieved this purpose by presenting to the population of this time area the profession of Christian faith, concealed by a story that they were likely to enjoy listening to.
The Old English epic poem Beowulf is written in al...
Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea.
Nicene Creed in cyrillic writingThrough this strategy employed, Pagan Anglo-Saxons were able to truly grasp the underlying principles of this new religion and ultimately accept these beliefs as their own.
Historical Context
It is important to first understand the characteristics that defined Anglo-Saxons in order to fully comprehend how the two texts impacted this group in a compelling manner. The Anglo-Saxons were a war-glorifying group of individuals who believed that strength and brutality resulted in the best heroes (Ross). They were quick to follow a leader that showed these standard characteristics, as they felt the desire to be constantly guided by someone. Because they so often had brave yet harsh leaders, many dynasties came and went rapidly and these people looked to greater entities as important leaders (Ross). Paganism was a polytheistic religion, meaning...