Beowulf and Christianity It was a dark time and the devastating effects of war had taken their toll. Many had completely given up hope that things would improve, that the country of what is now England would stop shedding blood. From the conquests of the Romans, to the Germanic tribes, to the Vikings, the people of the British Isles had been battered. They needed a hero, someone who represented strength, decency, and courage. Thus the story of Beowulf was born. Beowulf is a fictional hero of this time. He is not only a hero, but also a man of faith. His exploits are described as events ordained by God to bless the people. Beowulf is an instrument of God, an instrument of justice called by God to do His will for the Danes. In stark contrast to his good, is the enemy, Grendel, the embodiment of pure evil. He is an enemy of the people and, according to the text, also an enemy of God. Grendel is a destructive and murderous "creature" who completely opposes everything that is good. From some passages we can see that the writers or editors of Beowulf intended to draw a religious parallel between these two characters of Beowulf and Grendel and the religious ones. The premise of good versus evil is easy enough to assume, but the writers intended to use the Bible to raise the tone of the story to one more spiritual than natural. There are some passages where this can be seen. The first are the passages that describe Grendel and his beginnings. The second is a dialogue selected from the Danes and Beowulf. Below is a passage from the beginning of the story describing Grendel: This gruesome creature was called Grendel, infamous wanderer of the borderland, ranger of the moors, swamps, and forts; this cursed creature lived in a monster's lair for a time after the Creator had condemned him as one of Cain's lineage: the Eternal Lord avenged Abel's murder. Cain gained no satisfaction from that feud, but the Creator sent him into exile, away from mankind because of his crime. He could no longer approach the throne of grace, that precious place in the presence of God, nor did he feel the love of God. (102-113)Grendel is compared to Cain in this passage, but he also seems to display characteristics of the devil.