There are two different interpretations of the story of Beowulf. One interpretation is that of a fundamentally Christian nature and the other being a distorted superficial Christian nature. As one would think, these inverse ideas should be easily justifiable or dismissed. However, upon the first read, this is not the case. Beowulf has a confusing balance of both pagan and Christian concepts. It is a sort of battle between pride and humility, sacrifice and selfishness. "...The wondrous gifts God had showered on him: He relied for help on the Lord of All, on His care and favor." (pg. 89)
             The Christian aspects of Beowulf can be seen fairly clearly throughout the poem, but the directly Biblical portions are more evident in the first half. Page 9 is the first obvious Christian ideal, taken directly out of the Old Testament. The murder of Abel by Cain is the explained reason for the existence of the monster, Grendel. Also, on page 117, the Flood from the book of Genesis is described as the cause for the death of the giants, from whom the sword that Beowulf used to kill Grendel's mother is from. Throughout the poem, Beowulf repeatedly acknowledges God as his protector and the provider of his great strength. "...if God had not helped me...But the Lord of Men allowed me to behold-for he often helps the unbefriended..." (pg. 115) Beowulf also has a rather lengthy conversation with Hrothgar, who tries to emphasize the importance of realizing that the true power lies with God and the danger of falling victim to pride and selfishness. The majority of the poem, people seem to stress the fact that the power comes from God and that he is I ultimate control. These things all suggest a Christian point of view. On the same note, Beowulf's fight with Grendel conveys a sort of "good vs. evil" fight. Grendel is the evil descendent of a murderer and the hero, Beowulf, with his strength from God, saves the people from disaster. While this may not d...