The Middle Ages was a period of great growth. During this time, art blossomed, literature thrived and the "Christian World" was spreading throughout Europe. Christian beliefs and sentiments were expressed in the poetry of Medieval England. Beowulf emerged at the inception of Christianity in Anglo Saxon England and intertwined Christian and Pagan beliefs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written when the Catholic Church was well established and organized in England and piety was the main focus of the faithful. This essay will show that Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight each reflect the Christian culture in which they were written.
             The heroic poem, Beowulf, is a reflection of Anglo-Saxon ideals and concepts. War was a way of life and the warriors lived by the heroic code and were expected to be brave, courageous, and loyal. Their reputation for such qualities was very important. Beowulf was written after the Anglo-Saxons were already Christianized, yet the pagan traditions that had dominated their lives were still present in their mind. The Anglo-Saxon society was one of the love of war, sea, clan and the love of treasure. These themes of Anglo-Saxon life are depicted in the poem Beowulf. An example of an Old Testament reference was the story of Cain and Abel is Grendel is said to be a descendant of Cain according to this quote "Cain's clan, whom the Creator had outlawed/ and condemned as outcasts. For Killing of Abel" (106-107). Another example of a Christian reference is the sword hilt of Grendel's mother is engraved with a depiction of the Flood as described in the book of Genesis it is referred to the relic of old times in that quote "that relic of old times. It was engraved all over/and showed how war first came into the world" (1688-1689). It is interesting that the language of Beowulf has similar tone to that of the Old Testament and it would appear that there was an identification with the Old Testament po...