In the poem Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, the Anglo-Saxons pray to one God, while the Greek and Romans prayed to many Gods for help. When the Greeks would have a problem there would be a God that would appear to assist them. Anglo-Saxons were not given that luxury. Throughout the course of the poem the reader observers how the Anglo-Saxons deal with their fair and all mighty God, a contrast from the relationship the Greeks had with there many Gods.
The Greeks, like the pagans would go directly to their Gods when confronted with conflict “Sometimes at pagan shrines they vowed offerings to idols, swore oaths…” (Beowulf 13). Heaney contrasts that by say “The Almighty Judge of good deeds and bad, the Lord God, Head of the Heavens and High King of the World, was unknown to them” (Beowulf 15). What Heaney showed in his translation was that the Anglo-Saxons had a more interment relationship with their God. In contrast the Greeks and pagans had relationship with their Gods that is based on needs and wants.
In the Anglo-Saxton religion their God is the giver of good and misfortune; he is the all knowing and just God. The Anglo-Saxon’s cannot escape the rage of their God, if they committed a sin against him. The Anglo-Saxons receive compassion for their Lord “But blessed is he who after death can approach the Lord and find friendship in the Father’s embrace” (Beowulf 15). In contrast, in the Greek religion all the good are givers of good and misfortune; but they are not just Gods. The Greeks can escape the wrath of a God by going to another God and pleading for protection. Knowing this aspect of their religions reflects their social behaviors.
While religion being the basis for almost every society, Beowulf reflects how religion is the center of a society. In Beowulf there are massive amounts of evidence that show how religion shapes the social aspect of their lives. The social life that is based on religion in Beowulf is in contrast with the religions and social standards of the Greeks.
This, to me, connects heavily to the fact that the Anglo-Saxons were much forceful. As they learned from their gods, punishment is imminent; it is not possible to escape karma. By being so bloody when fighting, Anglo-Saxons are copying what their Gods do onto each other. For the Greeks, it is possible to escape God's punishment. Therefore, it is easy to see why the Greeks avoided the blood-lust that the Anglo-Saxons were notorious for; their Gods believed in second chances, and likewise, so did they. It is incredible that a religion is able to define a societies values - while religion is central to a person, it does not always change such a strong group.
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