Beowulf was written during the 18th century, although no one
             knows when it was composed or by whom. This poem gives us a view
             of a society changing from Paganism to Christianity. Christianity and
             Paganism are known to have coexisted during the period that Beowulf
             was set to take place. Christian influences were known in early folklore,
             and heroic legends of dramatic tribes. The Christian elements are
             almost without exception so deeply ingrained in the fabric of the poem
             that they cannot be explained away as the work of a reviser or later
             writer.
            
             The pagan elements in the poem are shown in the superhuman
             abilities of the charactors. Beowulf is depicted as a superhero. When
             fighting with Grendel, Beowulf chooses not to use any weapons, he
             relies only on his super strength. During this fight, Beowulf's strength
             overpowers Grendel and he is able to rip one of the monster's arms out
             of its socket. Superhuman feats also show up in the fight with Grendel's
             mother. When Beowulf enters the water he swims downward for an
             entire day before he sees the bottom. He does this without the use of
             oxygen. During the fight with Grendel's mother he grabs an enormous
             sword made by giants, almost too heavy to hold and slashes through the
             monster's body. This superhero strength continues into the battle with
             the dragon. By this time, Beowulf is an old man. He stands up to the
             dragon and wounds him. Although Beowulf is fatally wounded himself,
             he still manages to deliver the final blow that kills the dragon.
            
             Grendel is also seen as a superhuman monster. Grendel has
             no knowledge of weapons so he too depends on his extraordinary
             strength to destroy his enemies. "The monster's thoughts were as quick
             as his greed or claws: He slipped through the door and there in the
             silence snatched up thirty men, smashed them unknowingly and ran out
             with their bodies"(pg. 27, ln 119) The dragon is also seen as a super
             powerful adversary. ...