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What is the role of Fate in Beowulf?
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Fate, referred to as "wyrd," plays a significant role in Beowulf, highlighting the blend of pagan and Christian beliefs. The Anglo-Saxons believed that success or failure was determined by God's will rather than predestination. The poem suggests that God's favor, not human effort, decides outcomes, as seen when Beowulf battles Grendel. This reflects a cultural shift from paganism to Christianity, where fate and divine will are intertwined in determining the hero's destiny.
In Beowulf, the sense of one's destiny at God's hands is prevalent, but also is the influence of "wyrd."
Fate is referred to as "wyrd." The Anglo-Saxons did not believe that they were controlled or predestined to carry out a pre-orchestrated plan that God had decided upon for them, but that their failure or success was determined by God's will, not their own.
The reader might infer that "undoomed" refers to one that God has not decided will fail. In Chapter 10:
Weird often saveth
The undoomed hero if doughty his valor! (X.15-16)
In other words: if God will allow it, Fortune may smile upon a hero if he remains steadfast in his bravery.
As Beowulf prepares to meet Grendel, he notes that the monster will not use a sword, only "natural" weapons, and so Beowulf will not use any weapon either. They will battle, and once more, the...
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hero points out thatGod will decide who will win:
“No battle-skill has he, that blows he should strike me,
To shatter my shield, though sure he is mighty
In strife and destruction; but struggling by night we
Shall do without edges, dare he to look for
Weaponless warfare, and wise-mooded Father
The glory apportion, God ever-holy,
On which hand soever to him seemeth proper.” (XI, 20-26)
A reference to God extending his favor is made soon after, identifying the He has chosen a valiant hero to rid Heorot of Grendel, the ravager of the hall.
But the Lord to them granted
The weaving of war-speed, to Wederish heroes
Aid and comfort, that every opponent
By one man’s war-might they worsted and vanquished,
By the might of himself; the truth is established
That God Almighty hath governed for ages
Kindreds and nations. (36-43)
The narrator of Beowulf was influenced by the old pagan beliefs along with those of Christianity that had been introduced by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church. While "wyrd" is used at one point to refer to the "fate" that awaits Beowulf's thanesmen with the unexpected approach of Grendel's dam, at another point Beowulf acknowledges that the Lord delivered him from his battle with Grendel's mother.
The narrator himself demonstrates blended pagan and Christian beliefs . . . The pagan word "wyrd" and God's decree are used interchangeably.
We can assume that this version of the story (which is in fact, the oldest one that survives) reflected changing times as the pagan Anglo-Saxon culture began to reflect the influences of Christianity. If it were in the early or middle stages of this cultural and religious shift, it would make sense that "fate" and "God" might be used as if they were the same.
Regardless of the usage, the Anglo-Saxon hero (such as Beowulf) was quick to recognize that the outcome of one's life did not rest in the hands of the warrior, but in a power greater than himself.
Additional Source:
Johnston, Ruth A. A Companion to Beowulf, Pannesbaker Press: Gibsonia, 2005.