Ancient Scandinavian culture is connected to Beowulf through their shared ideas of heroism, as well as influences from both Christian and pagan beliefs. During the Viking age when Beowulf was written, Scandinavian societies were in transition between paganism and Christianity. The poem reflects this cultural context through its themes of heroic courage and loyalty expected in Scandinavian society, as well as references to both Christian and pagan figures like Cain that would be familiar to the audience.

2. Thesis
Ancient Scandinavian culture connects to Beowulf
though society, ideas of heroism, and Christian and
Pagnistic beleifs.

3. Some Background…
 Composed of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland, there is little
evidence of Ancient Scandinavian countries.
 Beowulf, questioned to be written between 8th century and 11th century AD, was
a time of the Vikings in Ancient Scandinavia.
 Settlement had just begun and christianity was beginning to form in Denmark
at this time. During the time of Beowulf, many themes of paganism are shown
though Christian elements still linger throughout the novel.
 The Vikings had a great belief in battle honor which is largely shown in
Beowulf

4. Ancient Denmark and
Sweden
Denmark Sweden
 In the 10th century, the Danes  Sweden developed later than
were officially chrisitanized. Denmark and was christianized
in the 11th century.
 The Danes during the Viking age
dominated western Europe for  During the Viking age, Sweden‟s
many years. expansion was much towards the
east.
 The Viking age brought a great
deal of overpopulation in  It wasn‟t until 13th century AD
Denmark. that royalty gained any power.
http://www.denmark.dk/en/menu/About-
Denmark/Denmark-In-Brief/ http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Lifestyle/Fact
s/History-of-Sweden/#idx_1

5. Ancient Scandinavian
Society and Beowulf
Ancient Scandinavian society combines Germanic heroic tradition along with a
distinct Christian influence. Throughout Beowulf the theme of Christianity and
Norse paganism is obvious. The burial customs and the idea that Cain is
Grendel‟s ancestor gives readers a glimpse into the cultural context of that society.
 Every person had a role in society. Because of the dangers lurking in the
wilderness, the people of ancient Scandinavia understood that they needed to work
together for survival. In an heroic society, being an outcast like Grendel, was similar to
being a slave.
 Courage was essential to society because it meant that a person could be counted on
to perform their duty, even in the face of danger. Beowulf exhibits the virtue of an ideal
hero because his actions in the poem are selfless, require courage, and serve as an
example of how a warrior would have acted in ancient Scandinavia.
 Loyalty and generosity also played an important role in society. The relationship
between King Hrothgar and his thanes show their loyalty to him. Also, King Hrothgar
generously bestows gifts to Beowulf for being a hero.

6.  Scaninavians strongly believe in fate, and that a person‟s destiny remained the same
from birth.
 To the ancent Scandinavians, death was the final defeat for anyone, even a hero. In
some ways “the wages of Heroism is death” (-Tolkien)

7. Heroism in Beowulf
Heroism played an important role in ancient Scandinavian society. During the
Viking age of 800-1100 AD, countries of Scandinavia were under invasion and
battle. Being a hero meant great honor in society. Heroism and honor go hand
in hand and is what brings Beowulf to Denmark at the start of the epic poem.
 In the epic poem of Beowulf, Beowulf is portrayed as a hero with more strength from
his body than from any weapon. He is strong enough to destroy a monster with his
bare hands.
 Beowulf performs super human actions such as surviving emerssed in water for
hours battling with Grendel‟s mother.
 Unferth is a jealous man and he envies Beowulf‟s fame and power. However, Unferth
has no honor as he is a kinslayer. This is not only the most disgraceful crime of
all, but he also questions Beowulf‟s honor. Another of Beowulf's attributes, willfulness
and loyalty, is lacking in Unferth. Although Unferth begins supporting Beowulf, he is
still changing his mind, and thus, his loyalty.

8. • Towards the beginning of the poem,
the tale of Beowulf‟s heroism against
Brecca is told.
• Even though he lost, Beowulf failed
heroically. When he raced Brecca he
lost only because he was fighting a
dangerous sea monster, thus saving
both him and his opponent's lives.
• In the end of the poem, Beowulf
changes from a heroic warrior to a
heroic king. Both roles required him to
put others before himself, and risk his
well being for that of others.

