Death in Beowulf

It seems as if death is a fairly constant theme so far, perhaps because that was the reality of the times they lived in, death was a fairly constant concern. Beowulf does not seem terribly concerned about his seemingly ensuing death, for many did not think he would be returning to his homeland again.

I found it very  interesting that Beowulf advised the king "Sorrow not, wise one! It is always better to avenge one's friend than to mourn overmuch."  In this way he reminded me of Marcus Aurelius and the stoic philosophy found in Meditations.


The deaths always seem to be foreshadowed, I don't know if the creator of the story did this as a way to remember what came next better, as this was originally an oral story, or as a way to keep interest. I did enjoy the line "They sank into sleep- one paid sorely for his evening rest, as often happened when Grendel guarded the gold-hall."

It also bears noting that Grendel, much like Humbaba seems to serve a purpose in the story. While Humbaba guarded the forest, Grendel seems to be punishment for lack of humility, or perhaps practicing pagan religion. On page 1210 we see that "he bore God's anger." He seems to be described almost as a demonic being. 

One small inconsistency confused me. The story said that there were prayers offered to pagan gods, and they had even called on the devil for deliverance. When Beowulf arrives, he obviously believes in God and offers glory to his name for his success, as does the king. Is Grendel able to be defeated because they are not practicing pagan ways? When did they make the shift from pagan to seemingly Christian? Am I just reading too much in to this?

The most demonic depiction of Grendel I could find.