9. Conversion
Christianity in  The Viking age was an age of
great change in ancient
Scandinavian society. At the
Scandinavia beginning of 800 AD, most
Vikings were paganistic, and
believed in many gods.
Harald Bluetooth  The Vikings inherited chrisitan
ideas quite rapidly through many
• Harald bluetooth was son of Gorm The Old and
of their raids and attacks.
Queen Thyra who ruled Denmark. Harald is
thought to have died around 980 AD.
 Germanic and Anglo-Saxon
missionaries traveled
Scandinavia to covert countries
to christianity. Beginning with
Denmark—christianized in the
10th century—Sweden was the
last to christianized in the late
11th century AD.
• This jelling stone is incripted with christian writing
and symbols. The last three lines state
„Harald who won the whole of Denmark, and all http://www.fortidensjelling.dk/jellinge5.htm
Norway, and turned the Danes to Christianity.‟
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/religion
_01.shtml

10.  There are many christian elements
found in Beowulf; man survives
Christianity in through protection of god, and that
wealth must be shared.
Beowulf  During Beowulfs fight with Grendel‟s
mother
"The fight would have ended straightaway if God
• In the poem, Grendel is had not guarded me" (1.4)
considered an ancestor of
 During the poem, Hrothgar tells
Cain- a large biblical reference.
Beowulf that being king is achieve
• Cain killed his through god. The story of king
brother, Abel, and was Heremond is about a king who falls
because of greed and selfishness.
banished from the Garden of
Eden by God. In Ancient “angry-hearted he covets, no plated rings does
Scandinavia, fratricide is the he give in men‟s honor, and then he forgets and
regards not his destiny because of what
worst crime one can commit. God, Wielder of Heaven, has given him
Anglo-Saxon society was very before, his portion of glories" (5.13)
much structured around
 “he covets” is form the Christian ten
brotherhood and kinship.
commandments.

11. Paganism in Ancient
Scandinavia
Norse Paganism is a subset of Germanic Paganism, people who inhabited
Northern and Central Europe during the Viking Age
 When Christianity took over in the early 8th century, Norse paganism began to falter
and wane into Christianity.
 Scandinavian archeological sites have Petro glyphs, divided into sub categories as
hunter-glyphs (mainly found in Northern Scandinavia) and agriculture-glyphs. These
normally depict basic hunting and fishing, but scholars deemed the glyphs to discuss
religious themes.
 Little to no existence of temples for worship.
 Claims of a temple in Uppsala, Sweden with three wooden statues. One of them is
predicted to be Odin, but ultimately unverified due to lack of archeological evidence
to prove it.
 The Vikings were Norse people (warriors-like Beowulf-merchants and explorers) who
raided areas of Europe for trade (and to explore) in the late 8th century.

12.  Human sacrifices used to be common; sacrificial offerings to gods and religious
purposes and the other for funeral purposes where the people sacrificed for their
lord are believed to follow him into afterlife and continue to serve him.
 Odin was the mighty god of gods of the Norse people. Sacrificial practices are
associated with strangling or hanging to death. (The Bronze Age Tollund Man)
Ambivalent scholars argue strangled victims could be out of capital punishment.

13. Religion in Beowulf
Christianity Paganism
 Christianity says that we  Superhuman powers are
shouldn‟t let greed and wealth portrayed by Beowulf in
take over ourselves, this is swimming underwater for
what Hrothgar teaches to hours, and his supernatural
Beowulf. human strength.
 Grendel‟s connection to Cain in  Concept of fame and
the bible. heroism.
 During Beowulf‟s battle with  Fate that comes with death
Grendel‟s mother he believes it or greatness throughout the
is god who has brought him the poem.
sword.

14. Sources
Wikipedia contributors, Norse Paganism, Wikipedia, 476346930, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 February 2012 20:51
UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_paganism
Wikipedia contributors, Viking, Wikipedia, 476794672, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 15 February 2012 20:51
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“Vikings.” 2012. The History Channel website. Feb 26 2012, 6:14 http://www.history.com/topics/vikings.
Leiren I. Terje, “From Pagan to Christian.” University of Washington. 1999. February 26, 2012.
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Lund, Neils. “The Viking Age.” Denmark.dk, the Official Website of Denmark. May 10, 2010. February 26, 2012.
http://www.denmark.dk/en/menu/About-Denmark/History/The-Viking-Age/
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/religion_01.shtml
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